Are you ready to shape your future?

Tomorrow holds abundant opportunities for those who are prepared. Success requires new strategies, skills, competencies, and relationships. It also takes courage to think outside the box and embrace new ways of thinking...leading...planning...or doing. Welcome to Optivation, a joint venture of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College! We are the organization you have previously known as the Center for Research and Innovation Custom College.

At Optivation, we offer innovative consulting, training, and resources to help organizations build capacity and participate fully in their futures.

For many years, we've been a trusted partner to businesses, nonprofits, government and community entities who share our commitment to economic vitality. Together, we can help you and your organization manage change, optimize potential and participate fully in the challenges ahead. We are excited to continue to bring you the high quality services you have come to rely on with an organizational realignment designed to help you take control and effectively manage your destiny.

Over the coming months you will see changes on our website (www.optivation.org), new fall course offerings, as well as grand re-opening events that will reflect our new identity. As we say goodbye to our CRI CC identity, we want to thank you for your past loyalty and business. As we say hello to Optivation, we look forward to dynamic collaborations and all the new opportunities we’ll have to work together over the years to come!

How does this change benefit our clients?

“We’re pleased to provide innovative consulting, training and other resources that help organizations build capacity and participate fully in their futures. Clearly, the world is changing.Technology, global competition and uncertainty place greater demands on all organizations to actively reinvent themselves.We want to be a strong role model in this endeavor.That’s why we’re ‘thinking forward’ by launching a new name and brand identity that better describes what we offer.”

- Anthony Schaffhauser, Optivation's Executive Director.

Four (by) Four: 8 facts about Optivation

4 aspects of our new identity and 4 reminders of what you can continue to rely on

What’s new?

Name: Optivation

Website: www.optivation.org – Don’t miss a thing, bookmark it today!

General email address: optivation@bemidjistate.edu – Add us to your address book!

Purpose: Optivation was formed to focus efforts on the consulting, training, education, and entrepreneurial needs of the region—the services you need to shape your future. We help individuals and organizations to innovate, train, and collaborate in ways that keep you dynamic, successful, and in control.

What will stay the same?

Locations: Our north office remains at 3801 Bemidji Avenue N, Suite 4, and our south office remains at Northwest Technical College, 905 Grant Avenue SE, where we are just to your right inside the main entrance.

Telephone numbers: You can reach our north office staff at 218-755-4900 and our south office staff at 218-333-6656.

Staff email addresses: Our individual emails will remain the same. You can click here to go to our staff directory page for additional contact information.

Staff: Our Executive Director, Anthony Schaffhauser; Associate Director, Kerry Ross; Industrial Training Coordinator, Kris Williams; South Office Manager, Richard Lehmann; and North Office Specialists, Emily Lindell and Nickie Stavish, remain ready to assist you with all your needs. That said, we will be working with great new consultants over the months to come who will help us to offer the amazing courses, consulting, and services core to the Optivation mission.

Seize the opportunity to upgrade your skills and qualifications this summer with courses from Optivation!

Introduction to a Writer's Group, Tap into your creative potential and increase your mental flexibility by gaining skill and confidence as a writer.

Home Health Aide, This online course begins daily for CNAs who are looking to add to their Nurse's Aide certification.

Industrial Truck Lift Train-the-Trainer, Learn to drive lift trucks and /or certify operators to drive industrial trucks, course sponsored by the Northern Minnesota Safety Council.