Startup Highlight — Creatively Focused

1) What’s the meaning behind your company’s name/brand?

Educators are natural creatives, yet when the world talks about “creatives” and “creative industries,” it is rare you hear educators mentioned. “Creatives” are frequently seen as distracted or daydreaming people. “Focused” people are often described as Type A personalities with fewer abilities in abstract or creative thinking. Why can’t we be both — creative AND focused? At Creatively Focused, we combine those lenses to produce innovative solutions for schools.

2) What’s great about starting something in the Minnesota region?

Minnesota is a place where “doing good” is valued and where people want to be a part of doing it with you. In Minnesota, people are quick to recognize that the work we are doing is important and meaningful.

3) What’s challenging about starting something in the Minnesota region?

While education is important in Minnesota, we are not taking as many progressive approaches as are other parts of the country. As a startup that prides ourselves on innovation, we want our ideas to be heard and believed in because we are confident in the success our schools could experience by using our approach. However, sometimes our vision may seem difficult to attain due to where we currently sit on the pathway toward innovation in education in comparison to other states.

4) What fuels you and your company?

Passion and culture. At Creatively Focused’s inception, we took an entire year asking questions, reading, drafting and establishing our company’s culture. Our values of Strategy, Transformation, Creativity, People, and Activation live in the work we do with our schools and with each other.

5) What stage are you at with your business?

We are in our third year of providing services to schools and districts in the metro area. Our team consists of 17 incredibly passionate and skilled individuals who have a vision of impacting the world of special education to its greatest extent. We are currently expanding our services out of the metro area and in development to build technology that will allow us to scale nationwide.

5) How can the community can support your work?

Talk with anyone you know in the area of education about the work we are doing! We are interested to speak with and work with any school or district that has students — traditional, charter, private, home, etc. We are here, in Minnesota, to support Minnesota teachers and students in doing good and feeling good in the incredible work they do each day!

6) Anything else you’d like to add?

Creatively Focused is proud to be woman-owned and committed to building a diverse team. Learn what it means to be Creatively Focused: www.creativelyfocused.org