Facilitating Change: How to create transformative spaces that inspire, empower & drive real change

Some people stumble into facilitation. Mansi Jasuja designed her way here - literally. From practicing architecture in India to working with the UN and EU on environmental projects, her path has been anything but linear. What unites it all? A deep calling to serve, to listen, and to create spaces where people belong.
Rooted in her Sikh heritage, her yoga practice, and a lifelong love for the planet, Mansi calls herself a warrior of the heart. Over the past 15 years, she’s turned her focus toward facilitation, participatory leadership, and systems change - helping groups move beyond business-as-usual into collaboration, equity, and bold collective action.
In this conversation, Mansi and Mentor explore what facilitation really looks like when it’s rooted in values and purpose - and why it matters for anyone leading change today. You’ll walk away with both inspiration and practical tools you can apply right away. Together, they dive into:
How Mansi’s journey from architecture to environmental work to facilitation shaped the way she designs spaces for learning and collaboration.
Why belonging is the hidden superpower of facilitation - and how to intentionally create it in any group.
The role of values - like social justice, equality, and sewa (service) - in designing meaningful conversations and processes.
The Art of Hosting and Harvesting: what it means to create participatory spaces where everyone’s voice can shape the outcome, and how to capture the wisdom that emerges.
What it looks like to host at the edges and tend to the margins, where unheard and unseen voices rise to lead.
Simple, practical ways facilitators can bring more depth, heart, and play into their work.
Mansi reminds us that facilitation isn’t about standing in front of the room - it’s about holding space with courage, presence, and care.
If you’re curious about how to design conversations that spark real change - and why the edges often hold the most powerful voices - this episode will inspire you to step into your own practice with fresh eyes.
Connect with Mansi Jasuja
LinkedIn: Mansi Jasuja

Episode DescriptionWhat happens when you combine the art of community building, the craft of learning experience design, and the skill of facilitation? That’s where Anamaria Dorgo lives. A learning strategist and community architect, she helps organizations create spaces where people connect, grow, and transform - whether it’s launching L&D Shakers, a global community of 8,000+ learning professionals; building peer-learning networks for distributed teams; or facilitating programs that help first-time leaders build confidence, break silos, and share best practices across cultures.
In this episode, Anamaria and Mentor explore:
Why communities of practice are powerful drivers of connection, innovation, and change.
The difference between a network and a community - and why it matters.
How learning experience design shapes community journeys.
The role of facilitation in creating safe, participatory spaces that invite diverse perspectives.
Common mistakes organizations make when building communities - and how to avoid them.
The future of communities in an AI-powered world, and why “being human” is still our competitive advantage.
Anamaria shares her own journey from psychology and HR into facilitation and community leadership, the lessons she’s learned from building global communities of practice, and practical strategies for making communities both vibrant and sustainable.
If you’ve ever wondered how to create spaces where people feel they belong, contribute, and grow - this conversation will give you clarity, inspiration, and tools you can apply right away.
Connect with AnaMaria Dorgo
LinkedIn: Anamaria Dorgo
Newsletter – The IRrEGULAR LEtTER: Subscribe here
Podcast – Mapping Ties: Listen here

What happens when you sit down for 30 conversations with some of the most thoughtful facilitators on the planet?
You start to see patterns. You start to feel shifts. And you begin to realize: facilitation isn’t a technique - it’s a way of being.
In this milestone episode, Mentor and Cole turn the mics on themselves to reflect on the journey so far. Together, they revisit the moments that cracked something open, the insights that lingered long after the recording stopped, and the deep themes that showed up across every single interview.
You’ll hear stories and lessons about:
Why great facilitators are like tuned instruments - able to read a room, feel what’s needed, and not flinch when things get messy.
How setting the space (physically, emotionally, energetically) is just as important as what happens in the space.
The myth of the "perfect session" and the beauty of designing for seasons, not single events.
Reimagining power - not as something to hold, but as something to share.
The surprising reason so many amazing space holders don’t even call themselves facilitators.
This episode is equal parts celebration and invitation. We’re not just looking back - we’re asking forward.
If you’ve been listening and learning with us, now’s your chance:What questions are still alive for you?What spaces are you trying to transform?And what kind of world could we build if we all learned to hold space a little better?
Mentioned in this episode:
The Soil of Leadership by Britt Yamamoto
Love and Power by Adam Kahane
SessionLab’s State of Facilitation Report
The magic of Jeff Hitler, Greg, Natasha, Vipul, and many more past guests
Coming Soon:A special series on Facilitating Change in Education. Know someone reimagining how we learn? Send them our way.
Keep the conversation going:Connect with us on LinkedIn or at changemakerallies.org

