'Creativity Day' dawns in Honolulu

Echoing similar events held around the world, Honolulu Hale will host a free event Saturday to mark Creativity and Innovation Day. The program includes “seminars from renown speakers who are professionals from all walks of life,” said coordinator Guilherme Albieri. “They will be sharing their view about creativity and innovation and how these can be applied to everyday life.”

Creativity and Innovation Day got its start two years ago in Toronto, Canada, after a local newspaper declared a “creativity crisis.” Over a dozen groups around the world, from France to Brazil to Australia, have since gathered “to celebrate creativity and innovation in order to encourage people to use their capacity for making meaningful and joyful change.”

Saturday’s event is the first held in Hawai`i. Presenters include:

• Lee Ann Del Carpio — An executive leadership and personal coach who works with professionals who want to maximize the impact of their leadership style and thrive during times of organizational or personal change. Her passion is international travel and cross-cultural communications.
• Gail L. Grabowsky Kaaialii — A Phd from Duke University in ecology and evolutionary biology. Dr. Kaaialii developed and now directs Chaminade’s new minor in Environmental Studies.
• Lisa McElvaney — A contributor to the fields of organizational change, innovation and creativity, leadership development, cultural change, and human resource management. She is currently focused on completing her doctorate degree, conducting research on creativity and innovation in the workplace.
• Manuel C. Menendez III — Executive director of the city’s Office of Economic Development.
• Dr. Robert Santee — An associate professor of psychology at Chaminade University. Dr Santee holds two PhDs, one in philosophy and one in educational psychology. His training has allowed him to create and teach courses in Daoist and Buddhist psychology, the psychology of Tai Chi Chuan and Zen, Health Stress psychology, and the psychology of Death and Dying.
• Scott J. Schroeder — Associate Professor of Management and director of the business, graduate management, and public administration programs at Chaminade University of Honolulu. He also teaches in the areas of organizational change and crisis management at the Claremont Graduate University.
• Don Sepe — An award-winning presenter for the Carlson Learning Company who has conducted corporate training programs for clients such as St. Francis Hospital, Goodwill Industries, and numerous hotel and resort employees. His own company, WizardWorks, specializes in staff training and humor development.
• Alison Zecha — An executive leadership & life coach specializing in working with leaders wanting to live their values and passions personally and professionally. Some may know Alison as the host of HECO’s television cooking program, “The Electric Kitchen.”

Albieri said the gathering includes a light breakfast, and is funded entirely by the city’s Office of Economic Development.

Albieri is Hawai`i Pacific University’s coordinator for Latin America. A native of Brazil, he received a master’s degree in organization change from HPU, and received the school’s Robert E. Black Award for Excellence in 2001.

For more information, call (808) 585-9596.