I help leaders w/ADHD execute ferociously to increase results. I write about the habits, techniques, and science that transforms chaotic overwhelm to calm effective execution. 💪 🔥🚀

I’ve built and sold companies.
Sold millions to countless Fortune 500 brands. 
Led teams to the Inc. 500 — twice.
Hired and managed dozens of people. 

But none of that compares to what I do now.

Because for most of my career, I looked successful on paper… while silently battling chaos behind the scenes.

As a founder with ADHD, 
I lived in cycles of burnout, 
inconsistency, 
and confusion. 

I knew I had potential but I couldn’t access it consistently.
And I couldn’t lead the way I wanted to.

That realization was that my brain wasn’t broken, just wired differently, changed everything.

I went deep: therapy, coaching, performance frameworks, behavioral science.
And rebuilt my life from the inside out.

Now, I run Accountable, a coaching platform and community for visionary founders who want to scale with structure, lead with clarity, and operate at their full capacity.

I help founders break the cycles holding them back:

⛔ Overwhelm, distraction, and emotional reactivity
⛔ Team misalignment, conflict, or delegation struggles
⛔ Constant firefighting and decision fatigue

And instead build:

✅ Calm, confident leadership
✅ Clear systems for execution and delegation
✅ Habits that drive focus, momentum, and scale

If you're a startup founder who knows you're capable of more — but can’t seem to unlock it — I’d love to connect.

Because when you shift your internal operating system, everything else follows.

DM me. 

Let’s talk.

Ian Tenenbaum

ADHD brains don’t follow the rules - they reinvent them.
Creativity doesn’t wait for focus. It bursts out of chaos.

Your mind zigzags, connects impossible dots, and sees ideas others miss.
That’s why ADHD people create work that feels alive, bold, and unforgettable.

Ideas often come in the middle of movement - a walk, a song, a messy desk, or even while you’re procrastinating.
The secret isn’t stopping the chaos - it’s harnessing it.

The trick? Catch the spark immediately.

Keep a notebook. 
Record voice memos. 
Sketch messy ideas.

One small action can turn a flash of inspiration into a masterpiece.

ADHD isn’t a limitation.

It’s a creative engine fueled by curiosity, energy, and unexpected connections.
When you embrace your unique attention patterns, hyperfocus becomes a superpower, turning scattered thoughts into projects that shine.

And don’t forget the magic of iteration:
 
Let messy ideas grow, fail, shift, and evolve.
Creativity with ADHD isn’t linear - it’s explosive, unpredictable, and unforgettable.

👉 How do you turn your ADHD sparks into real, actionable ideas every day?

P.S. If you’ve ever wondered why your business feels harder than it should, the 3-minute ADHD Founder Audit will show you where the breakdown is -and how to fix it. - try it free at app.accountable.live/audit

Ready to finally follow through on your ideas? Join my free 75-minute ADHD Founder Workshop and walk away with a focused 90-day action plan built for your brain.
👉 https://lnkd.in/gKj5THQx

𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 to share awareness. ♻️

𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 me Ian Tenenbaum for similar insights.

Video credit: alexpeter_idoko

I help ADHD founders build their dream business without the constant doubt, overwhelm, analysis and rollercoaster of chaos.

Harvard University

Responsible for leading student cohorts through the Motivation course in the Fall and Groups and Culture course in the Sping (PSYCH E-1508 and PSYCH-1506 / Industrial-Organizational Psychology Department), individual and group discussions and exams, exploring what drives human behavior through exploration of self, others and application of theory to real life.

Graduate Teaching Fellow - Motivation (Fall) / Groups & Culture (Spring)

CultureC Consulting

We partner with organizations to build powerful employee listening programs that drive actionable insights, empowering leaders to make data-informed decisions that transform culture and improve engagement. We specialize in creating tailored strategies that turn employee feedback into a strategic advantage, helping businesses align their culture with their goals for sustainable growth.

•Employee Listening & Insights: We design customized survey programs, craft communication strategies, and provide leadership coaching that fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
•Leadership Development: Leveraging deep employee insights, we work closely with leadership teams to enhance their ability to navigate organizational change, boost engagement, and drive performance.
•Strategic Consulting: From data analysis to hands-on leadership sessions, we offer bespoke solutions that align with your business objectives, delivering measurable improvements in retention, engagement, and culture health.
•Expertise: With over 15 years of experience in the field, I’ve helped companies scale, improve employee sentiment, and navigate complex organizational challenges by turning data into meaningful action.

