I am a systemic change agent and a process artist. Since March 2009, when I began leading a local weekly “Discussion Salon,” I have been convening and hosting both in-person and virtual conversations on a regular basis, in service to initiatives for change.
I specialize in making virtual events come alive, either as stand-alone engagements or in conjunction with in-person gatherings. I have extensive experience adapting large group conversational processes such as World Cafe, Open Space Technology and Appreciative Inquiry to the virtual realm, as well as integrating in-person and virtual formats within a single conversation, gathering or engagement. I use these processes to support collaboration, build communities of practice and purpose, and to host large scale conversations in service to the work being done across multiple dimensions of global systemic transformation.
Through the Thriving Resilient Communities Collaboratory, which I have co-stewarded since 2013, I support a network of (mostly US-based) organizations and their leaders doing work on community-scale and (bio)regionally coordinated whole systems transformation. We see this as a key leverage point for addressing global challenges around economic, social, and environmental systems, issues of justice and equity, and the enormous need for the regeneration of our communities and the biosphere.
I also convene the twice-annual Now What?! gathering: an s a twice-yearly global gathering of people and resources for collectively navigating the complexity of our times in order to co-create learning and support Life. It takes the form of interconnected sets of small group “deep dive” conversations taking place in person and virtually, along with a “pop-up gift economy” to support weaving and other work in service to systemic transformation.
More info here: http://bit.ly/aboutbenr