It was the 1970s. Gathering what office equipment they had, a group of young women set up shop in a basement to offer their talents, commitment, hard work and integrity to serve as a positive force in the world. From the beginning, they agreed their enterprise would make a difference in the lives of men and women and especially children around the world. The journey began by bolstering Head Start programs here at home. Thirty five years ago, they consolidated their hard work by establishing Creative Associates International. Since then, their efforts include working in some of the world’s most volatile environments and expanding their mission from education to enabling the reintegration of former combatants into mainstream society, fostering public policy that is vested in the democratic process, bolstering able and transparent leadership, among many other activities. Along the way, many lives have been improved, but one critical current that emerges throughout the Creative story is its leadership’s boldness to undertake complex projects that cause others to shy away. They chose to assume risk to compete, grow and thrive. Most importantly, this boldness in leadership has been complemented with good common sense. They built a unique home for dedicated development professionals and brought a perspective that has served our beneficiaries well and made all the difference.