If you’re passionate about building a workplace where people thrive and results follow, let’s connect, or feel free to reach out here on LinkedIn, email me at craig@culturecraig.com or visit www.culturecraig.com

Founder & Principal Consultant

Culture Amp

Strategic Organizational Advisor: Utilized I/O Psychology principles to guide Culture Amp's top-tier clients in enhancing their organizational culture. Specialized in interpreting complex data from the Culture Amp platform to drive strategic, evidence-based decisions, facilitating effective cultural transformations.

Event Architect & Content Curator: Spearheaded the launch and development of the Culture First Global events. Over four years, I played a pivotal role in designing the attendee experience and curating engaging content, successfully reaching a global audience of over 100,000 individuals.

Brand Ambassador & Public Speaker: Represented Culture Amp as a global ambassador, leveraging public speaking opportunities to expand the network and generate significant business leads. My efforts in engaging with diverse audiences contributed substantially to the brand's market presence.

Community Builder & Innovator: Conceptualized and executed the launch of the Culture First community, leading it to grow beyond 100 global chapters. This community, under my leadership, now autonomously hosts over 300 events per year, positioning it as a cornerstone of Culture Amp’s brand identity and a key differentiator in the market.

Lead People Scientist 

LinkedIn

Program Efficacy Expert: Guided the LinkedIn Referrals team in evaluating and boosting program effectiveness. Developed best practices for engaging clients and ensuring successful program rollouts.

Strategic Coach & Advisor: Offered strategic coaching to clients on program strategies and ROI optimization, including campaign management, leading to marked improvements in program outcomes.

Training Designer & Collaboration Facilitator: Orchestrated targeted admin training and led joint sessions with client leaders, influencing product enhancements to enhance client support.

Lead Product Advisor - Talent Solutions

Achievers

Strategic HR Consulting: Collaborated with HR leaders at notable firms like Save Mart, Smart & Final, and Blue Shield of California, advising on Employee Engagement strategies to drive partner success, reflected in license renewals and program growth.

Key Achievements:

Surpassed revenue targets in 2015 and 2016.
Expanded client portfolio to $6.5M, achieving a 20% growth in two years.
Awarded Achievers President's Club 2015 and CSM Trusted Advisor.
Attained an impressive 86% Net Promoter Score.

Senior Enterprise Client Relationship Manager

Uversity, Inc.

Team Leadership & Strategy: Managed a four-person Client Success team, focusing on onboarding new partners, increasing product adoption, and expanding program offerings. Acted as a player/coach, guiding the team to effectively partner with client decision-makers, aligning our tools with their business objectives.

University Partnerships: Forged partnerships with prominent universities, including UC Berkeley, UCLA, Penn State, Gonzaga, WSU, and ASU.

Director of Client Success

InsideTrack

Client Consulting & Solution Design: Advised prospective and new university clients on retention and enrollment challenges. Developed and implemented solutions leading to sustainable improvements in student retention and experience.

Partnership & Client Satisfaction: Ensured client satisfaction with InsideTrack services, fostering excitement about partnerships and driving business renewals and growth.

Sales Operations Support: Administered Salesforce.com as the primary CRM and reporting tool, aiding Sales Operations.

New Programs Manager

Academy of Art University

Operational Leadership: Managed daily operations under the COO, overseeing the recruitment, training, and continuous development of Admissions Representatives.

Performance Evaluation & Feedback: Utilized quantitative and qualitative measures to assess staff performance, offering personalized feedback.

CRM System Transition: Led the successful shift from PeopleSoft 9.0 to Salesforce.com, enhancing department operations.

Team Coaching: Focused on coaching the team for high-level customer service and individual success.

Manager of Undergraduate Admissions

Operational Improvement: Directly reported to the EVP of Student Retention, enhancing the operational efficiency of the Student Services department through innovative changes.

Training & Development: Trained new hires and conducted off-site and staff trainings on customer service and technology initiatives.

Information Management & Tech Projects: Managed departmental information and led technology projects, including a successful transition from PeopleSoft 8.0 to Oracle 9.0.

Director of Student Operations

Facilitated one-on-one coaching sessions with students focusing on effectiveness, goal setting and time management. Through these sessions, a measurable increase in overall student achievement and retention rates were realized.

Success Coach

United States Air Force

Selected to receive foreign language training at the Defense Language Institute. Responsible for writing top-priority reports that were distributed to government agencies. Provided briefings to government officials. 

