Hi, I’m Mari —founder of Creative Thought Partners, creativity consultant, executive coach, and educator.

For over a decade, I’ve been helping leaders, educators, and organizations unlock creative confidence and bring bold ideas to life. As a longtime professional faculty member at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, I’ve taught courses on design thinking, creativity, innovation, and leadership to undergraduates, MBAs, and executives from around the world.

My work blends a background in architecture and design with deep expertise in behavioral science and human-centered research. I’m passionate about how people learn, change, and grow—and I design experiences that spark reflection, insight, and action.

Whether I’m co-creating a curriculum, facilitating a team retreat, or coaching a founder, I draw on principles of emotional intelligence, adaptive resilience, and creative problem-solving to meet people where they are and help them move forward with clarity.

Through 1:1 coaching, strategic facilitation, and custom curriculum design, I serve as a thought partner to help people and teams think differently, lead more intentionally, and design experiences that truly matter.

Let’s co-create what’s next—together.