Facilitation Lab
Facilitation Lab Minneapolis
Practice Playground: Open Fishbowl
With Shannon Fitzgerald
In Partnership With Open Book
Bring your real challenges. Leave with new insights, confidence, and skills.
Whether you’re a seasoned facilitator or just getting started, Facilitation Lab is your sandbox for solving real problems with facilitation. This isn’t theory—it’s live, collaborative practice.
Each session follows Practice Playground, a dynamic format where participants take turns facilitating and role-playing through real-world challenges. It’s a low-stakes, high-support space designed to help you grow fast.
Got a workshop you’re designing? A team dynamic you’re navigating? A tricky moment you want to handle better next time? Use the structured activity to explore those challenges, get feedback, and discover what works.
Here’s how to make the most of your session:
The best part? You’ll be learning with others who are passionate about creating better collaboration, just like you.
Whether you’re a seasoned facilitator or just getting started, Facilitation Lab is your sandbox for solving real problems with facilitation. This isn’t theory—it’s live, collaborative practice.
Each session follows Practice Playground, a dynamic format where participants take turns facilitating and role-playing through real-world challenges. It’s a low-stakes, high-support space designed to help you grow fast.
Got a workshop you’re designing? A team dynamic you’re navigating? A tricky moment you want to handle better next time? Use the structured activity to explore those challenges, get feedback, and discover what works.
Here’s how to make the most of your session:
- Come with a real facilitation challenge you’re working through.
- Step into the facilitator role, or play along and offer thoughtful feedback.
- Leave with not just ideas—but actual progress on something that matters.
The best part? You’ll be learning with others who are passionate about creating better collaboration, just like you.
Interested in a private cohort for your team?
Let us know
Featured in the Lab
We’ll be practicing the Open Fishbowl. It helps you to navigate honest, unscripted group conversation. A small inner circle discusses a sometimes heated or in-depth topic while everyone else observes, and an empty chair means anyone can jump in (and someone steps out) at any moment. You'll practice reading the room, knowing when to enter, when to yield, and how to contribute without dominating, all while learning how to use this versatile tool.
About Facilitation Lab Minneapolis
Facilitation Lab Minneapolis is a monthly in-person meetup for changemakers, collaborative leaders, and facilitators across Minneapolis. Our purpose is to foster learning by doing in a psychologically safe environment, building a strong and supportive community of peers across the region.
As Regional Leads, Shannon and Julie cultivates a space for experimentation and collaborative leadership development, with a focus on people-powered organizational change.
Facilitation Lab Minneapolis is a global network of regions, including other virtual meetups organized by continent and in-person meetups organized by cities. See the region list for a full list of all active meetups.
You can also join us in the Facilitation Lab Community Hub to stay connected with the facilitation community and get reminders of all upcoming events.
Agenda
Opener
An attendee will lead us through an engaging opener
Practice & Role Play
Attendees take turns role-playing as facilitators and participants as we practices different methods
Debrief
After some quiet reflection we’ll debrief the role-play and key learnings
Closer
An attendee will lead us through a purposeful closer
Who Should Attend
Experienced & New Facilitators
Who want to level up their facilitation skills and enhance their ability to effectively engage participants
Chiefs of Staff
Who want to align initiatives across departments and ensure strategic projects are implemented successfully
Product & Project Managers
Who want to steer stakeholders to the best outcomes and learn best practices in stakeholder management
Teachers & Trainers
Who want to design the most impactful learning and create engaging learning experiences
Key Takeaways
Gain hands-on experience with a spectrum of facilitation techniques, from classic to cutting-edge.
Receive immediate, constructive feedback in a nurturing environment to refine your facilitation skills.
Explore the depths of your existing facilitation knowledge and boost your confidence through low-stakes practice sessions.
Realize the potential to learn from anyone, appreciating the value of diverse experiences and perspectives.
Featured Facilitators
Shannon Fitzgerald
Shannon Fitzgerald is the founder of CCS Collab, where she helps mission-driven organizations strengthen strategy, operations, and organizational capacity. With more than 15 years of leadership experience at the intersection of the arts, economic development, and community engagement, she specializes in facilitation, strategic planning, organizational alignment, and capacity building.
Shannon serves as Associate Director of Carlson Ventures Enterprise at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and advises underrepresented entrepreneurs through New Majority Capital Foundation's bETA Accelerator Program. Previously, she was Managing Director of Theater Mu, representing the organization in the Twin Cities Theaters of Color Coalition's work to advance equity in arts philanthropy, and Director of Downtown Partnerships at the mpls downtown council, where she led retail revitalization and economic development initiatives. She currently serves as Board Chair of Open Book in Minneapolis
Throughout her career, Shannon has guided organizations through growth and change, managed projects with budgets up to $750,000, and secured funding from local family foundations to the National Endowment for the Arts. She holds an MBA from the Carlson School of Management and a BA in English from California State University, Stanislaus.
Shannon serves as Associate Director of Carlson Ventures Enterprise at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and advises underrepresented entrepreneurs through New Majority Capital Foundation's bETA Accelerator Program. Previously, she was Managing Director of Theater Mu, representing the organization in the Twin Cities Theaters of Color Coalition's work to advance equity in arts philanthropy, and Director of Downtown Partnerships at the mpls downtown council, where she led retail revitalization and economic development initiatives. She currently serves as Board Chair of Open Book in Minneapolis
Throughout her career, Shannon has guided organizations through growth and change, managed projects with budgets up to $750,000, and secured funding from local family foundations to the National Endowment for the Arts. She holds an MBA from the Carlson School of Management and a BA in English from California State University, Stanislaus.
In Partnership With
Open Book
Open Book is a community gathering place dedicated to diverse and dynamic creativity, conversation, and collaboration rooted in the literary and book arts.
What People Are Saying
"The community’s warmth and generosity in tending to me and the issue made me feel cared for and supported. Beyond the suggestions, which were immediately useful, the culture of the community makes leaning into that growth edge easier, and more delightful."
Katrina Mitchell
Senior Technical Advisor, JHPiego
“I just wanted to say thanks for the great session last night. Your feedback and suggestions were fantastic. I left very energized!"
Dan Corbin
Instructor at Pragmatic Institute
Photo Disclaimer
Please note that photographs, video & audio recordings will be taken throughout this event. These will be used by Voltage Control for marketing and publicity in our publications, on our website and in social media, or in any third party publication. Please contact our events manager if you have any concerns or if you wish to be exempted from this activity.