Granted Top-Secret SCI Clearence

Communications Specialist / Linguist

🕶 Founder - CultureC Consulting ♟ Culture Strategist 📣 Keynote Speaker (SXSW 2021/22) 📐 Experience and Event Designer👂🏻 Facilitator 🤝 #CultureFirst Community Builder

I passionately believe better workplaces build a better world. This belief has fueled my career — and today, through CultureC Consulting, I partner with organizations to turn employee experience into a strategic superpower - driving measurable gains in engagement, performance and culture.

For the past 15+ years, I’ve helped hundreds of organizations make data-informed, human-centered decisions that spark action and lasting change.

My approach blends real-world consulting experience with a strong foundation in organizational psychology (M.A. in I/O Psychology) and academic involvement as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at Harvard University, supporting courses in Motivation and Groups & Culture.

Before founding CultureC, I spent six years as a Lead People Scientist at Culture Amp, advising organizations around the world on building thriving, high-performing cultures and helping grow the Culture First community.

Today, I partner with executive teams, HR leaders, and people-first organizations to:

- Build and optimize employee listening programs
• Translate engagement data into meaningful action
• Strengthen leadership capability and cultural alignment
• Drive measurable improvements in culture, performance, and retention

If you’re passionate about building a workplace where people thrive and results follow, let’s connect, or feel free to reach out here on LinkedIn, email me at craig@culturecraig.com or visit www.culturecraig.com to learn more.

Craig Forman

Last week reminded me of something simple and powerful: we are not meant to navigate this next era alone.

The Responsibly Human conference and the dinner we hosted the night before were a whirlwind, and after a long stretch that included the holidays and a lot of work, I am finally coming up for air feeling deeply grateful.

Our industry is at a true inflection point. Anyone who has been in this space long enough can feel it. We are heading into a major shift, and 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year. What feels clearer than ever is that #community matters most. Real connection. Learning together. Having people to think with and grow with as everything evolves around us.

Hosting the dinner with Claude Silver, partnering with AJ Thomas to bring the event to life, and creating moments that were meaningful, energizing, and even musical filled my cup. The authenticity in the room was incredible. People left inspired, and I felt it too.

To everyone who joined us, thank you. Building a business requires a lot of heart, and the support, encouragement, and momentum of this community means everything. I am also grateful to Hung Pham for bringing this conference to life and inviting CultureC Consulting in, and to our incredible partners at Elevate Leadership (Julia Markish), HiBob (Jodie Evans and Scott Plonsker, and The Troublemaker Lab. Finally, my partner William Werhane who is the grounding voice that is so important in this work - 🙏 

As we wrap the year, I am excited and optimistic about what is ahead. Connecting in person is how we will move into this next era. Sitting back is not the answer. Progress will come from coming together.

More to come, but for now, a heartfelt thank you. Sharing a few photos from a memorable week.

Best,

Craig

🕶 Founder - CultureC Consulting ♟ Culture Strategist 📣 Keynote Speaker (SXSW 2021/22)🎤 Podcast Host (Culture Conversations) 👂🏻 Facilitator 🤝 Culture First Community Builder

Whoever’s in is in. The work is done, the planning is almost complete, and it always comes down to this moment. There’s something about laying out all the name tags the night before an event that hits me every single time.

We’re on the cusp of another gathering, and I’m reminded how special this whole process is. Having an idea. Getting people to believe in it. Bringing sponsors on board. Putting in the hours of outreach and promotion. And then you get to this quiet little pause where everything is ready, and you can actually feel what’s about to happen.

I’m in awe of the work, the support, and this community that continues to show up. I’m grateful that I get to keep doing this, and I cannot wait to welcome everyone tomorrow night in San Francisco. This dinner is hosted alongside the Responsibly Human Conference with the support of our amazing partners: Elevate Leadership, HiBob, and The Troublemaker Lab.

And if you’re not in the Bay Area, I hope we get to bring an event to your city soon. If you think there’s a good reason to make one happen, let me know.

See you soon, San Francisco!

One more thing, The sponsors are one thing, but the people are another - so much gratitude right now for all of the support from my partner William Werhane and this amazing crew: Claude Silver, AJ Thomas ⚡️, Jodie Evans, Scott Plonsker, Kenneth Matos, Julia Markish, Jessie Jacob - none of this can be done alone and you I'll never be able to put into words how much I appreciate you.

