Empathy & Innovation: Scaling Creative Confidence and Experimentation

Empowering teams and communities to explore creativity with purpose

A large conference room at Walmart hosting a presentation with multiple attendees seated at round tables. The presenter is on stage with a large blue Walmart logo behind them, presenting slide content about empathy mapping and a Gen Z traveler scenario. The room is equipped with two large screens displaying the presentation slides.

IMPACT

Built creative capability across the enterprise and beyond, leading programs that helped more than 5,000 people grow their creative confidence through practice, experimentation, and shared learning.

The Opportunity

Creativity is often misunderstood as a talent reserved for a few.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked to show that creativity is a skill anyone can strengthen through empathy, experimentation, and connection. Whether inside a global organization or within a grassroots community, my focus has been to make creativity accessible and actionable.

My Role

At Sam’s Club, I created and facilitated experiential workshops that taught design thinking through active learning. Every session ended with hands-on exploration using generative AI tools to spark new ways of thinking.

Beyond the enterprise, I expanded this mission to thousands through SheSays Chicago, AIGA Chicago, and General Assembly, empowering creatives at every career stage to explore and shape their own growth.

A woman wearing glasses and a black dress speaking during a presentation or discussion in a room with attentive audience members.

Designing a community is no different from designing an experience. It starts with listening.

Designing a community is no different from designing an experience. It starts with listening.

Approach

Human-Centered Learning at Sam’s Club Clubhouse

I designed immersive learning sessions that helped associates uncover insights, generate ideas, and prototype solutions in real time. Each program emphasized listening before solving and collaboration over perfection, allowing participants to connect empathy with meaningful problem-solving.

The workshops built a shared language of creativity within the organization and helped teams apply design thinking directly to business challenges.

  • Principles of empathy, ideation, and prototyping; reframing problems and pitching ideas.

  • Understanding emotional drivers of user needs through empathy mapping and storytelling.

  • Learning to uncover the real problem behind the ask.

  • Teaching observational and interview-based methods.

  • Encouraging rapid, low-fidelity testing to turn quickly ideas into action.

  • Exploring inclusive physical and digital experiences through hands-on empathy exercises.

Design Thinking Training Program

Over 1,000 associates participated in foundational training workshops, learning how empathy and experimentation can unlock innovation in everyday work.

“These sessions have given practical tools to cut through assumptions and focus on solving the right problems.”
— Product Manager, Sam's Club

Applying Creativity Through Playgrounds

After completing design thinking training, associates needed a way to turn new skills into action.

I introduced Playground Sessions, interactive workshops where teams practiced creativity through real Sam’s Club challenges. Each session focused on empathy, collaboration, and experimentation to help teams move from ideas to tangible outcomes.

GenAI Genius Lab

Hands-on sessions where more than 200 associates explored generative AI as a creative partner, using it to brainstorm, visualize, and prototype ideas faster.

Group of six people sitting around a conference table during a meeting, with laptops, drinks, snacks, and game cards on the table, in a modern office setting.
“The GenAI Genius Playground transformed creative exploration into real innovation. In just one session, I went from playful ideas to prototyping a full VR retail experience.”
— Real Estate, Program Strategy, Sam's Club

Concept Garden

Large-scale ideation sprints that produced more than 500 new business ideas from associates across Sam’s Club.

A diverse group of people attending a workshop or training session in a modern conference room. They are seated at tables with laptops, notebooks, and water bottles. A speaker is standing near posters on the wall, and a banner with the word 'LEARN' is visible on the right.
“I loved being part of a brainstorm for an area of the business outside of my role.”
— Product Manager, Sam's Club

Championing Women’s Voices Through SheSays Chicago

As Founder and Chapter Co-Director, I led SheSays Chicago for ten years, building a thriving community of more than 2,500 women in creative and marketing fields. We hosted over 100 free, sold-out events that focused on open dialogue, shared learning, and authentic professional growth.

