Welcome to In Her Words, New York Festivals Lady Liberty’s monthly interview series celebrating women innovators across the industry. As part of the Lady Liberty Leadership Program, the series offers audiences an opportunity to connect with the voices, ideas, and experiences shaping today’s creative landscape through thoughtful conversations, personal reflections, and an evolving monthly focus.

Meet Lenore Moritz, Founder at momentum.

Lenore Moritz is a member of the New York Festivals Lady Liberty Advisory Board and founder of momentum, providing executive and leadership coaching focused on usable strategies to navigate challenges and aspirations. She is a certified professional coach and credentialed by the International Coaching Federation, as well as a certified meditation and mindfulness teacher. Lenore had an extensive career as a communications executive at top global entertainment companies including NBCUniversal, Viacom, United Talent Agency, and Time Inc.. Prior to that, she was an executive at leading communications agency DKC and founded a business that helped new parents stay connected to arts and culture. Lenore has two teenage sons and lives in New York City.

Lady LIberty: What’s something about you that isn’t widely known but really shapes who you are or what drives you.

Lenore Mortiz: I seek out books or interviews with sports coaches because they have an amazing take on how to motivate people and get everyone moving towards the same goal while preserving each person’s unique contribution. They also know how to remind their players to stay in the present moment. This is vital because if an athlete makes a mistake during competition, there’s no time to wallow in that - they have to reset quickly and get their head back in the game immediately. These ideas mirror how we want to operate in business.

Lady Liberty: What does creativity mean to you today, personally and professionally.

Lenore Mortiz: For me, creativity means seeing things differently, which then inspires what I’m doing or making. We tap into creativity all day long, sometimes without realizing it.

When people say they’re not creative I always challenge that — everyone has access to their creativity and most things in life include some creativity. Whether dealing creatively with work challenges or at home deciding what outfit to put together, creativity is part of our daily existence.  

When I worked in-house, one of my favorite things was getting together with colleagues for a brainstorm because you’re building ideas that come from an array of perspectives. Getting creative when solo is a different process for me. If I’m stuck, physical activity or meditation helps me get into flow and become more clear. Even doing something simple like taking a walk on a different route than my usual one can help me literally and figuratively see differently, which opens up fresh possibilities.    

Lady Liberty: How is AI changing the way you approach creativity? And where do you draw the line between it as a tool and your own creative thinking.

Lenore Moritz: t hasn’t changed my creative process because I like to start with myself or some trusted thought partners….humans first because that's where the soul and life experience exists. 

But AI has been helpful to run ideas through after there’s a seed of an idea. For example, if I’ve written something I want feedback on, I might drop it in and prompt AI to look for holes in a thesis or see if my framework could have a better flow.

So I’m embracing it as a tool in creativity, and it can be helpful in prompting questions that might elicit additional ways of thinking about something, but I’m not reliant on it.