TENANT HIGHLIGHT
Jim Stevenson
President and Co-Founder,
International Center for Creativity (ICC), 20 Years
How did you get started?
My journey with ICC began after selling my marketing firm. While that chapter of my life was over, the need for a creative outlet remained. Encouraged by longstanding clients, my partner and I ventured into the realm of training and simplification on a larger scale. We recognized a crucial need for teaching creativity through effective tools and methods, especially in the context of emerging 3D modeling solutions. This realization led us to establish ICC, forging a partnership with Cedarville University to opening our doors officially in 2004. Today, we’ve graduated 250 students from our programs.
What is the company's mission or purpose?
Our mission is to revolutionize the innovation landscape by providing cutting-edge consulting services in new product and idea development across various industries. We aim to bridge the gap between creativity and practical application, offering a space for learning and exploration, especially in industrial design. Our purpose is to equip individuals with the tools and methods necessary to drive forward-thinking solutions in today's rapidly evolving world, with a particular focus on leveraging 3D modeling and design.
What makes ICC unique and noteworthy?
We have a two-pronged approach at ICC. At our core, we are an innovation consulting firm staffed by industry veterans and a full team of creative and marketing professionals that manage all new businesses. We also run an apprenticeship kind of model where our students come in to learn from real-life projects and are given assignments based on the corporate-level business that comes into ICC.
Our clients come to us when they want to get ahead of the trends and need help bringing their visions to life. While our in-house team of experienced professionals provide the roadmap for successful planning, our clients recognize the invaluable, first-hand insights and perspectives during the development stages and perspectives from our students, which often represent their current and future clientele.
Brag about yourself! Any recent milestones/accolades to share about you or your company?
We've achieved significant milestones recently, including:
- Attaining the rank of the 5th best industrial design collegiate program in the country.
- We’re currently developing and teaching two master's degree programs: an MA in Innovation and a specialized concentration in an MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
- Planning to launch a Bachelor of Science program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in 2024-2025
