Experiences2025-02-28T17:21:54+00:00

JoyLab Experiences

Experience JoyLab in Action

We partner with organizations to design innovative solutions that drive growth, engage employees, and create exceptional experiences.

JoyLab Experiences

Experience JoyLab in Action

We partner with organizations to design innovative solutions that drive growth, engage employees, and create exceptional experiences.

Three Ways to Spark Change Now

Results for teams trained in creativity tools and principles?

0x
MORE IDEAS
0x
INCREASE IN ORIGINAL SOLUTIONS

Our JoyLab Methodology is a fresh approach to making work more human, creative, and energizing. These hands-on experiences give you an immediate way to apply it-solving real problems, developing new skills, and sparking change.

Want to experience JoyLab without a long commitment? These interactive sessions help you engage your team, and see immediate impact.

The Three JoyLab Experiences

Problem-Solving Sprints

Custom workshops to tackle unique business challenges

Future-Ready Leadership Labs

Industry-Specific Training for Leaders & Teams

immersive experiences

High-energy, engaging events that drive connection and creativity

“While framed as an “icebreaker” it really was much more than that: team building, problem-solving, collaboration, strategizing, and fun! It was so effective that we would like build a session into the standing agenda.”

Dr. Jonathan Millen, Dean, College of Arts & Sciences, University of New England

Problem-Solving Sprints

A Fresh, Tailored Approach to Your Toughest Challenges

Every organization faces unique challenges, and solving them requires more than brainstorming—it takes fresh thinking, structured creativity, and the right process for your team.

We design custom problem-solving experiences to help teams break through roadblocks, find alignment, and develop innovative solutions.

How It Works:

  1. We start by understanding your unique challenge. Maybe you need more out-of-the-box or a better team dynamic.
  2. We design a hands-on experience that gets your team thinking differently, using our extensive background in experience design to craft a fresh approach.
  3. You get breakthrough results with clear, actionable next steps.

Helping a Hospital Board Think Beyond Operations

The CEO of a rural hospital system wanted board discussions to move beyond tactical operations and short-term thinking. Using a structured foresight process, we helped them explore multiple possible futures, shifting their perspective and aligning them on long-term priorities.

Aligning a University Team on a New Curriculum

A leadership team needed to solicit faculty input on a new curriculum framework. We designed physical building blocks of the curriculum and de-identified models from other universities. This creative approach got workshop participants to look forward, not back—and led to fresh ideas without old power dynamics taking over.

Best for: Teams and organizations looking for a fresh approach to an existing challenge.

Best For: Organizations that want high-impact, interactive leadership & professional development that drives real change.

Future-Ready Leadership Labs

Essential Skills for the Future of Leadership

Leadership is evolving, and today’s leaders need the skills to navigate complexity, inspire teams, and think ahead. Our labs go beyond traditional training – combining strategic foresight, human-centered design, and leadership essentials to equip leaders with the tools to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

What Makes It Different?

  • Designed as a Lab, Not a Lecture → No long PowerPoints —every session is interactive and hands-on.
  • Rooted in Your Industry’s Challenges → We use real-world scenarios relevant to your field.
  • Built for Immediate Application → Participants walk away with tools and insights they can use right away.

  • Foresight & Future Thinking → Helping leaders anticipate trends and make bold decisions.
  • Predictive Index & Behavioral Insights → Teaching leaders how to optimize team performance and hiring with data-driven strategies.
  • Innovation & Strategic Problem-Solving → Practical techniques to help teams break through barriers and find new solutions.
  • Women’s Leadership & Influence → Equipping women leaders with tools for confidence, clarity, and advancement.

Applying Strategic Foresight to Team Decision-Making

We provided strategic foresight training for a global financial services provider, equipping their senior leaders with tools to anticipate change and align their work with emerging trends. Through interactive training and applied foresight exercises, we helped leaders make more future-ready decisions, embedding a proactive, strategic mindset across the organization. 

Shifting the Nursing Team from Ideas to Action

A hospital’s nursing team needed a new way to think about problem-solving. Through hands-on workshops on innovation and ideation, we helped them visualize how to take an idea from concept to reality. The process enhanced the creativity of a hospital-wide Skills Fair and the nursing team was able to take a leading role in teaching others about innovation.

Transforming Women’s Leadership

A sales organization sought to develop more women sales leaders to close the gender gap, where 75% of its leaders were men. Through innovative approaches like visualization, art, and facilitated interactions, women were able to tap into their highest inner leader and begin to lead from a new place of confidence, self-assuredness, and well-being while navigating the challenges of a male-dominated industry.

Other past topics included:

Burnout Prevention, Rest as a High- performance Habit, Women & AI, Shaping Your Personal Brand, and Awakening Your Inner Leader

Immersive Experiences

Making Corporate Gatherings Unforgettable

Ditch the dull meetings and predictable retreats. We bring high-energy, hands-on experiences that get people thinking, engaging, and collaborating in new ways.

