Description: Calida Jones and Douglas Clayton left stable positions in corporate consulting to build something they couldn't find anywhere else: a support organization that actually questions the frameworks it operates in. As co-founders of Creative Evolutions, they work with arts organizations, nonprofits, and the people inside them to develop human-centered, adaptable approaches to strategy, hiring, and organizational design. In this conversation, they get into what that work looks like in practice, why language matters more than most organizations admit, and how their new multi-city convening series, Momentum, is trying to build the kind of collective thinking the field has been missing. Key Topics: What human-centered consulting actually requires day to day Why "best practices" can do more harm than good The problem with "mission" as a framework for nonprofit work Strategic pathways vs. strategic planning How Creative Evolutions' ownership model is different The origins of Momentum and why the conference model needed rethinking Building communal ideation with a tangible, publicly available takeaway Surviving vs. thriving in arts and culture right now Featured Guests: Calida Jones — Co-founder of Creative Evolutions; violinist; former board president of the Connecticut Arts Alliance; board member of El Sistema USA Douglas Clayton — Co-founder of Creative Evolutions; theater director and ballroom dancer; former performing arts service organization leader; producer with experience running opera companies in Los Angeles and Chicago Notable Quotes: "It takes a tremendous amount of work to be human-centered. It is a choice." — Calida Jones "We have more choices than we think we do. That is the fundamental thing that drives us every day." — Douglas Clayton Connect with our guests: Creative Evolutions: creativeevolutions.com Momentum: momentumrevolutions.com | Use code ECOSYSTEMBUILDER for a listener discount Instagram: @creativeevolutionsecosystem Facebook & LinkedIn: Creative Evolutions Follow Could Be Pretty Cool: @couldbeprettycool | couldbeprettycool.com | couldbeprettycoolnews.substack.com Keywords: arts nonprofit consulting, creative economy, human-centered design, organizational strategy, nonprofit innovation, arts advocacy, Momentum conference, board of directors, performing arts organizations, creative entrepreneurship, arts funding, nonprofit leadership, strategic planning Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices