Who We Are
Moving you forward.
We are a consulting studio specializing in strategy, innovation, leadership, and well-being, informed by deep theoretical and practical knowledge, experience, and expertise. The concept of a studio as a workplace where we learn, grow, and develop together reflects how we approach our work. We employ multiple frameworks, theories, and models, as no single approach works best in all situations. Our goal is to work with organizations to create roadmaps that build on their strengths and capitalize on unfolding opportunities of promise and potential.
We specialize in listening and in leading generative conversations to help organizations navigate the challenges of a complex world, believing that we are all in this together and inviting everyone to learn from one another.
Our purpose is to support leaders and organizations as they evolve to have greater impact.
Meet Our Team
Connie Foster
Connie’s passion lies in working with groups and organizations to help them grow, develop, and learn how to achieve the results they desire. Her work with organizations and leaders is informed by her life experiences and extensive background in higher education, facilitation, and consulting. She served in various university roles including Full Professor and Chair of the Department, Dean of the College, Interim Provost, and Interim Chancellor (twice).
Connie brings a unique perspective, having been involved in numerous strategic planning processes both within the university and as an outside consultant working with organizations. She is intrigued by new ways to think about strategy and working in complex environments. Recently, she has become interested in adult development theory as a lens to better understand leadership and how this theory may be applied at the organizational level.
She has served as a facilitator for the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), is a Certified Technology of Participation Facilitator (CTF) and is a consultant for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), facilitating their onsite leadership development programs. She holds a PhD in Sport Psychology from the University of Minnesota, an MA from the University of Southern California, and a BA from California State University at Long Beach.
When she isn’t working, she can be found running, biking, or swimming in her quest to become a better triathlete.
Marina Onken
Marina is trained as a classical strategist with a toolbox of expertise in business plans, competitive and industry analysis, strategic positioning, and dynamic capabilities identification to capture value in strategic planning. Her work has evolved with industry trends, focusing on innovation, iterative hypothesis formulation and testing, and identifying customer problems and needs as the centerpiece of strategy making. This transition has enabled her to help organizations pinpoint their most immediate and pressing problems for more effective strategy making.
Her career progressed from creating agile and effective organizations to assisting leaders in navigating an environment of constant data flow, technology demands, and 24/7 availability. Drawing on research in neuroscience and leadership, she elps leaders understand the impact of constant interruptions on the brain and physical and mental health and provides strategies to build better teams and organizations through more focused leadership. Her most recent interest is in the practice of creativity and strategy making in organizations.
She earned a Ph.D. in Strategy, Organizational Theory, and International Studies from the University of Nebraska, and has 25 years of experience in higher education. She was a Full Professor of Strategy and Innovation and Interim Dean at a College of Business, where she worked to achieve AACSB Accreditation. Additionally, she has previous experience in industry.
Her passion is practicing creativity and innovation through photography and travel. She has traveled to all continents except for Africa and prefers travel in arctic regions.
Joy Benson
Joy brings a future-focused perspective and applied frameworks grounded in leadership, innovation, and design when responding to complex opportunities. She is a collaborative leader with a strong record of working with colleagues in higher education and governmental organizations to generate new ideas for growth, strategic implementation, and system restructuring. While living in Illinois, she facilitated the state’s learning lab and was an active member of the strategic planning team.
Joy holds a Doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on organizational behavior. Formerly a Professor of Leadership and Innovation, Joy has a deep appreciation for applied learning and for understanding the ecosystems in which organizations operate. As she engaged students in developing current leadership and innovation skills relevant to inclusive and sustainable organizations, she recognized the importance of clearly communicating complex ideas and processes. This led to her gaining skills in storytelling and the use of visual workplace tools. Her research, consulting activities, and professional development have shifted from a bias of responding to contemporary issues in the short term, to focusing on developing experiences and processes that support long-term impact.
Joy is an avid gardener with an appreciation for locally grown produce and for developing habitats for pollinators. She also supports local animal rescue organizations and serves on the board of a small rescue located in St. Croix County Wisconsin.
Betsy Barrett
Guiding and supporting learners holistically is front and center in Betsy’s role as a professor specializing in health and well-being. She has expertise in a diverse range of topics and an eclectic mix of health-related themes.
She creates learning environments and designs learning experiences in which learners build on their strengths; develop an awareness of, sensitivity to, and appreciation for the broad spectrum of human perspectives, challenges, and experiences; and grow in mind, body, and spirit as integrated beings with valuable contributions to make.
Betsy also serves as a facilitator for the National Wellness Institute’s Worksite Wellness Specialist Certificate Program which focuses on promoting employee engagement and building cultures of wellness in the workplace. Betsy earned her BS in Physical Education from the College of Wooster, MS in Exercise Science from Miami University, and PhD in Kinesiology with a specialization in Exercise and Sport Psychology from the University of Minnesota. She enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog, reading, and being physical active.
“Good strategic leadership should confront internal issues with the same vigor it uses to advance its external purposes.”
- Richard Rumelt, “The Crux”