About
We are a design thinking educational consultancy, guiding teams and organizations towards cultivating their own practice of creative problem solving, using design thinking tools and mindsets. We curate interdisciplinary learning experiences that foster a sense of community, connection, and belonging.
CultivatED works closely with K-12 educators, bringing design thinking directly into the classroom, empowering students to become collaborative thought leaders, solving real-world problems.
Through workshops, customized curriculum development and coaching sessions, educators create an ethos of learning that embodies creativity and wonderment, viewing complex challenges through the lens of empathy, curiosity and resilience.
Our Ethos
Cultivating an idea, a solution, a relationship, requires intentionality, care, and commitment - a symbiotic and trusting partnership that welcomes the unknown, and invites multiple perspectives to have a seat at the table.
Design thinking is a framework for creative problem solving, a human-centered approach to design, whereby empathy serves as the north star. Designers step into the shoes of the end-user, honoring multiple perspectives, placing the needs and wants of the end-user at the heart of the process. Design thinking encourages one to view problems as opportunities, rather than obstacles, engaging in thoughtful questions to guide each step. What's working well? What needs adjusting? Designers lead with mindsets that embody optimism, embrace ambiguity, learn from failure, iterate often, and pivot when necessary. This process is hands-on by nature, a “build to think'' mentality, creating tangible models, or prototypes, as a form of thinking through ideas, seeking feedback, and troubleshooting problems early on in the process.
Services
Meet Gabrielle Gononsky
Founder & CEO of CultivatED
Gabrielle is a design thinking consultant, specializing in the curation of K-12 educational experiences. She has been an educator in New York City for over 20 years, teaching in both public and private sectors. Gabrielle served as Director of Design Thinking at the Ramaz School, where she worked closely with educators and leadership teams to develop curricula centered around empathy building, innovation, and interdisciplinary studies. Gabrielle empowers educators and students to become action-driven, and recognize their ability to affect positive change for a greater good, on a local and global scale. Gabrielle received her Design Thinking and Creative Leadership training from Stanford Graduate School of Business and IDEO U. She served as an IDEO U Alumni Coach, assisting with global online courses related to innovation development, creative leadership, and impactful storytelling. Gabrielle earned a BFA in Photography and Art History from The George Washington University, and a Masters in Education from New York University. Prior to entering the field of education, she worked at Sotheby’s, where she obtained and cataloged works of art for auction. Having an art background has been a driving force in Gabrielle's creative process as an educator and designer, allowing her to curate meaningful learning experiences in the classroom and beyond.
Let's cultivate something extraordinary together
