On 9 August 2019, I presented at the AIN 2019 World Conference - Communicating Beyond Borders and Barriers: Applications Of Improvisation In Society - in New York, USA.
Image from Applied Improvisation Network
APPLIED IMPROVISATION NETWORK (AIN) 2019 WORLD CONFERENCE
August 2019, Stony Brook University, New York
AINxTalk Presenter
Image from Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
The conference sold out with 350 attendees. The conference is in partnership with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University on Long Island.
Notable keynote speakers are Aretha Amelia Sills, Pablo Suarez, Dr. Raquell Holmes, and Dr. Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan. A full schedule of talks and workshops.
Shirley F. Rivera is an Entrepinay and more than her Chemical Engineering degree. She is an Air Quality and Energy Consultant, Behavior Designer and Tiny Habits® Certified Coach, and Improviser, who helps people form habits quickly and easily toward an improv habits mindset.
Presentation description (brief). Where Behavior Design meets Applied Improv - environment, interactions, choice. Learn a first-of-its-kind approach to transform the skills from applied improv into daily practices. Using a behavior design method, Tiny Habits®, help others self-design their new improv-inspired skills into simple, easy, personalized daily habits and practices.
EXTENDED BIO. Shirley F. Rivera is an Entrepinay, a Filipino woman entrepreneur. More than her Chemical Engineering degree from UC Berkeley, she is an Air Quality and Energy Consultant, Behavior Designer and Tiny Habits® Certified Coach, and Improvisor.
With her engineering analyses and behavior design expertise, she helps people form habits quickly and easily by applying the models and methods of Stanford professor Dr. BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits program and Behavior Design principles. Because she understands how behavior design and applied improv share a similar context – environment, interactions, choice – she is uniquely positioned to help transform applied improv learnings into daily habits and practices.
Go Tiny - Practice Making Improv Skills Stick (Better) - my AINxTalk - the debut of my approach of bringing together my Behavior Design and Applied Improv expertise
Image of Venn diagram “idea kernel” for presentation
My presentation. In this first-of-its-kind approach, Shirley brings together behavior design and applied improv. She understands how habit formation (one method in behavior design) and applied improv share a similar context – environment, interactions, choice. This is an innovative approach to transform applied improv learnings into easy, personalized daily habits that, with systematic consistent practice, can help build and sustain an improv habits mindset.
Applied improv involves behavior change, which can be achieved by forming habits. For participants, some may need to create new habits, while others may need to crush old habits. What happens after the creative, playful, imaginative, and facilitated applied improv learning environment? Their newfound improv habits mindset can diminish. It may be challenging to translate improv-inspired skills into their daily lives – home, work, school. Their physical and cognitive environment, interactions with people, competing interests, routines, and motivations are often different from the learning environment. Therefore, how can the benefits of applied improv be better retained?
Enter – Behavior Design, a new field of study started by Stanford professor, Dr. BJ Fogg. Fogg has created a set of models and methods as ways of designing solutions that can influence behaviors. One of Fogg’s methods is Tiny Habits®, which does not rely on people’s willpower. Fogg’s method simplifies the habit formation process. It is a new method of daily practice, repetition, revision, and celebration. Habits are self-designed to fit their environment. Let’s celebrate making applied improv learnings simple, easy, and personalized so that the improv habits mindset can flourish.
(recorded video over here)
A memory from the 2012 AIN World Conference
At Applied Improvisation Network (AIN) 2012 World Conference - Be The Change - Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA (September 20-23)
In 2012 I attended my first AIN World Conference - Be the Change - at Fort Mason in San Francisco, California, USA.
As one of my more memorable life’s moments, I took a leap of faith to propose my open space topic on anthrocubeology.
In less than two minutes, I explained (exceptionally nervously) my not-yet-fully-formulated anthrocubeology, asked the audience to indulge in my taking their picture, and walked off stage to cheers of support.
Relieved and energized, I knew that during the timeframe of 11:30-12:15, either I would have a room to myself, or I may have a room with another person(s). Head count result? The “peak” of attendance was two people, with an average of one. Emotional support? Superb! And even the opportunity, alone, was priceless.