Playful, research-backed interactive workshops for teams and organizations

 De-risk big decisions, deepen relationships, and turn buy-in into action.

We help coalitions, governments, nonprofits, networks, and mission-driven businesses facing uncertain times grow more aligned, adaptable and connected.

How? Custom decision games, playful stakeholder convenings, productive retreats, interactive focus groups, and empowering workshops clients can reuse again and again - plus gamified team systems that turn everyday work into more flow, feedback, and fun.

 We design custom, reusable experiences specifically for your context and needs.

Then we facilitate or train your team to run them.

1. Decision & Strategy Games

Custom-designed role-playing and scenario simulations that let teams practice hard decisions safely, pressure-test governance models, and leave with clear preferences, shared language, and usable decision artifacts.

2. Cross-Stakeholder Trust Convenings

Small, curated cross-stakeholder gatherings that build trust, shared vision, and ongoing collaboration, especially across groups that do not usually agree, using Appreciative Inquiry, Convergent Facilitation, and "Critical Yeast" style cohorts.

3. Interactive Focus Groups & Listening Journeys

Playful, psychologically safe listening sessions that feel like social gatherings, as opposed to dry presentations or online surveys, surfacing rich and clear assets, needs, and trim tabs for high-leverage action.

4. Gamified Workshops, Trainings & Teambuilding

High-retention workshops that teach decision models, communication tools, or new processes through playful mechanics and social teambuilding. These sessions boost engagement, satisfaction, and psychological safety, and the learning sticks stronger than slide decks, demos, or online courses.

5. Conferences & Summits

Custom-designed, interactive, human-centric conferences and summits where in the space of a day participants learn and practice new tools together, turning their learning into concrete actions, shared accountability, and a living community of practice.

6. System & Process Gamification Design

We help you weave human-focused gamification into the fabric of your organizational systems: meetings, onboarding, member engagement, feedback loops, even reporting. Our methods boost participation, flow, follow-through, and shared accountability.

Designed for long-term use

Every engagement includes design documentation, assets and reports so your organization can keep running these experiences.

We can also:

• Facilitate high-stakes sessions.

• Train internal facilitators.

• Co-design follow-up convenings and campaigns.
  
  
  

• Climate Crossroads – Monterey Bay Climate Adaptation Action Network (MBCAAN)

Role-playing decision game that tested governance models in character, connected network members, and led to an equitable vote on which models fit which decisions, in a playful, immersive atmosphere.

• Convergence Zone Summit – 11th Hour, Santa Cruz

Sold out half day summit where Santa Cruz creatives, org leaders, and young professionals sampled Convergence methods, practiced them together, and left with concrete actions, shared accountability, and a budding community of practice.

• River Rebuild – San Lorenzo River, Santa Cruz

Immersive art + river themed social games and dialogues that doubled as an interactive focus group, gathering community stories and steelhead insights to co-design five innovative, citizen led river projects

• Ocean Protection Convenings – Save Our Shores, Visit Santa Cruz County & partners (proposal)

A series of cross-stakeholder convenings and simulations to build a “Blue Wall 2.0” coalition against offshore drilling, with clear levers and roadmaps for each stakeholder.

• “Future of Blue” – California Regenerative Economy Initiative (in development)

Listening journeys and convenings across agriculture, fisheries, tourism, science, and government to co-create regenerative pathways for the Monterey Bay and beyond.

• Friendly Friction – Santa Cruz Local Initiative (in development)

A social, low stakes critical thinking game where people practice the phrases, questions, and subtle social moves of critical thinking together, so they can hold cognitive dissonance, be confidently self critical, and thoughtfully disagree while staying connected and resilient to conflict.

Ready to explore a custom game, convening, process, or workshop?