Helene Cahen - Balancing Creativity with Structure

Helene Cahen - Balancing Creativity with Structure

From Creative Flow: Thinkers and Change Agents by Kim Marie McKernan

January 21, 2026 · 25 min · Season 4 · Episode 55

About this episode

Helene Cahen discusses balancing creativity with structure in innovation.

The 55th episode of The Creative Flow: Thinkers and Change Agents Podcast features Helene Cahen , an innovation strategist, trainer, and author with over 30 years of experience helping companies navigate innovation challenges. At Kinetic Consulting, she supports Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits in developing new products, building effective teams, and fostering user-centered cultures. Helene holds an MS in Creativity and Change Leadership from the Center for Applied Imagination and is the author of " Fire Up Innovation ," making her an expert in balancing creativity with structure for real-world results. The conversation offers key takeaways on applying creative frameworks to real-world business challenges. Helene shares success stories, including how team profiles and tools like the Business Model Canvas can reveal gaps and empower organizations to innovate more effectively. She also offers her perspective on the evolving role of AI, highlighting that while it can be a powerful tool, the human element remains essential for making strategic choices and navigating the market. Listeners will learn practical ways to balance the dynamic nature with structured processes…

People in this episode

Host: Kim Marie McKernan

Guest: Helene Cahen

Topics covered

  • creativity
  • innovation
  • business strategy
  • AI
  • team building
  • user-centered culture

Keywords

  • creativity
  • innovation
  • business model canvas
  • AI
  • team profiles
  • improv
  • user-centered design

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kinetic Consulting, Center for Applied Imagination

Books & works: Fire Up Innovation

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