About us.

Creative Futures helps public, nonprofit, and socially-minded leaders plan and prepare for their future. Using applied futures research, we support organizations to navigate complexity and embrace uncertainty, arming them with the tools to think beyond present-day issues and imagine, prepare for, and navigate multiple potential futures.

We specialize in the areas of the futures of cities, futures of work, futures of health and healthcare, and futures of arts and creativity.

We are strategists, planners, futurists, innovation experts, facilitators, keynote speakers, educators, parents, nature enthusiasts, life-long learners, avid readers, runners, cyclists, artists, designers, organizers, dreamers, adventurers. We never take the same approach twice. 

We jump in to help you respond to emerging challenges, explore new opportunities and develop tangible actions that solve your identified problem. Whether you need to develop a new strategic plan, host a meeting or conference, understand the needs of the people you serve, or build the capacity of your team to anticipate future disruptions, Creative Futures will mix-and-match our unique set of tools and approaches to meet your needs. 

We are a small and mighty team based in Toronto and Hamilton, Canada, that likes to get our hands dirty, diving deep into every project. We engage talented collaborators to diversify and challenge our perspectives while adding capacity to projects as needed.

 Our founders.

  • Heather Russek

    CO-PRESIDENT

    Heather Russek helps organizations navigate complex environments to identify resilient and practical future-focused solutions.

    Heather is a strategist, researcher, designer and innovation expert with 20 years of experience in policy innovation, healthcare leadership, management consulting, program and project management, and strategy.

    Prior to co-founding Creative Futures, Heather was the Director of Policy Innovation at the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship. Formerly, Heather was the Director of Corporate Strategy and Strategic Initiatives at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto.

    Heather was named a Next Generation Foresight Practitioner Fellow in 2021. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science from Queen’s University, an MBA from the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, and a Master’s of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD University. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two kids that keep her active and is always looking for an excuse to go for a walk or run in nature.

  • Jessica Thornton

    CO-PRESIDENT

    Jessica Thornton helps organizations understand and apply strategic foresight methods so they can make informed decisions about their future.

    Jessica is a futurist, strategist, researcher and process designer with 15+ years of experience in the public and nonprofit sectors. Over her career, she has worked across a variety of diverse subject areas, including cities, employment, sustainability, food systems, arts, and public governance.

    Jessica started as a fundraising professional, before shifting into program design and development roles. As a natural strategist, Jessica began integrating strategic foresight methods into her approach while working as a Senior Manager and Director at Evergreen, further expanding this work during her time at the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship.

    In 2021, Jessica was named a Next Generation Foresight Practitioner Fellow, and her collaborative research won an award from the Association of Professional Futurists in 2019. Jessica has a B.A. in Socio-cultural Anthropology from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from OCAD University. She lives in Hamilton with her wife, daughter, and two beloved polydactyl kittens.

 Our values.

  • Embrace creativity.

    Complex problems need creative solutions. We use creative approaches to get unstuck and unlock new thinking. We infuse creativity in everything we do, to challenge assumptions and inspire leaders to think differently. We support our clients to lean into their creative confidence and embrace the discomfort.

  • People-centred.

    We design for people. We are all people - the team at Creative Futures, our clients, and their end-users, customers, and staff. So, we take into consideration the best ways to deliver any project for the needs of the people who are involved, as well as those who will be impacted by the work we undertake.

  • Positive change.

    As optimists, we have a vision for a better future and work everyday to advance it. We work for a future where power is redistributed so that historically marginalized communities are better off, and we have a planet-first approach to our business. We only work with organizations similarly focused on positive change.

  • Follow through.

    We do what we say we will do. We do not overpromise. We are honest about our abilities and what we can offer you. If we say we will do something, we deliver, on time. Always.

  • Lasting impact.

    We deliver projects and initiatives that promote lasting change and impact. We work hand in hand with our clients to ensure what we create together adds value not just now, but into the short- and long-term future too. With Creative Futures, clients can always expect a follow-up down the road to learn how the work is being used.

  • Always learning.

    We are continuously looking for new ways to create meaningful and successful engagements for our clients. We seek out new ideas and gaps in our knowledge to stretch our thinking so we bring the right, most informed approaches to every project. We work hard to acknowledge and challenge our own biases, learning and listening from others.

Awards.