About Trillium

Everything is a learning experience

When I was a child, weekends with my dad were always an adventure. A college professor who taught Latin, Greek, philosophy, and comparative religions, he believed that knowledge was everywhere, woven into stories, experiences, and even the smallest moments of everyday life.

Before each adventure, he would lay out the plan, and without fail, my sister and I would ask, “Does it have to be a learning experience?” The answer was always the same: “Yes. Everything is a learning experience.”

This call-and-response became a rhythm in my life, shaping how I see the world. Every challenge, success, and unexpected twist became an opportunity to grow. This perspective didn’t just define me, it became the foundation of my work.

At Trillium Creative Solutions, we believe learning isn’t confined to classrooms or training modules. It happens in every conversation, every project, and every new challenge. Our purpose is simple: Everything is a learning experience.

We partner with purpose-driven organizations to create learning that empowers individuals, strengthens teams, and helps businesses thrive. We believe in meeting people where they are, making learning relevant, engaging, and transformative. And just as my dad taught me, we approach every challenge with curiosity, knowing that growth is always possible.

Because in the end, learning isn’t just something we do, it’s who we are.

 
 
Headshot of Trillium Owner, Tory Graf.
Black paint splash graphic flourish.

The journey so far

Trillium Creative Solutions was founded in October 2012 with the goal of building a company where ideas are valued, creativity is encouraged, and work-life harmony is protected. The business would be dedicated to helping organizations shape and share their stories through impactful learning solutions, navigate change, adopt new ways of working, and build cultures that embrace continuous learning. But before we could bring that vision to life, we had to answer one big question—what would we call it?

 
 

A flower with a philosophy

Trillium isn’t just our name—it’s a flower. A rare woodland bloom native to North America, known for its quiet strength, long life, and sensitivity to its environment. With only around 40 known species across the continent, the Trillium can live for decades, but only under the right conditions. It takes time to establish itself—and when it’s overpicked or disturbed too often, it stops growing. We chose this name because it reflects how people learn: growth requires intention, patience, and the right environment to take hold.

At Trillium Creative Solutions, we apply this philosophy to everything we design. Whether we’re building learning experiences or creating visual tools that support them, we focus on removing the noise and nurturing what matters. Our process is built to give people space to think, absorb, and apply new ideas in ways that feel natural and sustainable. We don’t force outcomes—we create thoughtful, well-supported experiences that help learners build confidence, retain knowledge, and keep growing long after the project ends.

 
White trillium flowers.
Hands high-fiving in celebration.

Let's create together

We are a small, dedicated company of incredibly talented people, from Project Managers and Instructional Designers to Developers and Graphic Designers. We love helping others and being creative with words, images, and learning. 

We love what we do. We value inclusion. We treat our people with the respect they deserve. We give them autonomy over their work lives. They’re excited to do the work and collaborate with you on your projects. 

We’re not perfect. We may make mistakes, and when we do, we own them. We will always be honest, transparent, kind, and patient with you and ourselves. We believe self-reflection, vulnerability, collaboration, and humility are strengths.  

Black paint splash graphic flourish.

Our Creative Core

At Trillium, we work with a dynamic network of experienced learning and change professionals. When you engage with us, we will assemble a team to deliver creative, effective, and human-centered solutions to meet the unique needs of your project.

Tory Graf
Rogue Leader — Tory has an honorary doctorate in building things that make people better at their jobs, making stuff happen, and making it fun!
Michelle Ahn
Ops-Timus Prime — UW graduate, 20+ years ops experience, lifelong West Seattle-ite, part-time Trillium, full-time mom.
Anne Stark
Dr. Enthusiast — Anne has worked in education for 20 years. She enjoys managing projects as well as the outdoors in her home state of Florida.
Erin Hamaoui
Graphic Designer — Erin has a love for layout, color, and creating interesting visual stories in everything she designs.