Forming Minds, Imaginations, and Future Leaders

How do leaders create cultures of learning that cultivate wisdom, creativity, and faithful engagement with the world?

Join Leaders in the Arena for a conversation with Niki Ellis, Academic Dean at Chattanooga Christian School, where she helps shape the educational vision and academic formation of students within one of the region's leading Christian schools. Through her work in Christian education, Niki has focused on helping students and educators move beyond information transfer toward deeper formation—developing learners who think critically, create thoughtfully, and engage the world through a Christ-centered lens. 

Drawing on her experience in academic leadership and her reflections on creativity, imagination, and learning, Niki will explore how leaders cultivate environments where people can flourish. From classrooms and schools to organizations and communities, she believes healthy cultures are built when individuals are equipped not only to consume knowledge but also to contribute, create, and steward their gifts for the benefit of others. 

This conversation invites leaders to consider the formative power of the environments they create. Together, we'll explore how leaders shape culture, develop people, and foster the kind of imagination and wisdom necessary to navigate a rapidly changing world while remaining grounded in enduring truth and purpose. 

Discussion Points

1. Leadership as Formation
2. Creativity, Imagination, and Human Flourishing
3. Cultivating Cultures of Learning
4. Educating for Calling and Kingdom Impact