Creative design manager. Over 15 years in concept development, innovative material design and sustainable product development. High energy leader of people and teams.
Design Thinking
Catherine Creamer is a business catalyst. She can bring business ideas from concept to form in early development. She combines her background in design, design management, textiles, advanced materials development, biomimicry and business development to help companies ideate products, services and businesses. Her consultancy has supported projects with Natural Capitalism Institute, Egg Strategy and DARPA among others. Catherine studied with Peter Senge and incorporates the skills of systems thinking and dialogue in her work. She excels at collaborative projects she can enhance the ability of teams to innovate.
Art
Trained as a master weaver/textile designer, she has held teaching positions at Parsons School of Design in New York City and the New School as well as held management positions in design at Herman Miller, Inc. and Interface, Inc. She founded CTD, a textile design studio in NYC in 1985. Her designs and expertise in weaving were used for projects in Asia and at the Pine Hill Navajo Nation in the US, giving women living in poverty greater income opportunities. Her woven work has been shown in galleries nationwide. She continues to work with 5-6 grade students at the local environmental school to teach them the art and craft of natural dyeing.
Earth
Catherine serves on the board of directors of West Michigan Environmental Action Council and Frederick Meijer Gardens, a nationally recognized botanical and sculpture park. As a horticulturist raising orchids and an avid naturalist, Catherine has grown in her reverence for the earth, inspiring her commitment to sustainable design practices. Understanding that viable businesses must foster environmental responsibility, she has assisted many companies with their plans to develop sustainable material technologies and innovations. She founded the Biomimicry Guild with Janine Benyus, in 2003, laying a strategic foundation for the organization it is today. More recently, she was the interface for an alliance between Cradle to Cradle protocols and Material ConneXion, Inc., establishing a global platform for sustainable material innovation.
Culture
Catherine shares her time between Michigan and Italy for both work and pleasure. A strong supporter of cultural exchange, she and her family, including siblings and children, have explored many cultures around the globe. She uses her ties and experience to consult with companies in both design and sustainability on an international basis. She has a proven track record as a resource for clients locating new design talent from Europe.
She has organized and led groups through Tuscany, enjoying the culture, art, wine and food of the region. With family in Tuscany, she is a life-long student of the culture, people and language.