Facilitation Lab
Facilitation Lab Pittsburgh
Practice Playground
With Laura Vinchesi and Lisa Palmieri, PhD
In Partnership With Carnegie Mellon HCII, MHCI Program
July 15, 2025
6pm - 8pm EDT
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, this is your safe playground to push boundaries, explore new methods, and level up your facilitation skills!
At Facilitation Lab Pittsburgh, facilitators and collaborative leaders come together to experiment, refine, and grow through real-time practice and role-play – because we believe that learning by doing is the best way to develop our facilitation muscle!
We use a tried and tested role play format called Practice Playground, which is a dynamic, hands-on process to help us sharpen our skills in a low-stakes and interactive way.
This is a rare chance to practice in a truly safe and supportive environment, where we can test new techniques, experiment, take risks, and get valuable, constructive feedback from peers.
We’ll be practicing facilitation methods that maximize engagement within hybrid teams, known to be among the trickier formats for high impact collaboration.
True to form, this event will consist of in-person plus remote participants, and will use both physical and digital whiteboards.
Make the most of your session
Come prepared to role-play and facilitate a new facilitation method or something you’ve been working on. We’ve found attendees who step up benefit the most because they receive tailored feedback, and leave with real growth and confidence.
At Facilitation Lab Pittsburgh, facilitators and collaborative leaders come together to experiment, refine, and grow through real-time practice and role-play – because we believe that learning by doing is the best way to develop our facilitation muscle!
We use a tried and tested role play format called Practice Playground, which is a dynamic, hands-on process to help us sharpen our skills in a low-stakes and interactive way.
This is a rare chance to practice in a truly safe and supportive environment, where we can test new techniques, experiment, take risks, and get valuable, constructive feedback from peers.
We’ll be practicing facilitation methods that maximize engagement within hybrid teams, known to be among the trickier formats for high impact collaboration.
True to form, this event will consist of in-person plus remote participants, and will use both physical and digital whiteboards.
Make the most of your session
Come prepared to role-play and facilitate a new facilitation method or something you’ve been working on. We’ve found attendees who step up benefit the most because they receive tailored feedback, and leave with real growth and confidence.
July 15, 2025
6pm - 8pm EDT
Interested in a private cohort for your team?
Let us know
Spread the word
About Facilitation Lab Pittsburgh
Facilitation Lab Pittsburg is a monthly in-person meetup for changemakers, collaborative leaders, and facilitators across Pittsburg. 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 Lead, Laura cultivates a space for experimentation and collaborative leadership development, with a focus on people-powered organizational change.
Facilitation Lab Pittsburg 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
Laura Vinchesi
As an innovation strategist, design leader, and educator I specialize in modeling co-creative, human-centered behaviors within cross-disciplinary teams. My expertise lies in generating actionable insights to inform strategy and enhance the customer experience, consistently adding value to every interaction. I am passionate about promoting human-centered design, serving as an ambassador to co-workers, partners, and customers. By building awareness and actively involving them in the research journey, I ensure that our solutions are deeply aligned with stakeholder needs and expectations.
Lisa Palmieri, PhD
Lisa is an accomplished executive-level professional with over two decades of experience leading teams and in designing and implementing innovative strategies to drive successful business transformations. She has a proven track record of leading C-level initiatives, turning around organizations and programs, fostering collaboration, and driving strategic change. Lisa is highly skilled in co-creation, design thinking, learning & leadership development, business strategy consulting and organizational effectiveness.
In Partnership With
Carnegie Mellon HCII, MHCI Program
The longest running and most impactful Master of Human-Computer Interaction in the world
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.
