Team

Creation in Common was founded in 2002 by three theater makers — Carlo Cuesta, Dana Gillespie, and Padraic Lillis — who came together to find a big idea that would make a difference in the world.

Achieving the next level of social impact takes enormous shared creativity across a community, Creation In Common works with community changemakers to facilitate that growth.  

We began with expertise in project management, administration, fundraising, communication, and entrepreneurship. We have since grown our team to work with a diverse array of clients committed to making the world healthier, stronger, happier, and more fair.

Meet Our Team of Experts

Dana Gillespie

Co-Founder

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Landscape Assessments
  • Environmental Scans
  • Philanthropic Investment & Giving Design
  • Organizational Strategic Plans
Full Bio

Dana serves as the firm’s chief report writer and editor, having conducted numerous interviews and focus groups for a variety of organizations. people in poverty. Engagements for Creation In Common include: McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Opportunity Partners, Phillips Family Foundation, Sidney Health Center, All Faith’s Food Bank, KERA/Art & Seek, and Walker Art Center.  As a grant writer, she brings over 30 years’ experience consulting with nonprofit organizations and leading fundraising teams. Dana collaborated with the Departments of Community Health and Interpreter Services of Fairview Health Services in the creation of Health Commons, benefiting the health and wellness of the Somali and East African populations in Minneapolis’ East Bank and led the Development and Communications efforts at Pillsbury United Communities, working with the organization’s six inner-city neighborhoods. Dana received her Masters’ Degree in Creative Writing from the University of North Texas and is both a playwright and author.

Carlo Cuesta

Co-Founder

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Organizational Strategic Plans
  • Collective Impact
  • Collaboration Formation
  • Change Management
Full Bio

Carlo brings over 30 years’ experience working for and consulting with nonprofit organizations. Creation In Common engagements include: Greater Twin Cities United Way, Scholarship America, Minnesota Children’s Museum, Youthprise, South Dakota State University, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Saint Paul Foundation, Arc Greater Twin Cities, Jackson  Hole Conservation Alliance, Care Providers of Minnesota, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts,  Opportunity Partners, Phillips Family Foundation, Pillsbury United Communities, Minnesota State Arts Board and  Walker Art Center. Carlo leads workshops for Minnesota Council for Nonprofits (MCN), has sat on the national board of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, and is a former adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota. He has been a contributing writer to the Nonprofit Quarterly and recently joined the national board of the Financial Commons. He received his MBA from the University of St. Thomas. 

Padraic-Lillis

Padraic Lillis

Co-Founder

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Theater Artist
  • Filmmaker
  • Teacher/Mentor
  • Mental Health Advocate
Full Bio

Padraic Lillis is the Founding Artistic Director of The Farm Theater whose mission is to cultivate early career artists through workshops, productions, and mentoring. He has been awarded: New York Innovative Theatre Outstanding Director, NY International Fringe Festival’s Overall Excellence in Directing, Best Director at United Solo Festival, and Best Short film at the Milan International Film Festival. Padraic was the Humana Visiting Scholar and Artist in Residence at Centre College. His film, Get To Eleven, that addresses mental health, suicide ideation, and recovery premiered at The Big Apple Film Festival and will air on PBS. Padraic is the host of The Farm Theater’s Bullpen Sessions podcast. He is a member of the Labyrinth Theater Company and a lifelong Yankee fan.

Kallie Akinola

Senior Associate

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Developmental Evaluation
  • Retrospective Evaluation
  • Landscape Assessments
  • Stakeholder Asset Mapping
Full Bio

Kallie brings nearly a decade of public sector experience to the team, having previously worked in higher education and municipal government. Engagements for Creation In Common include: Minnesota Humanities Center We Are Water, and The Bishop Parker Foundation, and Southern Methodist University. Kallie worked on the City of Garland, Texas’s 2019 Bond Program, where she assisted in the redesign of the Downtown Square and developed processes and procedures for the property acquisition program. Kallie worked and studied at the University of Arkansas, where she attained a Master of Public Administration (MPA).

Mary Brozic

Art Director/Graphic Designer

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Brand Strategy

  • Graphic Design

  • Report Creation

  • Fast, Flexible, and Fabulous

Full Bio

Mary is a highly skilled art director and graphic designer with over 25-years experience. She has completed design work for The Saint Paul Foundation, Minnesota Community Foundation, Mardag Foundation, F. R. Bigelow Foundation, ServeMinnesota, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, The Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota and the MacPhail Center for Music. Creation In Common engagements include: Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board Vitality Task Force, Rainbow Health Initiative, Senior Community Services, and Arts & Seek to name a few.

