Van Lai-DuMone is the founder of worksmart, mobilizing companies to discover and utilize creativity at every level of their organization, so that ideas are shared freely, and innovation is occurring regularly. She brings over 20 years of leadership in training and development, entrepreneurship, and project management. Her clients have included Google, Media Arts Lab, Pepperdine University, and Beautycounter. In addition, Van brings her facilitation and creative skills to personal development through her company Craft Your Life Workshops – designing workshops for women to gather, connect, and create.
As a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator and Kaizen Muse Creativity Coach, Van uniquely brings hands on experiential activities to her talks to engage audiences in a tactile and meaningful way.
Speaking Topics:
- Diversity of Thought in the Workplace: How Honoring Diversity of Thought Leads to a More Creative and Innovate Workplace
- Don’t Put Creativity in a Box: Integrate Play and Creativity in the Work You Do
- Creative Chaos: Embrace Failure and Uncertainty, Your Future Depends on Your Failures
- Creative Problem Solving: Taking Wild Ideas Across the Finish Line
I partnered with Van to deliver the keynote address at our quarterly company-wide learning day at Cornerstone OnDemand. The theme was “power to transform” and Van’s dynamic point of view on the power of play was a perfect fit! As a learning company, we’ve had dozens of presenters in the past who’ve spoken on a variety of topics but Van really stands out in the crowd. Her presentation was engaging, interactive and fun! Her use of visuals, storytelling and hands-on play with LEGOS® kept the crowd intrigued and curious about what was going to come next. Her insights has got us rethinking how we can intertwine work with play so that they aren’t separate activities, but instead complementary to get our brains and hand creating.
Additionally, Van was extremely easy to work with, responsive and professional. She tailored her talk to the needs of our team and gave us a customized session that hit the mark on all counts. She was especially accommodating to our remote employees, thinking through how to deliver both an in-person and streaming event for our diverse work settings.
– Kalia Waits-Smith, Change Management Senior Manager