Many schools and workplaces struggle to keep people engaged, encourage deeper thinking, and prepare them for real-world challenges. Relying on memorization alone no longer meets the mark. What’s truly needed is curiosity, creativity, and the ability to think outside the box to solve problems. This is where innovative leadership steps up—empowering growth, guiding teams with purpose, and creating spaces where ideas transform into meaningful action.
Katie Trowbridge, President and CEO of Curiosity 2 Create, is at the forefront of driving the organization’s growth and impact. She leads a transformative approach to education and workplace development that centers on curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, connection, and courageous leadership. Katie is reshaping outdated systems, encouraging a shift from compliance-driven models to human-centered, curiosity-fueled cultures in schools and businesses. Through innovative programs like the CREATE Method™ and the Deeper Thinking Advantage series, she empowers educators and leaders to think boldly and tackle real-world challenges.
By listening to client needs, co-creating solutions, and staying aligned with emerging trends, Katie Trowbridge ensures the company remains adaptable and relevant. Under her leadership, Curiosity 2 Create has formed cross-sector partnerships, launched digital learning platforms, and gained recognition for turning deeper thinking into a practical tool that drives meaningful change in how people learn, lead, and connect.
Vision for Meaningful Change
Katie Trowbridge’s journey to leading Curiosity 2 Create was driven by her desire to bring meaningful change to education and leadership. She recognized that traditional systems often focused too much on compliance and not enough on fostering curiosity, connection, and growth. Her mission was to create a space where schools and organizations could go beyond surface-level engagement and truly empower individuals to lead with purpose.
One of the biggest challenges she faced was shifting the mindset of teachers and leaders. Instead of simply offering another training program, Katie and her team aimed to change how people thought about leadership and learning. They encouraged organizations to move away from just checking boxes and start focusing on human-centered approaches that truly made a difference. Building trust with busy, overwhelmed teachers and leaders was crucial. Katie Trowbridge and her team focused on listening, staying adaptable, and ensuring that their work was inspiring, practical, and impactful. This approach allowed Curiosity 2 Create to make real, lasting change in the communities they serve.
Bridging Education and Workplace
At Curiosity 2 Create, it’s believed that the qualities that make great teachers—curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, connection, and courageous leadership—are essential for building thriving cultures in any environment. This is why their work bridges education and workplace development: helping schools and organizations redesign how they think, communicate, and lead.
- In Education: Curiosity 2 Create empowers teachers and leaders to foster classrooms where students think critically, take risks, and solve problems.
- In the Workplace: They equip leaders with teaching-inspired tools and mindsets to build collaborative, innovative, and people-centered teams.
Education and workplace systems need transformation. Too often, they rely on reactive management and outdated models that limit potential. Curiosity 2 Create helps shift the focus from compliance to curiosity—from managing tasks to mentoring people. By reimagining leadership through the lens of great teaching, they aim to improve outcomes and transform culture.
Creativity as a Catalyst for Problem-Solving
At Curiosity 2 Create, deeper thinking is the foundation of everything they do—from solving problems and building connections to adapting in a fast-changing world. They treat creative and critical thinking not as a personality trait but as a skill that anyone can develop and apply. Their programs help individuals break out of rigid thinking and embrace strategies for divergent thinking, creative problem-solving, and innovation under pressure—whether it’s redesigning a classroom lesson or rethinking a team meeting for better collaboration.
They also challenge the myth that creativity is limited to artists or “idea people,” believing instead that everyone has creative potential. Creativity, to them, means generating new possibilities, forming unexpected connections, and questioning the status quo. In a world marked by constant uncertainty, these creative skills are not optional—they’re essential for educators and leaders.
Fueling Innovation for Underserved Learners
Katie Trowbridge has introduced several impactful initiatives to reshape leadership and learning practices:
- Deeper Thinking Advantage series: A leadership program using segments like Curiosity Lab to help leaders think boldly and connect authentically with their teams.
- CREATE Method™: A framework integrating curiosity and creativity into learning, benefiting multilingual and underserved students.
- Knowledge Blocs: Online cohorts on topics like Generative AI, reshaping learning to focus on meaningful, measurable results.
These programs highlight Katie Trowbridge’s vision to make learning and leadership more creative, impactful, and purposeful.
A Culture of Questions, Not Assumptions
Staying aligned with their mission, the team at Curiosity 2 Create thrives on deeper thinking. They avoid assumptions, focusing on asking questions, listening, and adapting to the real-time challenges faced by schools, nonprofits, and corporate teams. By identifying issues like disengagement, stifled creativity, and barriers to deep thinking, they refine their approach to meet the needs of those they serve. The CREATE Method™ was born out of feedback from teachers and leaders who needed clarity, connection, and creative tools, not more structure.
Their commitment to continuous improvement drives them to stay connected to research, future trends, and real-world experiences. Regular feedback, experimentation with formats like hybrid cohorts, and refining materials ensure they remain relevant and responsive. Ultimately, the team models adaptability, reflection, and human-centered thinking, knowing that to lead meaningful change, they must first embody it themselves.
