2026 Q2 Educational Intensive: The Role of Creativity, Design, and the Arts on Human Flourishing

Educational Intensives are quarterly virtual deep-dive sessions focused on the organizational side of workplace wellbeing. Each session explores what employers, leaders, and practitioners can do to strengthen systems, policies, and cultures that support people at work. Led by trusted experts and grounded in evidence, Educational Intensives translate research, lived experience, and real-world practice into practical strategies participants can apply immediately. These sessions are designed for people responsible for shaping how work is designed, led, and experienced.

Q2 Educational Intensive: Beyond Expression: The Role of Creativity, Design, and the Arts on Human Flourishing
The evidence is compelling: arts and creativity support health, influence how people think, and are increasingly integrated into healthcare, including "arts on prescription" programs where doctors prescribe cultural experiences to benefit wellbeing. But the power of arts and creativity goes beyond direct health impacts. They also shape our capacity to reimagine systems, challenge assumptions, and design for human thriving.

Drawing on her research with Johns Hopkins, UF, and more, and on work with organizations from Google to arts agencies to healthcare systems, Dr. Tasha Golden shares how creativity and design are influencing workplace wellbeing... and how they can help us build what she’s called the "Creative Mindset.”

Workplace wellbeing isn't just about adding new initiatives and more creative options. It's about developing the capacity of leaders and teams to question limiting frameworks, imagine otherwise, and build workplaces where people and opportunity flourish. Attendees will leave with frameworks and action steps they can apply immediately. 

Featured Presenter: Tasha Golden, PhD 
Tasha Golden, PhD is a singer/songwriter turned behavioral scientist, and a leading expert in creativity-driven growth and innovation. She speaks and consults globally on creativity, leadership, wellbeing, and change. 

Dr. Golden was the first Director of Research for the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; she is also adjunct faculty for the University of Florida’s Center for Arts in Medicine, and lead author of “Arts on Prescription: A Field Guide for US Communities.” Named one of Fierce Pharma’s “Fierce 50” for her innovative work integrating arts and healthcare, Dr. Golden has published extensively on intersections of creativity, behavior, and wellbeing. She now helps clients and audiences apply the science to advance innovation, connection, and growth.

Golden’s work is shaped by her early experiences as a career artist and entrepreneur. As singer-songwriter for the critically acclaimed band Ellery, she toured internationally, with songs in TV and film (ABC, SHOWTIME, FOX, NETFLIX, etc). But when severe burnout and depression ended her music career, she began raising questions about mental health, creativity, and wellbeing that led to her PhD, ongoing research, and global work as a speaker and consultant. Golden is a published poet (Humanist Press), founder of Project Uncaged: a trauma-informed creative writing program for incarcerated girls, and developer of “How We Human”: a training in Mental Health and Trauma-Informed Practice designed for creatives. She has spoken at venues such as SXSW, the US Conference of Mayors, POLITICO, Google, and the Mayo Clinic. She is a frequent guest on top podcasts in creativity, business, leadership, and wellbeing.

Leveraging her research and background, Golden helps clients and audiences raise their own new questions—linking science and creative practice to grow their work.

This event is made possible in part thanks to the support of our sponsors.
Presenting: VITAL WorkLife & HHP Cultures
Silver: Vitality Group