Laura Otten, Ph.D. - Creative Partner Highlight

Laura Otten, Ph.D. has been Executive Director of The Nonprofit Center at LaSalle University’s School of Business, a management support organization that enhances the management, operations and governance capacity of nonprofit organizations throughout the Delaware Valley, since 2001.

Laura also continues to work directly with clients, primarily in the areas of board development, executive and board coaching and general facilitation.

In addition, Laura is an Associate Professor in LaSalle’s Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Criminal Justice, teaches in the MBA program of La Salle’s School of Business and is the author of Women’s Rights and the Law (Praeger, 1993).

editor's note: Laura will be giving a presentation at 12pm titled: Best Practices in Board Governance, free for all nonprofits to attend.

Cornelia Bradwell - Creative Partner Highlight

I started out as a freelance designer after I graduated from Moore College of Art in 2001. With 10 years of experience ranging from package design to magazine layout, I have a plethora of skills and knowledge, but I am always eager to learn more. I am currently an art director with a focus on print design. Print design for me is where a love affair became an obsession. I love a challenge that can break the best of them. It is what keeps me going and looking for more.

In the office, I have to say, I have a stigma of being the girl with the big personality that can and will make anyone laugh. I always say “if you ain’t laughing you ain’t living!” And besides, it makes the days go by so much easier.

When I am not designing, I love to spend time with my husband Michael, and our furry children Nero and Simon. We recently just bought a new condo in what I think to be the coolest neighborhood in Philadelphia. When I am not trotting around my hood scoping out the new boutiques, eateries and galleries, you’ll probably find me watching HDTV and DIY shows. This is where I currently get all my ideas to style my new digs. And if I am not doing that, I am enjoying the company of great friends and relaxing.

I am really excited about meeting everyone at CPR and helping out when and where ever I can.

John Contarino - Creative Partner Highlight

John Contarino has developed interactive media for nearly 20 years, with a focus on creating powerful, yet easy-to-use websites, including dynamic content-rich sites, custom web applications, and eCommerce systems. Thanks to his direct experience in media, including over 10 years as a newspaper writer and editor, John is able to combine technical savvy with a focus on creating the optimal intuitive user experience. He primarily develops in the PHP programming language and works with a diverse range of national clients through his Moorestown, NJ-based company, New Media Design. With the current explosive growth of mobile devices, John has expanded his expertise to include the creation of apps for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

editor's note: John has worked with us nonstop on CreateAthon, sometimes creating entire websites for nonprofits in only one night - as he likes to call them "website in a day", and while he doesn't advocate doing that all of the time, they look and function just as well as the websites that take often weeks or months to create.

Howard Yermish - Creative Partner Highlight

Howard Yermish brings a level of enthusiasm and understanding to the geeky world of technology, presenting topics in a way that engages the audience by making it relevant, rather than just "gee wiz isn't this cool." Professionally, Howard works with small and medium enterprises on their Internet strategy, online marketing, user experience design, website usability, information architecture, application specification, application design.

Editors note: Howard is presenting one of our seminars, open to any nonprofit to attend at 11am: Internet Marketing on a Dime

Nonprofits still can REGISTER TO ATTEND free Seminars.

Joe Castro Brevoort - Creative Partner Highlight

Joe Castro Brevoort is a Philadelphia-based graphic designer, artist and musician. Following a 9 year stint as Art Director for Please Touch Museum, he founded Red Attic Studios in 2007, building up a diverse client base of non-profits, renegade start-ups, pharmaceutical companies and concert promoters. He has won numerous awards for his design and illustration work, which has been featured in Graphic Design USA and Color Magazine. As an artist, his paintings and collages have been shown in galleries and art spaces across the United States and Canada.

For more information, please visit redatticstudios.com

editor's note: Joe was the art director at Please Touch Museum when we had them as a CreateAThon client over 5 years ago, and has since joined us every year on the creative side for our annual CreateAthon event. The work he's created over the years for nonprofits is top of the line, and we always look forward to seeing what he will create.