In this conversation, we dive deep with Dr. Elsa Maxwell - intercultural educator, facilitator, and founder of Shift Intercultural - into how we build bridges across cultures in an increasingly polarized world.
Elsa shares her personal story of transformation, beginning with a trip to Honduras as a teen that opened her eyes to the power of language and culture. From that spark, she’s spent decades studying, living, and working across borders, including 16 years immersed in Chilean life.
We explore:
How culture shapes how we see, feel, and interpret the world
What it means to “suspend judgment” and why it’s a core facilitation skill
Activities that cultivate curiosity, perspective-taking, and belonging in a group
The difference between adaptation and assimilation - and why that matters in group dynamics
How to create psychologically safe virtual and in-person spaces across difference
What intercultural facilitation has to offer in the face of global polarization
This is a rich, personal, and practical conversation for anyone holding space for diverse groups-whether in a classroom, a boardroom, or across borders.
Learn more about Dr. Elsa Maxwell and Shift Intercultural:www.shiftintercultural.com

In this powerful conversation, our host Mentor Dida sits down with Dr. Scott Sherman, founder of the Transformative Action Institute, to explore what it really takes to lead meaningful change in today’s world. Scott is the co-founder of the Transformative Action Institute, where he trains the next generation of changemakers to tackle the world’s biggest social and environmental challenges. He has taught at top universities like UCLA, Yale, and Princeton, and coached businesses that have generated over $15 billion in revenue and impacted 600 million lives worldwide.Scott shares his personal journey - from being frustrated by problem-focused education to creating one of the first leadership institutes dedicated to social innovation and transformative action.
We dive into the three core principles of transformative leadership:
Shine a Light on Injustice: Naming the problem is the first step, but not the last.
Practice Social Aikido: Move beyond “us vs. them” to invite power into partnership.
Paint a Better Vision: Instead of only fighting what’s wrong, show what’s possible.
Scott also introduces the "Positive Five Game," a simple yet profound approach to turning life’s stresses into opportunities for personal transformation and resilience. You’ll hear how his students, including one initially skeptical young leader, went on to create life-saving solutions - and how business leaders, nonprofits, and changemakers can apply these lessons today.
Whether you’re a facilitator, social innovator, or business leader, this episode is packed with actionable insights on how to unlock the genius in the room, build resilience, and cultivate hope in a world that too often feels divided.
Key Links:
Transformative Action Institute: Website
Follow Scott Sherman: LinkedIn

In this episode of Facilitating Change, Cole talks with Zach Mercurio about the critical yet often overlooked concept of mattering, which is the fundamental human need to feel significant to the people around us. The conversation explores how we're experiencing not just a loneliness epidemic or disengagement crisis, but a mattering deficit where people feel unseen, unheard, and undervalued in their daily interactions. Zach shares powerful stories from his work with organizations ranging from airlines to electronics companies, demonstrating how small moments of genuine connection can transform entire workplace cultures.
Throughout their discussion, Zach emphasizes the crucial distinction between having a job that matters and experiencing mattering in your job. He explores how leaders can create cultures where people feel noticed, affirmed, and needed through specific, learnable skills rather than relying on programs or initiatives. The conversation shares some practical approaches for showing people their significance, including the powerful practice of "laddering" that NASA used to help every employee, from physicists to janitors, connect their daily work to putting a person on the moon.
Their conversation concludes with actionable ways for anyone seeking to weave more mattering into their work and communities. Zach reminds us that while we can't control how others treat us, we can commit to showing people how they matter in our everyday interactions, and that our next great leadership act is really in our next interaction.
Show notes:
Learn more about Zach's work and access free resources, including a mattering self-assessment: https://www.zachmercurio.com/mattering
Get a copy of "The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture Where Everyone Thrives"
Check out Zach’s course on mattering skills for leaders: https://www.zachmercurio.com/mattering-class-for-leaders/
 

