1. 48 NJM+E | WINTER 2016
PHOTO:GARFIELDHALL
M
ary Ann Romano and Teresa
Kelly, partners in Hamilton-
based Simple Creations,
are the Laverne and Shirley
of corporate team-building. These two
finish each other’s sentences and have
Tasmanian devil-like levels of energy.
“We’ve been told we should have our
own TV show,” says Romano. “But we’re
never scripted. We just do what we do.”
What do they do? “We design cus-
tomized team-building events. These
aren’t cookie-cutter,” says Kelly. It all
began over 12 years ago when Kelly and
Romano met at a preschool playground.
Kelly, a marketing food technologist,
started talking with Romano, a marketing
professional, and within two weeks, the
two formed their LLC. They began offer-
ing in-home cooking classes and quickly
transitioned to corporate events, which
now constitute 98 percent of their busi-
ness. They’ve been a preferred vendor
of Johnson & Johnson for 10 years, and
count other leading pharmaceuticals,
universities, Fortune 500 companies and
nonprofits among their clients. The two
are even crafting an upcoming corporate
retreat for the United Nations.
One of the reasons for their success is
their belief in truly understanding the cli-
ent’s needs. Their team-building events
aren’t one-size-fits-all. “We meet with
them to learn what they need to accom-
plish and understand who is on their
team,” explains Kelly. Afterward, they
design a program to fit the client’s goals,
whether it’s improved communication or
conflict resolution. “We are kind of like
super sleuths, figuring out what’s wrong,”
says Romano.
From cooking events to community-
minded activities, Romano and Kelly
believe in 100-percent participation.
“We love when we show up and there
are grumbles,” says Romano. “Within
five minutes, there is a totally different
energy and everyone’s participating and
having fun.”
After every event, these two pinch
themselves. “We pride ourselves on
bringing people together,” says Romano.
“You have to focus on team enhance-
ment and can’t expect it to just happen.
We provide the skills and tools to encour-
age it.”
Get Connected
SIMPLE CREATIONS
simplecreate.com | 609.443.6550
BUILDING BRIDGES
Mary Ann Romano and Teresa Kelly put the fun
in team-building. B Y N A N C Y D E P A L M A
PEOPLE PROFILE MARY ANN ROMANO & TERESA KELLY
Since they like
playing games,
we photographed
them on the life-size
chessboard at Jersey
City’s Liberty House.