Each event was shaped around practical topics such as Designing Diversity, Salary Negotiation Strategies, and Finding Your Voice. I curated panels, partnered with agencies, and facilitated discussions built on community feedback, turning SheSays Chicago into a recognized platform for connection and advancement.

Group of women and men sitting in a semi-circle during a discussion or workshop in a bright studio with brick walls and whiteboards covered with notes and diagrams.
“Jen’s leadership of SheSays Chicago was nothing short of transformative. Her enthusiasm and purpose created life-changing events that made everyone feel seen, valued, and inspired.”
— Trina Uzee, Head of B2B Design, Verizon
Two women smiling at an indoor award ceremony, holding a framed certificate. The woman on the left wears glasses and a colorful jacket; the woman on the right holds the frame. The background shows a large crowd and ornate architectural details.

🏆 Award: Celebrating Women in Innovation, 2018 – Chicago Innovation

Recognized for making a measurable impact in advancing women’s leadership and creativity across Chicago’s design community.

“Jen has a rare gift for bringing people together and making everyone feel like they belong. Her SheSays events inspired, connected, and empowered Chicago’s creative community.”
— L’Oreal Thompson Payton, Author & Speaker

Redefining Mentorship and Collaboration at AIGA Chicago

As Director of Mentorship Programs, I scaled AIGA Chicago’s initiative from a small pilot into a twice-annual program connecting 100 mentees with 12 mentors across design, UX, and creative leadership. The program became a model for community-driven career growth and peer learning.

Later, as Co-VP of Programming, I unified event planning across the organization with formats such as studio tours, panels, and workshops featuring voices like Debbie Millman. These programs helped reposition AIGA Chicago as a forward-looking organization that embraced digital transformation and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Colorful wall with numerous sticky notes of various colors, including pink, yellow, blue, and white, surrounding large cut-out letters spelling 'AIGA CHI MENTOR' on a brown background.
Group of people standing in front of colorful graffiti mural on a brick wall, depicting a cartoon goblin character with green skin, glasses, and a pickaxe.
Book cover titled 'Conversations with the World's Most Creative People' by Debbie Millman with a white background and red text. The cover features black scribbles and circles, and is set against a background with black lines and text indicating a virtual event in Chicago, hosted by AIGA.
A woman with red glasses and a name tag pointing at a sign for a mentorship workshop at a leadership retreat.
“It was wonderful to have a place to learn and receive unbiased and nonjudgemental feedback. Often, I feel insecure asking questions that may make me look uneducated. The whole purpose of my class was education and I felt very relaxed and safe asking away!”
— Mary McKeating, AIGA Mentor Program Participant
“It was a great way to connect with other designers who are members of AIGA but in a more intimate setting. It also gave me an opportunity to be creative and collaborative outside of my daily job.”
— Rebecca Macdonald, AIGA Mentor Program Participant

Inspiring the Next Generation at General Assembly

I extended this same mission into professional education as a guest speaker at General Assembly for UX cohorts. I lead sessions such as What’s Your Superpower? and Design Your Future: Making the Transition to Digital, guiding early-career professionals through creative reinvention and growth.

Outcomes

  • 5,000+ people reached through enterprise, community, and education programs

  • 1,000+ Walmart and Sam’s Club associates trained in empathy-driven and GenAI-enabled creativity

  • 500+ new ideas for Sam’s Club generated through Concept Garden

  • 100+ free SheSays events supporting women in creative leadership

  • 3,500+ creatives mentored or connected through SheSays and AIGA

  • 2018 Chicago Innovation Award for advancing women in innovation

Reflection

Empowerment is the foundation of creative confidence. My role as a leader is to design the conditions where people feel safe to experiment, learn, and find their own creative voice.

Across every platform—from Fortune 1 boardrooms to grassroots creative meetups—I’ve seen the same truth: empathy and curiosity are the most powerful tools we have for unlocking innovation.

WORK

Sam’s Clubhouse

Culture of Innovation

WORK

Glantz Design Studio

Strategy Meets Creativity