Center for Research and Innovation rebrands as “Optivation”

BEMIDJI, Minn. (July 2, 2010) — Effective Thursday, July 1, the Bemidji State University / Northwest Technical College Center for Research and Innovation Custom College has rebranded itself as “Optivation” in order to better illustrate its array of services for businesses, government entities and nonprofit and community organizations.

Optivation is derived from the words “optimizing” and “innovation,” often used to describe the organization’s approach and values. Optimizing reflects prudent use of a customer’s resources, including budgets, time, and capital; innovation represents the organization’s commitment to agility, flexibility and creativity in responding to a customer’s unique needs.

“We’re pleased to provide innovative consulting, training and other resources to help organizations build capacity and participate fully in their futures,” Optivation Executive Director Anthony Schaffhauser said. “Clearly, the world is changing. Technology, global competition and uncertainty place greater demands on all organizations to actively reinvent themselves. We’re launching our new name and brand identity to position ourselves as a strong role model in this endeavor.”

Optivation provides a comprehensive suite of products and services designed to support economic vitality in northwest Minnesota. The organization’s services include customized training in classroom, online and hands-on environments; short-term open enrollment courses for personal and professional development; creative design and technical production for websites and interactive learning tools; organizational development facilitation and best practices training; leadership effectiveness training for leaders at all levels of an organization; and collaboration and partnerships to connect a wide variety of organizations and opportunities.

“Many stakeholders took part in defining Optivation’s name and brand,” continued Schaffhauser. “As we discussed the importance of building capacity, our tagline, “Shape Your Future,” became clear. It reflects the active role customers can take in creating a better tomorrow when they have the right training, tools and partnerships.”

For more information on Optivation or to explore its offerings, contact Anthony Schaffhauser at (218) 755-4900.

ON THE WEB
http://www.optivation.org

About Optivation
Optivation is an off-campus venture operated jointly by Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College designed to increase collaboration between the University, the college, and the business and technology sectors of the northwest Minnesota region. Staffed by veteran business and entrepreneurial professionals, Optivation delivers targeted training and education systems to help organizations succeed in a changing world. Through its affiliations with Bemidji State and Northwest Technical College, Optivation is able to tap into an unparalleled network of people and technology across the state of Minnesota.

For more information, visit Optivation at http://www.optivation.org.