“BraveSpace’s training was a completely different experience all together. Traditional training has been largely ineffective in making a difference in culture. The difference in BraveSpace is it gets to culture almost immediately and has a lasting effect.”
Helping Teams and People Work Better
Kristy West is a Certified Applied Improv Practitioner, Speaker, and Learning Experience Designer at BraveSpace. She has been performing, studying and teaching improv for almost two decades. Along with her improv experience, Kristy spent over 15 years in B2B Sales and Corporate Training. Today, she blends her unique experience in improvisational acting, business, and corporate training to help people and teams tap into interpersonal communication skills using experiential improv- based learning.
Kristy's work at BraveSpace is taking improv off the stage and into corp environments to help foster innovation, creativity, collaboration, new mindsets and a whole slew of critical communication skills needed in today’s ever evolving, tech driven, chaotic work climate.
Many corporate environments struggle to create the time and space to practice these skills, yet if there was ever a time to make room for them, the time is now and BraveSpace can help!
About BraveSpace
BraveSpace offers training and team building programs applying the methodology of improvisation to create highly interactive and fun learning experiences. Our programs are designed with your objectives and themes in mind. Our unique approach creates engagement and training that sticks. Whether your team wants to learn how to be better communicators, or your team needs a boost in collaboration, creativity and innovation, the BraveSpace team of experts will co-create with you to learn the individual team needs and desired outcomes. In today's ever evolving business climate, the only constant is change. Skills like the ability to adapt, navigating change, handling uncertainty and pivoting in the moment are the new norm. Come on get Brave!
Facilitators
We can do more together than solo. The BraveSpace team is made up of veteran Facilitators based all over the world. We draw from a vast network of expert trainers, improvisers, actors and subject matter experts to match the best talent to each engagement based on client needs. Meet a few of our talented Improvisers.
Amanda Rountree
Amanda Rountree has been performing improvisational theatre professionally since 1992 and teaching since 1998. In 2014, she moved to the Atlanta area from Chicago, where she was a faculty member with the Second City Training Center. She has facilitated team-building, brainstorming, collaborative problem-solving, and other events to both small organizations and large corporations in various cities throughout the country utilizing improvisation. She is delighted to be a part of BraveSpace. Find out more about Amanda at her website: amandarountree.com.
Mark Kendall
Mark first got into comedy while studying film at Northwestern University. He had a chance to work at Comedy Central through the Chris Rock Summer School Program for up and coming comedy writers of color. During his time at Comedy Central, he got to pitch jokes to the writing staffs of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." Mark performs comedy in Atlanta at Dad's Garage Theatre Company and Highwire Comedy. He also teaches improv and sketch writing. He is currently touring with his one man show "The Magic Negro and Other Blackness" a sketch show that examines the depiction of black men in the media. For his work with the show, he was named "Best Professional Funny Man" by Creative Loafing Atlanta.
Brent Darnell
Brent Darnell is a playwright, author, actor, improviser, and Dramatists Guild member. He is also a pioneer in bringing emotional intelligence to the construction industry and has taught people skills to technical people at 100 different companies in 20 different countries. He also teaches these skills at Auburn, Penn State, Virginia Tech, and the University of Cincinnati. He has published eight books on emotional intelligence and people skills for technical people.
Maggie McHugh-Parrish
Maggie’s professional background includes serving as an executive with software development and implementation companies and as a faculty member and administrator in higher education. Today she practices project turn-arounds, facilitation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution, and is active in the Applied Improv Network & International Association of Facilitators. Maggie is a graduate of the Creative Problem Solving Institute, enjoys playing as an improv actor, and is a working artist. She leads her firm, Guidancy, bringing soft skills to a hard world while helping clients achieve their success story!
Lisa Fey
Lisa spent 30 years at The Coca-Cola Company - splitting her time in sales, marketing and training and development. She built her cred by growing business, promoting a team culture and coaching people with genuine feedback that empowered them to advance. Her passions outside the corporate realm enable her to captivate audiences with humor and storytelling. She has commanded multiple TEDx stages, performed improv theater and left her footprints upon every continent on the planet. Lisa understands the value of human connection in business dynamics and how to motivate people to attain their potential. She delivers the perspectives of a seasoned executive, the freshness of a comedienne and the authenticity you’d expect from a gal who grew up in a Southern farm community of 800. Lisa now runs Lisa Fey Speaks working as a keynote speaker and facilitator helping drive growth in people and businesses by sharing her secret formula.
Sarah Simmons Turner
Sarah is a graduate of The Upright Citizens Brigade (Los Angeles) & Dad’s Garage (Atlanta)’s Improv Programs. Her troupes include Automatic Improv, Ground Control and Superconductor. She was Education Director for Relapse Theatre (‘10-‘12), coached house teams at HighWire for two seasons (‘15 & ‘16) and coached a Harold Team for Action Show Studios (‘19). Sarah has been performing her entire life and trained at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (LA) as a professional Actor (‘14). She is currently represented by Jana Van Dyke & has been improv facilitating with BraveSpace since 2018.
In addition to Acting and Improv, Sarah has led about five other lives. Her degrees are in Public Relations & Political Science (‘04 Appalachian State University) and she currently freelances in Event, Festival & Social Media Management. From administrative work to selling real estate to leading teams of 100+ sales associates, Sarah brings an unique and professional perspective to her improv facilitating.
MATT BRUGGEMAN
Matt Bruggeman received his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University. While Matt was training in the art form of improvisational theater, he experienced the importance of communication skills in the workplace in his field. Given the transformational effects Matt found from improv exercises, he now shares this experience with others.
Trained at Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City, Matt specializes in workshops that revolve around understanding yourself and how controlling our focus can drastically change the way we communicate and function.