Mark Henson

chief imagination officer

As the founder of Columbus’ most creative meeting space, Mark could have given himself any title he wished.

He chose Chief Imagination Officer.

As the “CIO” of sparkspace, Mark actively daydreams about how to make Columbus a more fun and creative place to live, work, and do business. Many of the creative ideas, programs, and people involved with sparkspace are the direct result of Mark’s imaginative spin on how to inspire teams to work more creatively and effectively.

After graduating from Oklahoma Christian College, Mark directed marketing and promotions for several radio stations in Oklahoma, Michigan, and Ohio.

Mark spent nearly a decade at Fitch, a leading brand-development and design firm. During that time Mark led highly successful brainstorming workshops for world-class companies such as Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson, and many more.

In 1999, Mark designed and launched sparkspace as a full-time facility dedicated to helping teams “think out of the box” -- literally and figuratively. Since its creation, sparkspace has hosted more than 1000 meetings and has produced dozens of creative workshops for its guests.

Mark is a frequent lecturer at both Ohio University and The Ohio State University. National and regional conferences, including The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), The Ohio Travel Association (OTA), and Meeting Professionals International (OHMPI) have all featured Mark as a guest speaker.

He has also been featured in many local, regional, and national publications, including The New York Times and Inc. Magazine.

Mark has recently been honored by Business First newspaper as a business leader under 40 years old who is having a unique and positive impact on the Columbus business world.

Mark has been married to Eve for more than 15 years. They have two funny kids and a goofy golden retriever. They live in Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus, OH.

e-mail Mark