Skye Idehen-Osunde's session at the 2025 Facilitation Lab Summit focused on building psychological safety and credibility in facilitation. Through interactive activities and real-world examples, Skye shared strategies to create inclusive, trust-filled spaces where participants feel heard and valued. Her insights on vulnerability, self-awareness, and building trust provided attendees with actionable tools to enhance their facilitation practice and create impactful, safe environments.
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Jake Knapp, co-founder and general partner at Character Capital, and a former Google employee instrumental in developing Gmail and Google Meet. The episode delves into Jake's extensive experience in product development, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs and market differentiation. Jake shares insights from his early coding and game development days, highlighting the value of iterative testing and customer feedback. They discuss the "foundation sprint" and "magic lenses" techniques for refining product ideas and making informed decisions. The episode underscores the necessity of clarity and alignment in successful product development.
Robin Cory shares how Voltage Control helped her enhance her facilitation skills, particularly in the nonprofit sector. Through a transformative certification program, Robin gained confidence and leadership tools to navigate complex group dynamics and drive meaningful collaboration. Her journey, from grassroots community organizing to strategic facilitation for nonprofit leaders, showcases the power of facilitation in creating lasting social impact. Learn how Voltage Control shaped her approach to purposeful, impactful meetings and leadership.
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Caterina Rodriguez (Cat), a facilitator consultant and strategic leader at ADL. Cat shares her journey from anti-bias education to organizational effectiveness, emphasizing the importance of authentic connections in facilitation. She discusses the challenges of adopting a new facilitation style and highlights the transformative power of collaborative group experiences. Kat stresses the need for facilitators to embrace uncertainty and model genuine engagement, advocating for a method-agnostic approach. The episode underscores the value of building trust and fostering inclusive, change-ready cultures within organizations.
At SXSW, Voltage Control explored the intersection of human connection and AI. Through our meetup and workshop, we created spaces for meaningful interactions, tackled loneliness and vulnerability, reimagined meetings, and highlighted the potential of AI as a dynamic team player. Learn how intentional facilitation can drive innovation, transform team dynamics, and foster genuine connections. Explore these insights and more from our SXSW experiences in this blog post.
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Dr. Karyn Edwards, an organizational psychologist and executive coach. Dr. Edwards shares her journey into facilitation and leadership, starting at Carlson Wagonlit Travel. She highlights the influence of her mentor, Julianne Weiss, and discusses overcoming imposter syndrome and challenges in leadership roles. The episode delves into the importance of "power skills" like emotional intelligence and adaptability. Dr. Edwards also talks about her current work, including writing for the Association for Training and Development and exploring organizational culture change programs. The episode underscores the transformative power of coaching.
Emilia Astrom shares her transformative journey from advertising to facilitation, discovering her passion at Hyper Island. With over a decade of experience, she leveraged design thinking and facilitation to guide organizations through the digital transformation. Her career highlights include joining Mural and supporting innovation, as well as completing the Voltage Control facilitation certification program. Emilia now designs workshops for senior leaders and works to create human-centered, collaborative work environments. Discover how facilitation changed her career and empowered her to lead meaningful change.
Discover how Lori Boozer, a former government attorney turned nonprofit leader, transformed her approach to leadership through facilitation. Learn how embracing co-creation and collaboration helped her champion systemic change and foster inclusive, impactful conversations. This journey highlights the power of facilitation in addressing complex social issues like economic mobility and health equity.
In this episode of the Facilitation Lab podcast, host Douglas Ferguson converses with Alyssa Coughlin, Chief of Staff Director for the Data and AI Platform Organization at Autodesk. Alyssa shares her journey into facilitation and leadership, emphasizing the importance of patience, active listening, and storytelling in effective facilitation. She discusses leading through influence rather than positional power, empowering team members, and creating a collaborative environment. Alyssa also highlights techniques for engaging quieter participants and the significance of addressing underlying tensions in group dynamics. The episode concludes with a focus on fostering a culture of collaboration and empowerment.
Explore the top 10 coaching certifications, including the benefits of combining coaching with facilitation skills. Discover how programs like ICF, iPEC, and Voltage Control’s Facilitation Certification can enhance your practice, equip you to lead group dynamics, and help you drive collective breakthroughs. Whether you're just starting or expanding your coaching expertise, these certifications will refine your skills, boost credibility, and prepare you to meet the evolving needs of leaders and teams in today's fast-paced world.
