BRIEF BIO

Theo Edmonds is a Culture Futurist®, artist/poet, entrepreneur, analytics innovator, and proud Appalachian based in Denver, Colorado. For more than 30 years, he has worked at the intersection of creative industries, brain science, and technology to shape the future of work. His executive, artistic, and research background spans healthcare, social innovation, academia, and the creative economy. He has led projects for Fortune 100 companies, top cardiovascular programs, city and state governments, family offices, universities, and national arts organizations.

In 2013, Theo co-founded IDEAS xLab, an arts-science-business nonprofit, and was named one of Southern Living Magazine’s “50 People Changing the Face of the South.” As an unconventional researcher, he leverages his neurodiversity as a leadership asset, pioneering the use of cultural data in workforce development. In 2018, he led a National Science Foundation-funded team that received the Epic Trailblazer Award for Research & Innovation for advancing the field of cultural analytics.

In 2022, concerned that American innovation was losing its sense of wonder, Theo launched a two-year national journey—engaging with hundreds of people across a dozen states, from Appalachian coal towns to Capitol Hill, Silicon Valley to South Florida art studios—to explore whether others felt the same drift away from bold creativity. At every stop, he asked: “What’s holding your organization’s creativity back?”

In 2025, Theo founded Creativity America to help remove those barriers. Through direct collaboration with leaders in both the private and public sectors, the initiative offers a new model for economic growth—one that integrates the creative foresight of artists with the strategic execution of business leaders in high-velocity markets. He calls it the Wonder Economy: a systems-level, neuroscience-based approach to innovation where creativity is the currency of progress.

LONG-FORM BIO

Theo Edmonds is a visionary Culture Futurist® and dynamic innovator known for bridging the creative industries, brain science, and the future of work to drive inclusive, transformational growth. With nearly 30 years of executive experience spanning the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, Theo’s career is driven by a commitment to fostering cultural well-being in organizations and unlocking the human creative potential of teams.

At the core of Theo’s work is an ability to seamlessly merge scholarly research with pop culture, synthesizing insights from diverse disciplines, data analytics, and creativity sciences. This unique multidisciplinary approach has made Theo a sought-after speaker for organizations seeking to enrich environments where people work, learn, heal, and explore new possibilities.

Core Strengths:

Theo specializes in building and leading innovation teams, guiding them to unlock human creative potential across three critical areas:

• Advancing enterprise innovation by integrating scientific research with the arts and humanities.

• Developing emotional intelligence and resilience in innovation teams.

• Enhancing storytelling capabilities to merge technology with human flourishing in product development, marketing, and consumer engagement.

Key Achievements:

• 3x Growth in Cardiovascular Systems Innovation: Directed digital and delivery transformation of a world-class healthcare system’s cardiovascular services line, leading hundreds of interdisciplinary professionals and generating annual revenues exceeding $100 million.

• Award-Winning Arts & Health Projects: Built and led collaborative teams that united government, Fortune 100 companies, and creatives across multiple states, earning national and international accolades.

• Successful Nonprofit Leadership: Co-founded IDEAS xLab, an artist-led nonprofit, securing millions in grants and scaling it into a nationally recognized organization.

• NSF-Sponsored Research Excellence: Curated an interdisciplinary research team at an R1 university, leading to trailblazing advancements in cultural analytics, earning the Epic Trailblazer Award for Research & Innovation.

• National and International Leadership: Serves on the National Board of Directors for Americans for the Arts, co-chairs its CEO Search Committee, and has held executive roles in global brain science initiatives, shaping next-generation approaches to sustainable performance and creativity.

Theo stands at the forefront of cultural analytics, strategy, systems creativity, and futurist innovation. Their work transcends traditional boundaries, connecting entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, and change-makers across diverse sectors. Theo’s ability to identify and transform latent opportunities into impactful initiatives distinguishes them as a leader in the field.

Strategic Influence:

Theo's influence extends across several prestigious boards and leadership roles, including:

• National Board of Directors for Americans for the Arts

• Advisory Board for the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association

• Co-lead of the creativity sciences work group for the global Brain Capital Alliance

• Lead Culture Strategist for Colorado’s groundbreaking Small Business Resiliency Index.

Fundraising and Leadership:

Over the past decade, Theo has successfully led fundraising efforts, securing millions in national grants and awards across a wide range of sectors, from public health and social innovation to nonprofit arts and the creative industries.

Roots and Journey:

Born into a nine-generation Appalachian family from southeastern Kentucky, Theo’s journey has taken them from France to New York, Hawaii, Louisville, and New Orleans before settling in Denver, Colorado. They have served as Associate Dean for Transdisciplinary Research & Innovation at CU Denver College of Arts & Media and returned to a hands-on role as a research faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ Master of Humanities and Master of Social Science programs.

A recognized artist, poet, and entrepreneur, Theo was named one of the "50 People Changing the Face of the South" by Southern Living Magazine for co-founding IDEAS xLab with their husband, Josh Miller, where Theo served as CEO for its first five years.

Looking Ahead:

At the intersection of the creative industries, brain science, and the future of work, Theo’s journey reflects a relentless pursuit of integrating creativity into every facet of the human experience. Theo is now leading the most ambitious project of their career—Creativity America, a national accelerator dedicated to unlocking human creative potential and evolving the creative industries for the future of work.