In this captivating keynote, Dr.  Thiagi shares his experiences in crossing borders and barriers to help achieve mutual goals for people on both sides (and in the river). He will start with a menu of skills, concepts, techniques, and activities for playfully and unobtrusively bridging the gaps between cultures, genders, nationalities, professional disciplines, political ideologies, personality types, and other differences that make a difference. He will then explore in greater detail the items that interest the most people. Thiagi’s bridge-building ideas are based on his personal experience in 26 different countries with preschool children to senior citizens; with disciplined scientists and disorganized artists; with meek pacifists and militant activists; with bleeding-heart liberals and poker-faced conformists. The techniques explored in this session will help you ignore cultural differences, discover human universalities, increase empathy, take serious things playfully, and treat playful things seriously.In this walk-the-talk session, Thiagi will playfully explore topics and techniques to provide just-in-time, just-enough, and just-for-you ideas. He has ways to make you participate and contribute to the success of the session, the conference, and your life. He may not make you more trustworthy and courageous, but he will help you fake these qualities (until you sheepishly discover that you have been brainwashed into a new mindset.) 

Dr. Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan is founder and Resident Mad Scientistat The Thiagi Group, an organization with the mission of helping people improve their performance effectively and enjoyably. He served as the editor of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Performance & Instruction for more than 10 years. He has written a monthly Game Letter  for 15 years, has twice been elected the president of the ISPI and the five-time president of the North American Simulation and Gaming Association(NASAGA). As a global nomad, Thiagi has lived in three different countries and has conducted training workshops in 21 others. Earlier in his life, he was a high-school science teacher, street corner magician, researcher, editor of a professional journal, keynote speaker, college professor, USAID project director, and writer.

10:15 Presidential address:Applied Improvisation Network President Barbara Tint        

Learn about the current work being done by this innovative and growing organization.

(A Whole New Mind, To Sell Is Human any many others)

The evidence is irrefutable: Humor can help improve communication, build relationships, enhance problem solving, increase productivity, and strengthen leadership. Because our humanitarian work requires creative learning and dialogue, The Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre has been building on applied improvisation skills, exploring humor as an unconventional approach to engage people and organizations in difficult conversations about what can go wrong and what to do about it. Combining the fascinating science of how humor works with serious-yet-fun activities and insights, in this intensely interactive keynote we will experience a set of safe, innovative communication approaches that make people smile, reflect, and wonder - in ways that support risk management and development work.

Pablo Suarez Phd is Associate director for research and innovation at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, as well as Artist in Residence at the National University of Singapore (NUS-LRFI), visiting fellow at Boston University, honorary senior lecturer at University College London, and faculty member at University of Lugano (Switzerland). He has consulted for the UN Development Programme, the World Food Programme, the World Bank, Oxfam America, and about twenty other international humanitarian and development organizations, working in more than 60 countries. His current work addresses institutional integration across disciplines and geographic scales, and the use of innovative tools for climate risk management – ranging from financial instruments for faster disaster preparedness, to self-learning algorithms for flood prediction, to collaboration with artists and improvisers to inspire thinking and action. Pablo holds a water engineering degree, a master’s in planning, and a Ph.D. in geography.

2:45-3:30 Performance by North Coast - hip hop musical improv

For the past 10 years, North Coast’s explosive performances have been packing comedy venues, universities, and festivals nationwide. Built around a single suggestion from an audience member, the show’s improvised scenes escalate into full-blown hip-hop songs, facilitated by resident beatboxer, Ethan “Exacto” Scott. With their seamless melding of comedic timing and freestyle rapping abilities, North Coast frequently blurs the line between comedy show and concert, drawing audiences from the comedy, hip-hop, and theater communities for an experience that has been hailed as “mind-blowing” and “next level” by critics and audiences alike.

Named one of the “Top Ten Best Comedy Shows”  by Time Out New York, North Coast has been featured on Vh1, in Slate’s Podcast The Gist, The Village Voice, and The New York Times Comedy Listings. Currently, you can catch them performing every Saturday night in New York City at The Peoples Improv Theater.