  • Interactive, engaging formats—No passive listening.
  • Customized for your organization—Tailored to your event’s goals.
  • Designed to create real impact—Participants leave with stronger connections and shared momentum.
  • Technology-forward—Using technology when it can enhance the experience

An Escape Room To Build Alignment

To help two merging organizations align, we designed a high-energy ‘escape room’ challenge to kick off a large organizational meeting. Teams worked together to solve clues drawn from their shared histories, encouraging collaboration in a way that mirrored their real-world integration process. It was such a hit that we were asked to make this a standing part of the annual agenda.

A MakerFaire for 10k

To promote an interactive, hands-on Makerspace in Maryland, we designed and built a 5k-square-foot interactive city. The city was composed of interactive stations, including an infinity room inspired by Yayoi Kusama. An estimated 10k Maryland residents visited the city in the one-day festival.

Ideal for: Corporate retreats, leadership offsites, and organizations looking to energize their teams.

Yes, It Really Works

“Thank you so much for helping us to develop an innovative approach to working with faculty and staff to generate ideas…You were invaluable in making this idea a reality. Your leadership in innovative thinking is truly beneficial to our community.”

Caryn Husman, Director of Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies, University of New England

“Today thousands of people had the chance to participate in really thought-provoking, fun activities. You did an incredible job organizing all of this so quickly and so well.”

Rebecca Bray, Chief of Experience Design, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Dr. Austin is not just an author and speaker; he is a high-energy force that challenges audiences to perceive opportunities in uncertainty. He is a dynamic and knowledgeable facilitator with a unique ability to communicate complex concepts in an accessible manner.

Misty Sprague, Vice President of Professional Services, Momentus Technologies

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events, workshops, and keynotes being led by our team.

Winning Customers: A Hands-On Training Workshop for Small Business Success

Session 1: March 3rd @ 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Session 2: March 10th @ 3:30 – 5:00 pm

Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission

More Info

Accelerate Executive Summit, June 2025, Sonoma, CA (By Invitation Only)

Past Events

Past events, workshops, and keynotes

  • American Association of Museums
  • American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
  • Association of Change Management Professionals (ACMP)
  • Association for Talent Development Global Conference (ATD)
  • International Conference on Climate Change and Health
  • Maine Manufacturers’ Association
  • Society for Human Research Management (SHRM)

Have Questions? We’ve Got Answers

What results can we expect?2025-02-17T16:51:27+00:00

The impact of JoyLab depends on your goals, but organizations that use our approach typically see:

✔ Greater alignment among leadership teams.

✔ More engaged and creative teams.

✔ Breakthroughs in customer experience design.

✔ New ways of working that sustain innovation.

Our goal isn’t just to deliver a great session—it’s to create lasting change.

What types of challenges is JoyLab best for?2025-02-17T16:50:10+00:00

JoyLab is ideal for any challenge where people, collaboration, or innovation are the barriers to progress.

✔ Leadership teams that need alignment on future strategy.

✔ Companies that want to improve customer experience but don’t know where to start.

✔ Teams that are stuck in silos and struggling to collaborate effectively.

✔ Organizations that need to rethink how they engage employees.

Is JoyLab only for employee engagement?2025-02-17T16:49:18+00:00

No—JoyLab is for leaders, teams, and the entire organization.

✔ We’ve worked with boards, leadership teams, cross-functional teams, frontline employees, and even customers.

✔ Our methodology helps boards align, teams collaborate, and employees drive better customer experiences.

Do we need to commit to a long-term engagement?2025-02-17T16:48:05+00:00

No. Many organizations start with a small pilot or focused engagement before expanding the work.

✔ Some companies begin with a single leadership sprint or innovation session.

✔ Others test JoyLab with a specific challenge (e.g., CX redesign, cross-team collaboration, or leadership alignment).

✔ If it delivers value (and it will), we can scale it from there.

You don’t have to overhaul everything at once—just take the first step.

How is JoyLab different from Human-Centered Design (HCD)?2025-02-17T16:47:18+00:00

JoyLab is built on HCD principles, but instead of focusing on product or service design, it applies human-centered thinking to leadership, collaboration, and organizational change.

✔ HCD asks: What do users need?

✔ JoyLab asks: How do we create the conditions where teams and leaders can consistently deliver exceptional experiences?

✔ HCD emphasizes testing and iteration for solutions.

✔ JoyLab blends strategic foresight, behavior change, and creativity—so people can actually adopt new ways of working.

Think of JoyLab as HCD for how people work together—not just what they create.

Have Additional Questions?

Let’s Create an Unforgettable Experience For Your Team!

Let’s Create an Unforgettable Experience For Your Team!

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