Here I sit, it’s the weekend, and I’m doing something that is genuinely hard to motivate myself to do, while also helping me reflect on, what does motivate me?

It’s the end of the quarter and the end of the year, which means grading final papers. It’s extra work layered on top of a full season of other commitments, and this part of the semester always asks a lot. Focus. Energy. Care. There’s no shortcut if you want to do it well.

And the irony in all of this, is that the course itself is about motivation; in fact, that is the name of the course is (PSYC E-1508, Motivation).

At the start, getting myself to sit down with the papers can feel like a lift. But once I’m in it, something shifts. Reading how students think about motivation, how they engage with the concept, how they wrestle with its application in work and life, I find myself pulled in. Curious. Energized. Motivated and in many ways, becoming a student myself. 

That experience is the lesson playing out in real time.

We spend a lot of time in the course exploring what motivation actually is, not as a tactic, but as something deeply human. One of the frameworks we look at is Motivational Interviewing, not because everyone is becoming a therapist, but because it emphasizes meeting people where they are, stepping out of the way, and creating space for insight and agency to emerge.

Sitting with these papers and being able to join our Professor Bobbi Wegner, Psy.D. along with the most amazing teaching team at the Harvard Extension School has reminded me, again, that motivation doesn’t usually come from pressure or obligation. It comes from connection. From meaning. From being engaged in something that stretches you and teaches you at the same time.

Teaching has a funny way of doing that. Even when it’s hard, especially when it’s hard, it gives something back.

As the semester wraps, I’m feeling tired, grateful, and a little amused by the fact that a course on motivation continues to motivate me, right when I need it most.

I hope all of you are ending your year strong. I am curious, what is something that has uniquely motivated you in this past year?

Shout-Out to the team that I get to be a part of: Charlotte Bingaman MArch EdM, V. Paige Hoshall-Hakimian, PhD, PCC, Dr. Larrisa Palmer. PsyD, MA, LMHC, Lubomira (Lubcha) Paclikova, Elizabeth McHugh, Lauren Parker, PsyD, @Grace L, Jenny Lee, Elizabeth Tish Hicks, PhD, Cari Alvarez, Ph.D, and @Jenny Stewart, PsyD.

#Motivation #LeadershipDevelopment #FutureOfWork #Harvard #OrganizationalPsychology

"Authenticity is the Currency of Connection" - Claude Silver

I just wrapped up the highlight promo cut from last week’s webinar, and I have to say, this one really stayed with me. It was an honor to be joined by Claude Silver (VaynerMedia) and Kenneth Matos (HiBob) - two people I respect deeply and have known and worked with for many years.

Our conversation dug into what authenticity at work actually looks like today. Not the buzzword version, but the real, lived version. We explored why being ourselves matters, the cost we pay when we mask, how leaders can show up in ways that create emotional safety, and what it takes for organizations to build systems that support people, not shut them down. We also talked about the tension, the nuance, and the reality that authenticity isn’t about oversharing. It’s about awareness, boundaries, and understanding where your edge is.

There was so much depth in this discussion, and this highlight reel only scratches the surface.

If you’d like to watch the full conversation, you can find it here: https://lnkd.in/gRyfqeYH

Thanks again to my amazing guests and please follow CultureC Consulting to keep up with all upcoming events and webinars.

Hey Bay Area peeps,
What would you say to dinner and a conference?

The Responsibly Human Conference is coming to San Francisco on December 5, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most thoughtful, human-centered events of the year. It brings together leaders who are thinking about the future of work, the role of AI, and what it means to build workplaces that actually support people. I’ll be hosting a panel in the afternoon, AJ Thomas ⚡️ from Good Trouble Ventures will be emceeing, and Claude Silver from VaynerMedia will be giving the keynote. It’s going to be a great day!

And since so many of us will be in town, we decided not to waste a perfect chance to bring people together.

We decided to host a small, invite-only leadership dinner the night before on December 4 in downtown #SanFrancisco. Good food, great people, real conversation, and a little learning at the end of the night with Kenneth Matos of HiBob and Julia Markish from Elevate Leadership. Claude and I will also be doing a live conversation about her new book, and if the moment is right, you might even catch AJ and me performing some music...

If this sounds like your kind of room, I’d love for you to join us.
Register for the conference using the code "CC100" to save 100 dollars and get a guaranteed seat at the dinner.