Lindsey Burdick

Project Consultant

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Organizational Strategic Plans
  • Board & Staff Capacity Building
  • Meeting Facilitation
  • Environmental Scans
Full Bio

As an educator and curriculum developer, Lindsey has had a wide variety of opportunities to design and implement authentic learning experiences.  She served as founding member of the Osseo Area Schools Educational Technology Early Implementer Team and co-leader of the EdTech Professional Development Team. 

Engagements with Creation In Common include: Reach Out and Read, Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board Vitality Task Force, and ARRM. Lindsey served as the lead facilitator of the Center of Craft’s 2021 Think Tank. Lindsey is a dedicated racial equity and social justice advocate and a trained Equity Coach and has served as a Professional Development content creator for DEIA-dedicated work groups and cohorts. Lindsey holds a bachelor’s in education and Psychology, and a masters in literacy education.

Barbara Hahn

Project Consultant

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Organizational Strategic Plans
  • Program Design and Implementation
  • Meeting Facilitation
  • Project Management
Full Bio

Barbara brings more than 30 years of financial management, strategic partnership and business development experience in the financial services, technology, and non-profit sectors. Creation In Common engagements include: Houston Food Bank, Open Cupboard, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, Food Bank of Santa Barbara County, and the Arab American National Museum. As VP of Growth & Innovation for Minnesota Children’s Museum, Barbara led cross-functional teams to create new exhibits for the museum’s $30mm capital project, grew the leading traveling exhibit business, and created programs to serve under-resourced families. Barbara has consulted with non-profits including Fairview Health Systems and Origins and served on the board of Educate Tanzania. Barbara received her MBA from New York University and her BA from University of Wisconsin.

Laurel Hoitsma

Communications Specialist

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Communications Strategy

  • Messaging

  • Copywriting

  • Social Media

Full Bio

Laurel specializes in writing and editing for marketing, advertising, public relations, B2B sales, internal communications, and more. She also serves as a thought partner for her clients, collaborating on strategic planning, campaign and fundraising strategy, messaging and branding, and articulating new ideas and initiatives.

In addition to Creation in Common, Laurel works regularly with The Wallace Foundation (NYC), the Crow Museum of Asian Art (Dallas), Stormy Kromer (Ironwood MI), and Marketing Department Inc. (Houghton MI).

Jenna Read Nagle

Project Associate

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Project Management
  • Organizational Strategic Planning
  • Environmental Scans
  • Meeting Facilitation
Full Bio

Jenna has been helping non-profit organizations improve and streamline administrative procedures for over 15 years. Engagements for Creation In Common include: Minnesota Department of Health, Minnesota Children’s Museum, and Penland School of Craft, and Thanksgiving Point. Jenna has leveraged technologies from designing automated reports and worksheets to mapping data imports and analytics software to reduce errors and increase productivity. As Database Manager at The Saint Paul Seminary, Jenna analyzed complex donor and financial data to maximize return on investment and fund stewardship by generating reports that inform fundraising strategy. Jenna is a graduate of Beloit College. In her free time, Jenna encourages mindfulness as a yoga instructor.

Julie Sand

Project Consultant

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Organizational Health Assessment
  • Environmental Scans
  • Change Management
  • Board & Staff Capacity Building
Full Bio
Julie has served in administrative leadership positions in nonprofit organizations throughout the Twin Cities for over thirty years. Engagements for Creation In Common include: CLUES, NorthPoint Health and Wellness, Minnesota Land Trust, and Feeding America. Julie has worked as Interim Executive Director at the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and as Managing Director at the Jungle Theatre, where she guided the growth into the new theatre, and TU Dance, where she launched the year-round educational and event programming. As a consultant, Julie has provided services in the areas of strategic planning, program, organizational and board development, financial and program management, and research and analysis for a variety of nonprofits. In June 2019, Julie rejoined the consulting firm Creation in Common after working with the team from 2004 to 2009.

Laura Venhaus

Project Consultant

[email protected]

Key Roles
  • Stakeholder Asset Mapping
  • Landscape Assessments
  • Centering Lived Experience
  • Customized Quantitative & Qualitative Research
Full Bio

Laura brings over 20 plus years of project management experience and a passion for community building to the Creation in Common team. Engagements with Creation In Common include: Feeding America, Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, The Schubert Club, All Faith’s Food Bank, and Care & Share. Prior to Creation In Common, Laura served as Director of the Library and Community Education Manager for The Botanical Research Institute of Texas and was responsible for community engagement and technical projects that connected the community to the organization and to the library and archival collections it housed. Laura holds a Professional Librarian’s Certificate from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Laura received her master’s of library science from University of North Texas.