Recorded live at the 2025 ROI of Creativity Summit, this episode features Michael Tennant, founder and CEO of Curiosity Lab and author of The Power of Empathy and Abundance.

Michael reframes empathy as a learnable skill essential to innovation and resilience, drawing from his personal journey through grief, his background in storytelling and brand leadership, and his work designing tools that help people build deeper connection and understanding.

We examine the relationship between empathy and creative risk, why competition can erode curiosity, and how emotional awareness supports innovation at both the individual and organizational level, especially in moments of change, uncertainty, and AI adoption.

Michael Tennant is the Founder and CEO of Curiosity Lab, a purpose-driven studio and consultancy that builds products and experiences that teach empathy; creator of the empathy card game Actually Curious™; and author of The Power of Empathy and Abundance: A Guided Journal for Living a Full Life. Michael and his work have been featured by the New York Times, Beyoncé, the Today show, Good Morning America, and received an investment from Pharrell’s Black Ambition Prize in 2022. In his role as CEO, Michael creates businesses to help values-aligned individuals and organizations use empathy to live happier, healthier lives and to nurture inclusive, innovative environments.

Curiosity Lab website: www.curiositylab.io

Actually Curious website: www.actuallycurious.com

Michael Tennant (@michaeltennantnyc)

Actually Curious (@actuallyc_rious)

Curiosity Lab (@c_riositylab)