What does it really mean to be a changemaker? In this rich and reflective episode, Olga from Ashoka joins Mentor Dida to explore the full arc of changemaking—from the personal to the planetary. Drawing on 13+ years at Ashoka, Olga shares how her understanding of changemaking evolved—from direct service to systems change, and ultimately, to supporting a world where everyone can step into this role.
Olga has been with Ashoka for over 12 years and has held a variety of roles—from building up Ashoka’s office in the Czech Republic to accompanying social entrepreneurs around the world in refining their systems change strategies. In recent years, she has led Ashoka’s knowledge work, focusing on codifying key insights on how systems change happens. Olga has developed several online courses, case studies, and podcast episodes exploring social entrepreneurship, systems thinking, working with government, and mindset shift as a pathway to change. Today, she serves as the Academic Director of Ashoka’s executive education initiative, the Visionary Program, and is a partner in Ashoka’s Globalizer—its flagship accelerator on systems change. Beyond her global work, Olga also leads efforts to improve the waste management system in her home region.
Together, Olga and Mentor unpack what it takes to create the conditions for changemaking—why exposure matters more than explanation, how inner work is foundational to outer impact, and why authentic change begins with being, not just doing. Olga introduces frameworks like the 5Rs of systems change, shares tools for facilitating mindset shift, and reflects on how building trust across sectors is central to durable impact.
Whether you’re an educator, policymaker, parent, or community leader, this episode offers a grounded, hopeful, and practical look at how we might design spaces that ignite changemaking—starting from the inside out.
Resources Mentioned:
Ashoka Systems Change Masterclass
Mindset Shift Online Course
Working with Government Course
Ashoka Systems Change Podcast
Follow Olga on LinkedIn

What if the key to great facilitation isn’t just what happens in the room- but everything you do before you even walk in? In this episode, we dive in with Natasha Walker, a master facilitator who believes preparation is an act of care. With decades of experience leading complex conversations across sectors, Natasha shares why planning every minute matters-and why letting go of the plan matters just as much.
From stakeholder interviews to handwritten flipcharts, Natasha takes us behind the scenes of how she builds trust, alignment, and clarity - especially in messy, high-stakes environments. If you’re working on culture change, sustainability, citizen engagement, or anything that requires people to show up and shift - this episode is full of wisdom.
You’ll learn:
How deep preparation creates space for real improvisation
What questions help clients clarify fuzzy goals
Why skeptical participants are essential - and how to engage them
How Natasha uses AI, Slido, and Mural as part of her toolkit
What makes transformation last after the workshop ends
Whether you’re a new facilitator or a seasoned one, Natasha’s grounded approach reminds us that thoughtful process design is a quiet but powerful force for change.
Links:
Learn more about Natasha Walker

In this episode of Facilitating Change, Cole talks with Joel Fariss of Holon Institute about navigating the complexity of our current moment and creating spaces for transformative community experiences. The conversation explores the poly opportunity - a play on "polycrisis" - which represents the multiple pathways and possibilities emerging during this time of planetary transformation. Joel shares insights from hosting gatherings in Berlin, New York, Tangier, and Istanbul that bring together diverse practitioners, dreamers, and change-makers.
Throughout their discussion, Joel emphasizes the importance of moving beyond the abundance of ideas to actually embodying new ways of being. He explores the tension between urgency and the slower work of cultural transformation, arguing that our culture's mythology of speed and productivity often undermines our capacity for genuine change. The conversation delves into practical approaches for creating gatherings that help people remember who they are, including mystery meetups, dedicated integration spaces, and intentionally unstructured time for emergence and connection.
Their conversation concludes with reflections on scale, decentralization, and the metaphor of spreading spores - trusting that transformative communities will grow organically without centralized control. 
Show notes:
Learn more about the PolyOpportunity series and join the June 2025 gathering in Istanbul: polyopportunity.com
Explore Holon Institute's work: holoninstitute.org

In this special episode of Facilitating Change, the full Changemaker Allies team - Mentor Dida, Cole Hoover, and Ali Fraenkel - comes together for a heart-to-heart conversation on their evolution as facilitators. This episode is honest, reflective, and rooted in lived experience.
We explore:
When we first realized we were facilitators - and why that term can be hard to claim
What we’ve learned that changed how we hold space
What we’ve had to unlearn (like needing all the answers or sticking too tightly to the plan)
What still challenges us today - from group selection to post-session integration
The embodied nature of facilitation, and how breath, presence, and movement shape the magic
Whether you’re new to facilitation or have years of experience, this episode invites you to reflect on your own journey. Come for the insights - stay for the laughs, stories, and shared learning among three friends doing this work together.