Our “Creative Genius” Speaker Series

May 12, 2022 | From Leadership

By Robyn Schnieders, Head of Production

What do an A-List actor, a board game developer, a hip-hop ghostwriter and TV producer, and an Emmy Winning Art Director and theme-park designer all have in common? All have been featured speakers of the Athena “Creative Genius” speaker series, hosted by the Creative Services division of Athena Global Advisors.

The series features a monthly “Genius” who addresses the group in an open forum. Guests are encouraged to share the secrets of their success—be it their journey, lessons learned, or simply stories of their experiences. Whether trusting your gut, networking, failing miserably, or knowing which ‘doors’ to open when, the speaker’s personal stories offer relatable attributes, lessons, and insights.

“Meeting successful creatives and hearing their stories is both personally inspiring and professionally enriching.”

– Carson Schatzman, Copywriter

While listening to someone’s creative journey is motivating, it’s the intimate Q&A following the presentation that truly brings value to the series. The opportunity to actively engage and ask the questions you REALLY want to know has allowed Athenians not only to learn but also to display our own curiosity and creativity in response to the speaker’s story and insights. One of our guests was so impressed that she engaged members of the Athena team for a creative brainstorm on branding and marketing for her board game franchise.

“Each ‘Genius’ has dealt with challenges that push them to create inspiring solutions.”

– Frank Urbaniak, Sr. Designer

As Athena’s Head of Production, I developed the “Creative Genius” speaker series to encourage and support creative thought beyond the traditional corporate client services scope. By embracing alternate approaches to our work, and supporting creative collaboration across disciplines at Athena, we are able to appreciate the diverse perspectives and points of view of our Athena team. As many of our associates are at the beginnings of their career, exposing and sharing alternate points of view is invaluable as we develop young professionals at Athena.

“The Creative Genius series lets us have exclusive access to industry change makers.”

– Asha Wescott, Manager

Creativity is not limited to ‘out-of-the-box’ approaches or over-the-top solutions. Rather, Creative Genius also encourages the appreciation of subtle creative influences throughout our everyday interactions. From creating project strategies, executing activations, or the ability to regroup with our teams when faced with an unexpected request, creative thought is at the baseline of what we do—even when not fully recognized as such. Creating unique offerings and maximizing our strengths as a company in the process is one of the things that sets Athena apart from other organizations. Encouraging such thought and empowering our staff to recognize their own creative power is an invaluable tool at Athena.

“Stepping outside of your environment and learning about unique experiences leads to meaningful self-reflection.”

– Max Black, Information Manager

Final Thoughts

My hope is that the Creative Genius series will continue to inspire and encourage Athena employees to approach their work with an ‘out of the box’ mentality. But our time together with those speakers, learning from them and reflecting on our own practices, also reminds us that creative perspectives can help create new opportunities across the Athena organization.

Interested in learning from the best? Well, we are seeking out the best. View our current opportunities here.