Impact

“…processes, examples and exercises enabled me to think externally, critically and outside my perspective…As a result, I ended up winning a share in the 2016 grant for our Project FiveArm Secure Crisis Journalism Reporting Tool – an incredibly important foot in the door…”

“…the process really helped identify our market, figure out the strengths of our programs that might appeal to the markets, and then create an online presence that would help us reach the right folks…”

“Creaturekind’s work helped us recognize the power of the Snow Leopard Enterprise program and how to use our content to tell the stories of the women participating in the program. These changes definitely helped us increase our online sales.”

“Work with WITF Public Media in 2017, assisting with the development of a digital startup focused on Pennsylvania state government, policy and politics called PA Post. Leading the effort to survey PA media organizations about their reaction to the proposal and their interest in partnering… meticulous in crafting the survey instrument and in advocating for an effective social media strategy to promote and encourage completion…helped to guide our planning and launch…”

“…what lies at the heart of its ongoing value was Lisa’s recognition that innovators need certain elements to learn and share productively. These elements have application, whether the conversation is about journalism or arts education or health care or technology…”

“A view of communications from the perspective of the potential audience, CreatureKind brings this to bear on all aspects of the work, which is critical…intimately familiar with the tools and methods used in many levels of business and consumer communications – this is a huge asset…”

“It’s valuable to have an intimate, focused discussion, with intelligent back-and-forth…conversation that’s appealing and potentially powerful. There’s something essentially human about asking someone a question in front of a lot of people…”

“Appreciated the application of existing network to assist in survey participation…also a co-presenter and discussion leader at a gathering of staff and media professionals from colleague organizations– effective both in prompting discussion and summarizing it for our use.”

“I very much liked the outreach and the care taken in cultivating the conversation … This obviously informed the questions and the facilitation of the conversation, and enriched the responses. I also liked the curation after the fact, to bring context to the conversation.”

“Comments could become a form of content, if done differently. Conversation can be content…[industry is] in the midst of a huge change…. haven’t innovated on that since adding comments to stories in the 1990s.There’s a deep need for conversation to understand what others are learning…”

The Dean needed to assess existing journalism innovation centers, across US universities sprouting up between 2009 – 2013. Market Scan built to include a comparative analysis, interviews & demand assessment. Scope and project defined to avoid duplication & identify collaborative university cohorts in the mix, conducted over 12 week duration; strategy, outreach, participation & analysis.

• 5 verticals researched, representative interview sample
• Online conversations yielded 200 interactions across channels
• Key emerging news & information network participation
• Open peer review of findings across strategic advisory
• Narrative strategy – online forums, synthesis & distillation
• Guided development of multi-million dollar AGORA center

As foundations looked to trim investment, the NFOIC required an appeal to drive renewal of their primary grant for expanded all-volunteer state network. Critical funds to preserve civic protections for FOIA across 47 states. Leading development of appeal structure, identification of the volunteer FOIA organizing model, consistent across state programs. Outlined ranking system & efficacy metrics to guide codification on standards of practice, with “bio-sketches” of outstanding performers, a fixed set of exemplar states featured. Survey of state programs, collaboratively written, peer reviewed.

• Funding renewed & doubled investment, efficacy in aggregate
• Expanded duration of investment, proof points put in context
• Brought in new funding, “productized” & quantified soft value
• A “new currency” qualified value of civic, democratic principles

Recruited to guide pitch development and prep Innovation Grant Candidates for grant selection panel. The Walkley Foundation commissioned CreatureKind’s Journalism Accelerator program, to lead an accelerated training. On location in Sydney, Australia the short list of participating finalists brought a broad range of news projects & entrepreneurial information products to inspire investment. Audience alignment the focus, assessing demand and unique fit:

• Training emphasized peer to peer learning, market & pitch alignment
• Candidate evolution of pitch, value proposition, wow’d judges
• Candidates refined, restructured & applied demand/audience analysis
• Candidates gained mastery of core elements of product development

Months of coordinated discussion with US leaders across departments and embassies, introduced a new electric vehicle mobility company and its Asian partner to President Obama on his 2014 Asian tour in Manila. CreatureKind provided facilitation, coordination and aided in qualification to ensure all factors optimized the company to showcase its new EV mobility system, and collaborative pairing, as a model for the future.

• Led media strategy and facilitated Presidential Press Corp requirements
• Guided communication coordination across US and Asian partner group
• Facilitated company leader preparation, shaped product narrative
• Guided US and Asian media coverage and placement

Exploring the pressing needs of US news innovators across local communities; this project selected for delivery by way of fellowship at the Reynolds Journalism Institute. Requirements gathering provided a fresh view of journalism experiments in the field. Building upon the expertise, knowledge, and existing research across institutions & disrupted digital news market. RJI’s Fellowship blended silos & guided development of Journalism Accelerator digital platform. An online Q & A format reporting on innovation in the news marketplace informed by publishers, delivering local, investigative and niche news products. Infusing cross-vertical expertise, reporting spanned emerging business infrastructure, sustainability, engagement, ethics, new technologies, advances in craft & trends. The Patterson Foundation’s New Media initiative resourced ideation & operation.

• 2,000 comments, distillation revealed trends, methods, models & troughs
• 100 pieces of analysis & articles developed, emerging media market showcase
• 300 resources culled and vetted; value, use & audience benefit evaluated peer to peer
• Dozen forums, sustainability index developed, shared practices & expertise
• Collaborative test cases: e.g. USC, Berkley, Kent State, CJET, KDMC, Poynter 
• Conversation as currency, crowd sourced narrative, editorial veracity & value exchange
• Science of participation, responsive engagement practices that work, soft metrics & revenue lines
  
• Ethics of contribution and attribution, tangible power of networks, inclusion-diversity and access
  

National consultancy cohort team member, birthing progressive infrastructure & civic engagement capacity advancing communities of color, LGBQT, environment, ocean species protection, US election veracity, community involvement, voter analysis, cross-state organizing capacity & evaluation practices. Structured narrative architecture detail with findings integrating multiple methods of inquiry. Focus on the voices within each community. A composition of organizers, other local groups, citizens, business owners, students, NGOs, education groups, collaboration partners, surveys, exit polls, volunteers, quantitative voter files – inputs cross-channel. Insight seeded by assessment tool design, built and localized to reflect life in the communities, culturally aligned, accountable.

• Seed learning across US, regional & community foundations evolving civic innovation investments
• Structure impact analysis out of data accountable to communities served
• Analysis, review & delivery of impact in aggregate regionally, locally and nationally
• National and local election analysis, voting veracity, access, inclusion, participation
• Collaborative capacity, best practices to accelerate civic health, shared gains & extensible capabilities
• Cross-pollination of practices, cross-state conversations, peer-to-peer actualization