The first time I experienced top-notch facilitation was around my grandmother’s dinner table.
She’d pose a probing question to the table, and everyone would have to share how they would solve world hunger or reverse climate change. Years later, I can appreciate what she was orchestrating: by tapping into the wisdom of the group and making big questions approachable, she made us feel that we had a stake in making the world a better place. I learned that with the right framing and a bit of structure, group conversations can be profoundly transformative.
As I dove into the non-profit world, the on-the-ground work of “doing good” proved to be complicated. Larger questions lingered: How can we structure our work internally in a way that maximizes our external impact? How do we ensure our organizational culture reflects our shared values of social justice? How can we find creative solutions to external challenges like funding cuts and political pressures? And, most urgently, how can we address the root causes of structural social inequities?
As a facilitator, my goal is to help non-profit organizations, grassroots movements for social justice, and social workers find clarity in questions like these. I combine my love of facilitation with years of experience in the non-profit sector to help strengthen movements for social justice.
Curious about how we can collaborate? Let’s chat and find out!
My approach:
I cultivate perspective shifts and highlight what is newly emerging in the group- this helps us avoid repeating old patterns. I hold space for difficult conversations that take courage to have. I am committed to reducing barriers to equitable participation so that we can better harness group intelligence. We must meet what is difficult with a sense of levity, which is why I strive to bring a creative and lighthearted touch to my work. I tailor my methods to meet the needs of each group. Some include: storytelling, journaling, strategic decision making frameworks, craft-based methods, or peer-learning exchanges. I draw methods and approaches from the following schools of thought:
Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance (AORTA)
Art of Hosting and Harvesting Conversations that Matter
Human Rights-Based Social Work
Generative Facilitation
Theory U
Emergent Strategy
Liberating Structures