How does an unlikely organization go from top-down, traditional and struggling to grow to become an award-winning organization – recognized by Inc, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, among others – that works in a radically collaborative way? In mid-October 2017, we partnered with former CEO Tom Walter from Tasty Catering to tell his company’s story […]

The first months of 2017 have been BUSY! Lots of people asked for our elevator pitch. (Even our families didn’t know exactly what we were up to.) So we got smart. We teamed up with genius visual artist Sarah Moyle to create this 7-minute video. We sincerely hope this video gives you – and your team […]

2016. What a year. Before we leap into 2017 armed with hope, lessons learned, and breathless curiosity about what comes next – we want to reflect on what inspired us in 2016. Imagine walking into your favorite bookstore. You step in from the cold, scan the shelves on your way to your favorite section, and […]

Few things excite us more than seeing collaborative leadership infiltrate pop culture. It’s happening more and more. And no collaborative organization is grabbing more headlines or heartstrings than the record-breaking Golden State Warriors.  This year’s NBA season just began, and the Sunday New York Times is already speculating. Our first post is a catch-up on […]

**Contributed by Deeper Funner’s own Elephant Whisperer, Karen Dawson Comedian Jim Gaffigan grabs audience members in the middle of his stand-up routines by saying in a stage whisper what they are likely to be thinking: “Does he really eat that much bacon?” If Gaffigan saw someone reading my business card, he might whisper on their […]

Way back in March (remember March?), we posted “15 Improv games to develop leadership skills and ensemble thinking in your group (part one)” in response to collaborators near and far who asked for some of our favorite improv games to have handy when getting ready for a meeting.  Here it is, the thrilling conclusion of “15 […]

A billion years ago (or 25), I lived in Norway. Far, far to the north in the ice deserts of Finnmark – 35 kilometers south of the Barents Sea and 500 meters from what was then the U.S.S.R. One of the many things that delighted me about my time there was a particular spontaneous annual […]

There’s nothing like a last minute push to plan a meeting. You’re dying for that perfect game you played that one time (when? where?) to shake up your staff meeting, but you can’t quite remember how it goes. Unabashedly philosophical rant We – like all facilitators who use improv – are often asked for game […]

Kelly Ritchey-Davoren has had unusual – and unusually successful – practice as a culture-building leader. During one period as an operations executive at The Decurion Corporation (one of the most paradigm-shifting companies you’ve never heard of), she and her teams improved critical metrics while launching 5 new locations and prototyping a new culture that unleashed […]

It’s a strange thing to say, but I’m fascinated by poverty, and why it persists in a world where so many have so much. But what really took me by surprise was when I picked up a book on poverty – and learned something that changed how I lead and live. The Ivy League authors, […]