Laurie Tema-Lyn

About the Author: LAURIE TEMA-LYN

It probably started in the womb of a mother who loved listening to opera, going to Broadway theater, dabbling in oil painting and cooking delicious foods. Laurie grew up in a household where creativity was cherished and nurtured, so there was little doubt that she would craft a professional life that would integrate the arts and her personal passions. While genetics and family encouragement played a critical role, good fortune and wonderful business mentors made their mark on a career that began in direct marketing, where she was immensely grateful to learn from the best and was given latitude to be an “intrapreneur” before that word was even coined.

A taste of facilitating creative meetings provided by training at Synectics added new tools to Laurie’s repertoire, and she joined the firm as an Associate/Consultant for three years. She left to co-found IdeaScope Associates, and for twelve years headed up Consulting for this boutique strategic visioning firm which had a staff of 25, and offices in Cambridge, MA and San Francisco.

In 1995 she reframed her professional world, launching Practical Imagination Enterprises (PIE), an Innovation and Qualitative Research Consultancy with a network of outstanding colleagues. Clients come to Laurie and PIE when they need to recharge their thinking—look at their business differently, create future vision, generate and develop new strategies, new product and positioning ideas. Through the years Laurie has created and refined a well-proven process using the language of innovation and a host of face-to-face and on-line qualitative research methodologies, which engages three streams of human expertise: cross functional client teams, "thought leaders" who provide content to complement client teams’ knowledge, and consumer teams to provide “raw material” in the form of insights and ideas.

Laurie has the privilege of working with some of the world’s leading companies and brands in most every industry, and she has also been delighted to help smaller firms, entrepreneurs and non-profits flourish. She is an active member of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA)—currently on the leadership team of the Philadelphia Chapter, and founder of the Emeritus SIG. She was a former member of the Board of Directors of QRCA and former Editor-In-Chief of QRCA VIEWS Magazine. Laurie has been a frequent presenter at national and international conferences.

Laurie is the author of Stir It Up! Recipes for Robust Insights and Red Hot Ideas, which contains an array of exercises for market research professionals and others who are charged with facilitating creative engagements. The unique format presents these activities in an easy-to-follow recipe format. Laurie is also passionate about bringing a creative touch to cooking. She self-published Creating the Creative Cook: An Almost Vegetarian Cookbook for Almost Brave Cooks in 1989 and began sharing her knowledge with others in cooking workshops. She continues the theme with a new book, Zest! Food that's fun to make & good for you, publication date January 2023.

Laurie is active in the arts as a singer with the Voices Chorale New Jersey. An avid organic vegetable gardener, she is still amazed and inspired by the magic process of planting seeds which turn into those mouthwatering juicy, ripe, homegrown tomatoes.