You can register for the conference here:
https://lnkd.in/g8VHVJ2e

Thanks to our partners for helping make this possible:
HiBob, Elevate Leadership, TroubleMaker Labs

If you register, send me a quick DM so I can make sure you’re on the dinner list.

We hope to see you there and you have any questions, please reach out. 

– Craig

We have a few open seats for a private HR Leaders Dinner in San Francisco this Thursday night; want to join us?

If you’re a Bay Area People and Culture leader, or you’re in town for the Responsibly Human conference, this dinner is designed for you.

We’re creating an evening that blends meaningful content, real connection, and a bit of entertainment. The goal is simple: help you build new relationships, meet other HR leaders facing similar challenges, and walk away energized with fresh ideas.

I’ll be hosting alongside a few people I deeply admire with a ton of wisdom:

• Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia
• AJ Thomas ⚡️ Thomas, Founder and CEO of The Troublemaker Lab 
• Julia Markish, Head of Strategy & Coach at Elevate Leadership
• Kenneth Matos, Director of Insights at HiBob

We’re keeping the room intentionally curated so the conversations can be open, practical, and actually valuable. It’s one of my favorite ways to bring this community together.

If you’d like to be considered for one of the remaining seats, you can submit your information here:
Event + Dinner Interest Form: https://lnkd.in/gMkHxuzk

And if you’re planning to attend Responsibly Human — or want to join us for the day, you can learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/g8VHVJ2e

Feel free to use my code CC200 for a half priced pass.

Would love to have a few more great people in the room. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. 

Hope to see some of you soon!

P.S. - To my NYC friends, there may be another dinner in your part of the world in Q1, let me know if you want to be kept informed.

Before I shut things down to spend time with my family, I want to share one last invitation to join us next week at the Responsibly Human Conference in San Francisco

Not only will I be hosting a conversation on where humanity and technology meet as we move into the future, along with three people bringing expertise and insight: Kat Steinmetz, Joseph Freed and Marcus Sawyerr. But looking forward to being joined but others like Claude Silver, Kenneth Matos, AJ Thomas ⚡️, and Diane Sadowski-Joseph.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this moment we’re in. For all the advancements in AI, nothing replaces being together. Real connection still sits at the center of great work, great leadership, and great culture.

That’s why I’m so excited for this event. The speakers are incredible, the conversations are going to push us, and the room is filled with people who genuinely care about building a better future of work.

If this is something you would find valuable and need an extra push...I can make it a little easier.

You can use my code "CC200" to get 50 percent off your ticket.

Would love to see more of you there and spend the day together in community.
Link is below with all the details.

Wishing all of you a very warm and restful Thanksgiving. Hoping to see many of you next week.

-Craig

I just dug into Anthropic’s new workplace study, and the findings are striking. It is one of the clearest looks we have at how people are actually using AI at work, and what it means for culture.

Here is the headline.

86% of workers say AI saves them time and boosts productivity.

69% say they do not tell their colleagues they are using it.

People love the value. They hide the behavior. That pattern shows up across employee listening work too. When there is a gap between what people do and what they feel safe saying, the issue is not the tool. It is the culture around it.

Here are three insights stood out to me.

1. Quiet AI use is a psychological safety signal.

 Employees are not rejecting AI. They are navigating the social dynamics around it. If people are hiding the thing that helps them perform, leaders need to pay attention.

2. AI collects the data. Humans still make sense of it.

 Anthropic Interviewer can run interviews and cluster themes, but their researchers still interpret the results. Technology can scale listening. Humans create insight.

3. Workers are already reshaping their identities around AI.

 People describe their usage as augmentation, even when the data shows more automation. And many already see themselves in future roles guiding and overseeing AI. That tells us where work is heading.

I recorded a short video breaking these insights down and why they matter for people leaders, HR teams, and anyone thinking about culture and employee listening.

You can find the longer form video on my CultureC YouTube channel.

How are you seeing AI show up in your organization? Are people open about it, or does it still happen quietly in the background?

You can read the full research report here - https://lnkd.in/gSH6q-xZ

Great reminder and thanks for sharing / reminding all of us to stop, use data to contextualize before making your next strategic decisions. Great review for any practitioner 👇

Wondering which people metrics actually matter in 2026? We’ve got you covered 👇

Use the formulas below to capture:
1️⃣ Talent health
2️⃣ Growth & development 
3️⃣ Efficiency & performance

Data is powerful, but what truly matters is how you use it 🔗

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