Who's Cool

There are organizations all over the world that engage the business community in work that truly deserves special attention. We have had the privilege of working with many of these exceptional companies, and invite you to learn more about them.

Designed Learning (www.designedlearning.com)
Designed Learning - a Peter Block Company - offers workshops, consulting, and implementation support where staff professionals learn the competencies to use within the consulting relationship. Peter Block is an author and consultant whose work is about empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, and the reconciliation of community. Peter is the author of several best selling books - the most widely known being Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used.

The Berkana Institute (www.berkana.org)
The Berkana Institute is a global foundation supporting life-affirming leaders around the world. They define a leader as anyone who wants to help. Berkana believes that in community, learning accelerates and individuals derive support that enables them to act with greater resolve and courage.

Barnes and Conti (www.barnesconti.com)
Barnes & Conti is the home of the most widely-used influence course globally. They provide programs and services in influence skills, negotiation innovation, leadership development, strategic thinking, and more.

IdeaTribe (www.ideatribe.com)
Founded by Athena Katsaros, IdeaTribe offers team-building experiences, creativity in business workshops, leadership and life coaching, and customized programs that match an organization’s culture and goals.

Power + Systems (www.powerandsystems.com)
Power + Systems delivers highly interactive leadership programs focused on curing the core issues that limit organizations from reaching their potential. Founded by Barry Oshry, the company strives to liberate people to reach higher levels of contribution and satisfaction, eliminate behavior that is dysfunctional for individuals and their organizations, and elevate organizations to higher levels of performance.

THIRSTY-FISH (www.thirsty-fish.com)
Michael Margolis is the founder and CEO of THIRSTY-FISH Story Marketing - a learning laboratory for "cultural tipping points". Specializing in the marketing of both social and business innovation, Michael translates new, different, and complex ideas into stories that can travel across culture. In practice, his strategic story frameworks help organizations raise money, boost recognition, build brand presence, improve stakeholder relations, and shepherd new ideas into cultural acceptance. Michael has consulted to over thirty organizations including AARP, Ernst & Young LLP, The Nature Conservancy, NASA, National Governors Association and countless emerging enterprises. His unique story perspective draws upon varied adventures as a pop-anthropologist, social marketer, and successful entrepreneur. A frequent conference speaker and workshop leader, Michael presents a fresh approach to meaningful marketing and cultural renewal. He is also the contributing author to forthcoming book Wake Me Up When the Data is Over: How Organizations Use Stories to Drive Results (Jossey-Bass 2006).