About
Professor. Practitioner.
Possibilitizer.
I've spent my career at the intersection of rigorous academic inquiry and real-world organizational change — because I believe the best ideas are the ones that actually work.
The Professor
I hold the Robert P. Stiller Endowed Chair of Management at Champlain College and direct the Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry. My work lives in two places: the classroom, where I try to create learning environments that actually change how people think, and my research, which explores positive organizational change, strengths-based leadership, and what it takes for human systems to truly flourish.
The Practitioner
For over two decades I've worked with organizations across sectors — Fortune 500 companies, global NGOs, healthcare systems, higher education — helping them move from stuck to generative. My work isn't theoretical. It's in the room, with real people, building real change.
The Possibilitizer
This one's not in the dictionary. It should be. I believe the questions we ask shape the futures we create — and I've spent my career proving it. From global Appreciative Inquiry summits to the Earthshot OD movement, I'm in the business of finding what's possible and refusing to settle for less. Sometimes that work happens in a boardroom. Sometimes it ends up in a journal article, a blog, or even a kids book.
Endowed Chair
Robert P. Stiller Chair of Management, Champlain College
Center Director
Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry
20+ Years
Global consulting, facilitation & keynote speaking
Things I am Proud Of
Recognition & Honors
Edward Phelps Lyman Professorship
Champlain College
Highest faculty honor, awarded annually to one full-time faculty member
Dean's Citation for Excellence in Teaching
Morehead State University
Highest teaching award in the College of Business
Distinguished Alumni Award
Ohio Wesleyan University
Highest alumni honor
Outstanding Article of the Year
Organization Development Review
Our Earthshot Moment: Net Positive OD for the Creation of a World of Full Spectrum Flourishing, co-authored with David Cooperrider
#1 New Release in Women's Studies
Amazon
Ditch the Ditty: Doing What Matters Instead of Doing It All
Validated Instrument
Appreciative Intelligence® Scale
Co-created with my colleagues, the Appreciative Intelligence® Scale (AIS) is the only validated psychometric instrument of its kind — measuring an individual's ability to reframe challenges and envision what's possible. It's free to take and backed by peer-reviewed research.
Take the AIS — It's FreeCitation: Whitaker, B., Thatchenkery, T., & Godwin, L. (2020). The Development and Validation of the Appreciative Intelligence® Scale. Human Performance, 33(2–3), 191–213.
Let's work together.
Whether you're looking for a keynote speaker, a consulting partner, or a thought leader for your next initiative — I'd love to connect.
Get in Touch