About Us

Our Philosophy

You are the expert in your sphere of influence and leadership. Our goal is to guide you to your greatest success—unleashing new possibilities and potential. Innovative Connections takes a relationship-based consulting approach. As a partner, we come alongside you and create space for you to find your voice, see your vision, and imagine what the right action for the future could be for you, your team and your organization.

Because we come in with a coaching mindset, we’re able to co-design not only creative interventions but also sustainable solutions. While we enter in with a plan using evidence-based models, we’re always ready to pivot and flex—to meet unique needs in the moment. We’re constantly asking, Are they ready for this? Do we need to pull back or push harder? Or are they asking for more, and wanting to be challenged ? Assessing these things is part of our gift. We’re not fixed on the roadmap—we’re focused on the destination.

A huge part of the value we bring as consultants is our external objectivity and neutrality. We listen and observe what’s happening, looking for subtle dynamics and we watch for what’s not being said.

We set you up to carry the work successfully forward when our engagement ends so you can continue pursuing your success. Whatever our roadmap looks like together—whether taking small steps in a new direction or diving into a new trajectory of transformation—we’re here for you, every step of the way.

Our service creates IMPACT

Our work facilitates profound, sustainable transformation—both individually and organizationally—not just temporarily, but for years after the engagement is over.

Our MISSION

We give voice and action to an emerging future.

Our Values

Connection

Relationships are the core of our company: we build relationships of service with depth and intimacy, connecting people, resources, and ideas to support learning and growth at the individual and organizational level. By practicing the quality of presence, we build trust.

Professionalism

We strive to always be on the edge of our own professional growth, committed to continuous learning and reaching toward achieving goals and outcomes as we stretch others to reach their own. We’re committed to service through a mindset of abundance, gratitude, and sharing.

Love

The foundation for all we do is our love of humanity, for the greater good. We lead with kindness, courage, and empathy with an inclusive, nurturing, and supportive approach that serves the client and one another.

Vitality

We show up with enthusiasm and an appreciative, fun perspective. Our intention is to add light and bring sustaining energy into every situation. We demonstrate and teach resilience , helping those around us find joy and meaning.

Our Team

Laurie K. Cure, PhD

Laurie’s commitment is to achieve organizational success for her clients by helping them discover and release their human potential. She brings a unique ability to build deep and trusting relationships, which enables her to help clients achieve amazing results.

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Gail Gumminger, MPA

Gail is an accomplished leader with broad experience in both the public and private sectors. She understands the complexities of both large and small organizations as well as higher education academic environments.

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Holly LeMaster

For more than 30 years, Holly has served as a consultant, advisor, and coach to professionals and organizations in healthcare, philanthropy, and other arenas. She is committed to helping people and teams learn to discover gifts, find gratitude, and tell stories they like.

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Julie Klein, MHA

Julie is an influential and innovative healthcare executive with a passion for providing compassionate, high-quality, accessible, care in a cost-effective model. A value-driven, ethical leader that focuses on building collaborative relationships, Julie knows both the patient care side and the business side of the industry.

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Susan Davis

Susan is a high-performing leader experienced in strategy and relationship design. She has a gift for navigating ambiguous situations and environments. Her career path has enabled her to work with non-profit, healthcare, education, government, and business organizations to improve her community.

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Mystie Johnson Foote, MD, MBA

Throughout her 20-year career as a physician and healthcare executive, Mystie has gleaned experience and first-hand knowledge into the rapidly changing healthcare environment. With a unique perspective on what drives, and depletes physicians in the healthcare industry today, Mystie brings a new insight and talent to the consulting team.

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Beth Stiner, MOD

With a passion for connecting people and organizations to new ideas, resources and opportunities, Beth thrives on working with individuals, teams and companies who are continuously striving to be stronger, better and healthier.

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Peter James

Dr. James is a certified and credentialed business and leadership coach who focuses on helping executives and businesses transform from average to high-performing.

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Reta Coburn

As a leadership coach, Reta’s passion is partnering with growth oriented business professionals and leaders who are focused on elevating their business and leadership impact.

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Barb Ward

Barb has spent her career growing her knowledge and skills in writing and design to produce effective communications and marketing materials, ensuring her clients reach their business goals.

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Kayla Cure

Kayla has a passion for interacting with and getting to know people from all around the world. Resulting from her understanding and compassion for humanity, she has an innate ability to connect on a deeper level and build dynamic, strong, and lasting relationships. Additionally, her attention to detail and ability to coordinate multiple details for complex events ensures outstanding results and fabulous customer service. Kayla’s technical savvy makes her an essential asset to help support people and make a difference behind the scenes. She believes in life-long learning and enjoys listening to and learning from the wisdom of others.

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ALISA BENNETT

As a skilled educational psychologist and professional educator, Alisa understands the hard work and careful thought it takes to succeed. Throughout her career, she has been focused on making meaningful connections, collaborating with teams and individuals, and supporting others with research-based techniques to help them reach their full potential. She applies the experience and skills she has obtained in her career as an educator and business leader to provide creative problem solving, content and curriculum development, and innovative thinking. She possesses a strong desire to be of service and build meaningful relationships with others.

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KAILEY BOWSER

Kailey is a highly motivated professional with a passion for developing and facilitating meaningful learning experiences that connect people in a new way and enable transformational change. Throughout her career, she has developed expertise in organizational growth, planning and strategy, communications, culture development, and guest experience.

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ELYSE MCDONALD

Elyse has a gift for putting people at ease and developing deep, interpersonal relationships. Listening intently and helping others achieve their goals has always been important to her. It is through her compassion and love for people, and her experience through many different career roles that she has honed her communication skills.

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JACQUELINE WONG

Jacqueline is committed to using high-quality data and analytics to inform organizational policy, practices, and decision-making. Focusing on improving organizational effectiveness, promoting individual health and wellbeing, and enhancing equity and justice in organizations, she aims to engage various stakeholders through purposeful data communication and empirically-based problem-solving.

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CARLA HAMBY

Carla’s passion is supporting the growth and success of all levels of leaders by helping them skillfully navigate their relationships with themselves and others and authentically create more well-being and full expression. She is known for her ability to inspire impactful and sustainable transformation through her core values of deep relationships, honest and productive communication, and whole person learning, which in turn supports the growth and success of the organizations, systems, and cultures we’re all part of.

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Press

Check out noteworthy interviews, articles, and mentions of Innovative Connections in the press.

Managing Employee Fear During Times of Uncertainty

Wondering how to help employees move beyond negative emotions and seize the opportunity within the heart of the crisis? Innovative Connections CEO Dr. Laurie Cure provides some insight in a recent CEOWorld article.

ceoworld magazine

Working from home: The pros, cons and potential pitfalls of it becoming permanent

Remote work is challenging businesses everywhere. Read about the hurdles ahead and what business leaders need to think through to sustain remote-work setups.

epodcast network

Leading Without Fear with Laurie Cure

How do we drive accountability within an organization without the introduction of fear? Dr. Laurie Cure discusses the complexity and prevalence of fear in the workplace and offers strategies for how to better understand fear and emotions in your role of leadership.

The Denver Post