Core Values Influence Every Decision
At Curiosity 2 Create, the company’s work is guided by five core values: curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, connection, and courage. These values are not just words—they influence how programs are designed, how partners are supported, and how decisions are made every day.
- Curiosity drives growth
- Creativity sparks solutions
- Critical thinking enhances understanding
- Connection fosters trust
- Courage encourages change
Rather than offering quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions, the company focuses on creating meaningful, relevant experiences that empower individuals to lead with impact in today’s complex, ever-changing world. These values shape how they show up for clients, each other, and the communities they serve.
Skill Set That Will Define the Future
Katie Trowbridge believes the future will be driven by visionary thinkers—not by those who just follow instructions or move quickly through tasks. Katie believes it’s not speed or compliance that will shape tomorrow—it’s courage, creativity, and bold thinking. She shares the report of the World Economic Forum that nearly 40% of the skills people use today will change by 2030. Skills like creative thinking, curiosity, and problem-solving will become even more important, with the demand for creative thinking expected to rise by 73% in the next five years. This shift isn’t just a trend—it’s a wake-up call.
As the world grows more complex, leaders and educators will be needed to guide others to think critically, not just complete tasks. Systems should be adaptable, and training should focus on unlocking human potential rather than just technical skills. At Curiosity 2 Create, this is exactly the approach taken. The CREATE Method™ is designed to help individuals develop the thinking and leadership skills necessary for today’s world. The future, after all, will belong to those who ask the right questions, not just those who have all the answers.
Environments Where Everyone’s Voice Matters
Whether in a classroom or a workplace, real innovation and inclusion don’t come from more tools or tighter plans—they come from creating a culture where people feel safe to speak up, ask questions, and share ideas. Great teachers do this naturally by making sure everyone is included and encouraging curiosity. Great leaders can do the same.
At Curiosity 2 Create, leaders are taught to lead like great educators—by listening, asking thoughtful questions, and making space for different voices. When people feel like they belong, they’re more willing to take risks and think creatively. That’s how real innovation happens. Inclusion and innovation go hand in hand—and start with curiosity, courage, and connection.
Unlocking Potential, Not Just Managing Performance
Katie Trowbridge believes that leadership is not about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions, building trust, and helping others grow. With empathy, curiosity, open-mindedness, and a teacher’s mindset, she prioritizes unlocking potential over merely managing performance. This approach reflects her belief that leadership is a continuous journey of growth and empowerment for everyone involved.
Katie is particularly passionate about fostering community over competition, especially among women. She advocates for women to support and uplift each other, privately and publicly. It’s not just about having more women at the table—it’s about encouraging one another, making space, and demonstrating that boldness and belonging can coexist. Inspired by mentors who helped her along the way, Katie aims to create environments where individuals, especially women, can lead authentically and with confidence.
Katie Trowbridge’s Tips to incorporate deeper thinking into your leadership:
1. CURIOSITY: Start with a Better Question
Don’t rush to solve—pause to ask. The best leaders don’t have all the answers; they ask bold, meaningful questions that uncover new possibilities. Replace “How do we fix this?” with “What’s really going on here?” Curiosity isn’t weakness—it’s strategic wisdom.
2. CREATIVE THINKING: Challenge the Default
Next time your team says, “That’s how we’ve always done it,” treat it as an invitation to innovate. Great leaders create space for playful thinking by asking, “What if we tried something different?” Give your team permission to explore, prototype, and reimagine—even in small ways.
3. CRITICAL THINKING: Slow Down to Think Deeper
Don’t confuse fast decisions with good ones. Make it a habit to pause and ask, “What assumptions are we making?” or “Who might see this differently?” Critical thinking isn’t about being skeptical—it’s about being thoughtful, intentional, and ready to wrestle with complexity.
4. CONNECTION: Lead with Listening, Not Just Talking
People don’t follow titles—they follow trust. Spend more time listening to understand than listening to respond. Ask your team, “What’s something I might be missing?” Connection fuels collaboration, belonging, and psychological safety—the foundation of every great team.
5. COURAGE: Take One Brave Step (Then Another)
Leadership isn’t about having it all figured out—it’s about taking bold, values-driven action even when it’s uncomfortable. Courageous leaders go first: they admit mistakes, try new approaches, and invite others to do the same. One courageous act can spark a ripple of change.
Struggles Are Signs of Significant Growth
Katie Trowbridge’s advice to aspiring educators, entrepreneurs, and new leaders is to embrace curiosity and the courage to ask better questions, even when uncomfortable. You don’t need permission to lead or all the answers to make an impact. Surround yourself with those who challenge your thinking and push you to grow. Your role is not to have everything figured out but to stay open, authentic, and lead with heart. Innovation starts with asking, “What if there’s a better way?” And when the work gets tough, remember that struggle signals you’re doing something important. The world needs bold, authentic leaders who create space for others to do the same.
