An Innovation Learning Community
We ignite the connections that let innovators go further, together.
AMI is a pioneering 501(c)(3) nonprofit — a nurturing, cross-sector community where trust and positive turbulence turn bold ideas into lasting change.
Generating Positive Turbulence for creative and passionate innovation leaders — for over 40 years.
Stan Gryskiewicz, Founder, and Danielle Kaynor, Executive Leader & Community Catalyst
Every conversation has been both intellectual and heart-led. That’s rare.
AMI is probably the most vital professional thing I do.
AMI is unique because it allows me to be able to work with innovators and leaders who come from across all sectors of life.
AMI was the first experience that allowed me to show up in a space with folks from other industries where I could just be myself. And that has affirmed me in my career in ways that I think nothing else has.
AMI is a constant reminder and encouragement to get out there and to be not too insular. To not think that you and your team and your micro context is all there is.
I felt the Korean concept of ‘Jeong,’ a deep connection of love, empathy, and shared experiences. AMI reflects this beautifully, uniting us as a tapestry of humanity, inspired and hopeful for a brighter future together.
The AMI Learning Community
Our Culture
AMI members, through idea exchange and candor, encourage each other to openly explore topics of interest and support mutual learning and personal development. AMI actively promotes diversity in perspectives. In an environment of high-energy, action, and fun, AMI members value and respect the contribution each member makes in achieving the organization’s goals and mission.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Efforts of the Association
AMI Goals
- Identify worldwide emerging innovation, creativity process, creative leadership, and organizational development concepts and practices of value to organizations.
- Educate AMI members regarding these concepts and practices.
- Educate AMI members in concepts and practices for innovation implementation in organizations, i.e., to be effective change agents.
- Articulate best practices and advance exploration.
- Summarize significant trends and opportunities for member organizations.
- Publicize new knowledge and trends learned in the concept and practice of innovation of American industry and society, including education.
- Provide mechanisms and structure for members to benefit from sharing and developing ideas, including new business development and technology transfer processes.
Our Values
- Authenticity: We will be genuine with each other; we will be ourselves.
- Curiosity: Members seek novelty and in so doing discover new and useful ideas or processes for managing innovation.
- Reciprocity: Members will freely share their thinking and experience with each other. There will be no selling of services at our meetings.
- Trust: Trust requires unconditional support. Therefore we value and uphold the expectation of integrity and the confidential nature of our discussions. We will not use the community for selfish gain.
- Community Based Learning: Shared learning and knowledge exchange is expected during and beyond our face-to-face meetings. While we believe learning is best done experientially, we are committed to helping community members better understand the innovation process. Members benefit from the experiences and learning of others and we are committed to helping members design and implement their own learning process. This can best be done when members keep themselves informed by exploring new processes and technologies creating a learning culture.
- Dialogue of Differences: We value and seek cross-generational, cross industry, and cross discipline dialogue and the unique perspectives that this dialogue engenders.
- Positive Turbulence: We seek sources of information from the periphery of our everyday awareness, disciplines and routines to provide this novel stimulation at each meeting.
- Possibility: We value discovery and the expression of possibilities.
- Defer Judgment: We look to first fully understand an idea in its entirety including the positive elements of the idea offered before we provide the perspective of our own experience-based evaluation.