Joe Fisher - Creative Partner Highlight

Due to what he describes as an unusual genetic sequencing, Joe is somewhat of an oddity with talents that span both the business and creative sides. He began his career working in some of Philadelphia’s largest ad agencies, including spending 7 years as President of Domus Advertising. His clients at one time or another have included ARAMARK, Butterball, Okidata, ALPO, Mannington Floors, Invisible Fence and Campbell’s Soup. For the last 7 years he has worked as an independent marketing consultant helping a number of customers, both large and small, hone their marketing programs and new business presentations.

What is he best at? His answer is “positioning” – meaning finding the best way for a company to present itself to its target audience. While he does not have a lot of back ground with non-profits, he does hope his talents will translate perfectly to the CPR Program. We will see.

extra special editor's note: Joe came up with the idea of having a team of creative pros meet with the nonprofits instead of one-on-one specialists, and we think that idea is brilliant, and will allow greater flexibility and better results from a wider pool of experts. Good thinking Joe!

Richard Lewis - Creative Partner Highlight

Rich and his wife own Burlington Press, a full service printing and direct mail company. He brings to printing a lot of marketing experience that can help clients increase results and succeed with direct mail and other forms of marketing. He also built a company that provides professional, friendly services and makes sure every client gets a lot of value for the dollars spent. Everyone at Burlington Press is most proud of working with the good folks at Hypno Design and CreateAthon.

Rich is a big believer in giving back to the community. He is currently the marketing chair of the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties and serves on the Board of the Burlington County Boy Scouts and the Rotary Club of Burlington.

Rich and his wife, Vivian, have three grown children and enjoy cycling, kayaking, hiking and just about anything outdoors.

Please visit burlingtonpress.com

Editor's note: Rich will be presenting a seminar at CPR about how a nonprofit can get the best results from their direct mail campaigns. Stay tuned for seminar schedule and synopsis. Rich and Vivian have been very generous with their time and in providing printing for our CreateAthon event for the past 5 years. They're good people.

Editors note: Howard is presenting one of our seminars, open to any nonprofit to attend at 11am: Internet Marketing on a Dime

Nonprofits still can REGISTER TO ATTEND free Seminars.

Marci Foster - Creative Partner highlight

For nearly 20 years, Marci has worked with clients in a variety of industries to help build comprehensive, focused marketing programs. After working for several of the area’s largest advertising agencies, ten years ago Marci decided to start her own business and Creative Spark was born. A writer, project manager and self-described research geek, Marci helps companies formulate marketing strategies that build and support their brand while meeting business and sales goals.

Marci loves helping nonprofit organizations and is the Chair of the Marketing Committee for the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties as well as one of the organizers for Hypno Design’s annual CreateAthon event. She is a part-time athlete and often-exhausted mother of twin boys.

Editor's note - Marci's combination of talent, drive, and genuine warmth and caring spirit make her so highly in demand, and once you've her met you'll never forget that you did, and you'll wonder how you've lived without her.

Please leave a comment for Marci below!

20 Creative Volunteers so far

We have 20 creative professionals, and 3 seminar presenters lined up for our event so far. This is great. We have figured out the timing and the math and that means we can meet with as many as 100 non-profits throughout the day on May 21st. We already have 29 nonprofit organizations signed up so far. And there are exactly 3 weeks to go until CPR on May 21st.

Creative Volunteers Wanted - CPR 2011, needs Your Help.

Calling all advertising and marketing pros in the Philly/SJ region!

If you are a creative professional, like a graphic designer, art director, creative director, brand manager, advertising account executive, web designer, social media expert, adwords guru, photographer, illustrator, marketing strategist, or even an intern working your way through an ad agency, or design shop, and you want to take one saturday in May to give something back to the world please use the link below, and contact us to volunteer now:

Watch Video:


Watch the Recruiting Video and fill out the form to Contact Us to Volunteer

Thank you! We hope to hear from you.

Video shoot today to Get More Creative volunteers involved