Stop.
Collaborate
& Listen…
Collaborate
& Listen…
We give your organization the competitive edge, through creativity, collaboration, and effective communication!
How We Can Help
When our techniques and training are woven into the culture of a company, they instill a safe place for creative change-makers to energize, collaborate, and work towards a shared vision.
Our professional development courses, curriculum and coaching give participants a way to discover the importance of teamwork, effective communication skills, creativity and innovation.
Here’s some of what we offer
Founder of The Improv Effect
JESSIE SHTERNSHUS

The Improv Effect was founded in 2007, by Jessie Shternshus.
Her goal was to help businesses reach their full potential by means of interpersonal-communication skills training. Throughout the years, Jessie has become a key player in internal culture transformations for global companies such as Capital One, Coca-Cola, The United Nations, Johnson & Johnson, Mayo Clinic, The PGA Tour, Crayola and many more. Utilizing an array of experiential techniques, some of which she learnt on the job at Disney and Sesame Street, she leads teams and organizations in their endeavors to achieve teamwork, creative problem solving tools, onboarding, presentation skills, and product development ideation sessions.
Jessie also co-authored the books, CTRLShift: 50 Games For 50 ****ing Days Like today and No More Meetings. These books are both filled with interactive exercises that can help you make learning and development more sticky and fun.
The Improv Effect Partners

Rob Schiffmann
Corporate Trainer
Rob is a professional improviser and corporate trainer / host who has worked with such companies as Celgene, Olympus, Cisco, Folgers, Microsoft, Solvay, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett-Packard Bank of America, Pepsi, Dannon and many more.

Sean Ely
Corporate Trainer & Videographer
Sean is a videographer and reporter for RedEye of the Chicago Tribune. He produces ‘Funny Talk’, the Tribune Company’s most successful comedy interview series, as well as working as the writer, producer and editor of ‘RedEye Rundown’.

Lia James
Corporate Trainer
Lia is a facilitator and coach. Lia helps executives improve hiring strategies and skills development training to build more inclusive and productive teams. Through her extensive background in people development and personal branding, Lia helps professionals fine-tune their brands through storytelling and goal aligning to improve leadership quality, communication, and team dynamics.

Anthony Catanese
Corporate Trainer
Anthony has spent the past 5 years as a facilitator and technical product manager designing systems and workshops to help individuals communicate and solve problems.
Get the book
CTRLShift: 50 Games For 50 ****ing Days Like today
What kind of day are you having? Is it a ****ing day? Or is it a ****ing day? What are you going to do about it? Mike Bonifer and Jessie Shternshus, who teach companies around the world how to apply improvisation to business, have created 50 original improv games tailored to the kind of ****ing day you’re having. From the bathroom to the board room, and every stop in between, this fun and engaging book helps you get the craziness under control.


“CTRL Shift is the reset button you need to stay on track.”

“An exceptional and very fun read.”
Looking for a dynamic speaker and author, that can have your audience laughing and learning at the same time?
Upcoming Events
Applying Improv to Agile and Lean Startup models with Jessie Shternshus

Podcast courtesy of hanselminutes.com