Flow Ahead

Robin Neidorf

Strategy, operations, and ROI for communities, foundations, and organizations
 

Over the past 15 years, I've probably led thousands of online meetings, workshops and discussions. But the session I ran last night - the first one since I participated in Virtual Facilitation's 5-week workshop - was 100x better. I was better prepared, used the tools more fluidly and effectively, and achieved a high level of engagement like never before.
The virtual facilitation team were the very definition of "best practice" in pacing the program well, connecting the participants into a learning cohort, and fun.

Matthew Smith

Manager, Research Infrastructure and Operations - Advanced Research Computing at The University of British Columbia
 

The mentorship that we at UBC ARC received from Flow Ahead was pivotal in our journey to work more collaboratively. We used their 1:1 mentoring to co-create our team strategic planning retreat. Their deep experience with Liberating Structures, paired with the effort they put into understanding our goals, enabled us to design an event that both met our business needs and energized the team. We would not have been able to achieve this without them.

Elspeth Timmans

Blended, distance and e-learning architect / instructional designer
 

As an instructional design consultant working in a small business, it can feel like there’s no one in the world who understands what you do or how you look at the world! Luckily for me I was introduced to Fernando back in 2020 and since then he has been a sounding board and partner in design – helping me to see through the fog of detail and overwhelm of trying to communicate complexity with both clients and their students.

Having access to someone who can step back and look at the whole process and design challenge has been invaluable to me. Being able to call on a colleague for brainstorming, testing ideas and helping to visualise how sessions will hang together is something I would recommend to anyone who feels lost or alone in the design world!

Cláudia Mendes Bento

EPE – Information Technology Division
 

I took part in the individual mentorship led by Carolina, and I consider it to have been an extremely enriching experience.

Leaders often focus their attention on the needs of their teams and end up placing their own needs in the background. The mentorship offers a safe and well-structured space to reflect on how we feel about the corporate environment and about our relationships with both leaders and team members, after all, we constantly move between these roles.

Using Liberating Structures to support the process, both in communication and in addressing challenges, proved to be particularly useful and effective. By the end of the cycle, I experienced tangible progress and a strong sense of well-being. I highly recommend this experience to leaders, as taking time to care for ourselves is essential to leading with greater balance, clarity, and purpose.

Jaime Schettini

Consultant, Facilitator, and Coach
 

The facilitation mentorship with Fernando was essential in helping me unlock the design of a complex offsite with a large group. I felt much clearer and more confident applying new structures, especially knowing that they had tested them many times over (really, many times!).

I highly recommend it to anyone facing challenges in designing meetings and wanting to accelerate their growth as a facilitator. It feels as if Fernando and Carol are lending you, for a time, their decades of facilitation experience.

Elayna Alexandra

MBA, ACC - Coach, Strategist + Facilitator
 

Virtual Facilitation was the best hands-on training I have participated in a very long time if not ever. Before this learning, I knew a little bit about zoom but really didn't have a strong grasp of how to make the most of online meetings.

Now I feel I can confidently facilitate even complex events, trainings, workshops or webinars!

Maria Fernanda Arraes

Project Manager and Learning Facilitator
 

The 1:1 mentorship was a very valuable space for professional exchange and an excellent opportunity to reflect on my practice.

During these sessions, I was able to pause and take a closer look at the work I was already doing, refine the agendas of events I was designing, and clarify questions around some of the Liberating Structures methods. This helped me define my strings (sequences) more clearly. It felt like a continuation of the Liberating Structures Immersion I attended in Brasília, deepening my learning and strengthening my practice.

I would recommend this mentorship to any professional who is willing to commit fully to examining their work and refining it with clarity and intention.

Angus Graeme

Former President & CEO at Selkirk College

I had the opportunity to participate in a day long strategic visioning and teambuilding workshop facilitated by Ms. Almeida and Mr. Loureiro. They developed and delivered a very innovative and effective workshop for Faculty and Administration creating a shared vision, strengthening relationships and improving communication.

Susan Radojevic

Founder, KADIMA village | CEO, Stijak Corporation Ltd.
 

We were looking for support with interactive technology for an approach we designed to help leaders see how their thinking is shaping decisions when the climate keeps changing the rules, and Flow Ahead stood out right away.

Working with Fernando was uber easy and genuinely supportive. If I may, his blend of thoughtful insight and practical technology is exactly why I would happily recommend Flow Ahead.

Donald Kerper

Executive Coach, Certified Professional Facilitator

The Virtual Facilitation group offered a great course. It is a "hands-on" course; no books, no manuals, no rules and regulations. Instead, you jump in and see what it can do while being guided by three professionals who do know the intricacies of each tool and platform they share with their students.

Cintia Martins

Founder, a.karta
 

Those who experience the power of networks recognize the gift of being able to draw on shared intelligence. It has been an honour to experience this over the past few years through learning opportunities with Fernando and Carolina, whether in immersions, mentorships, or simply by being close and witnessing the full potential of this encounter come alive.

The guidance, the clear and thoughtful feedback, and, above all, the precise and incisive provocations have always invited me to step beyond the usual paths.
That’s where I want to be. And it’s incredibly powerful to know that I’m not alone there.

Barish Golland

Senior Learning Technology Specialist, Liberating Structures Facilitator

Carolina and Fernando deliver amazing, engaging and interactive workshops that include everyone in moving forward productively in a fun, safe and meaningful way. I am always surprised how versatile, innovative and technologically savvy they are! Definitely recommend.

DJ King

Performance Optimization and Leadership Consulting

For anyone who needs to design and/or facilitate workshops, classes, teambuilding...any virtual event, this course will provide you with the tools, skills and knowledge to do it well. I highly recommend Fernando and his team. They are generous facilitators with a wealth of knowledge.

Juliana Ordonhes

Partner at Lumo Consulting

The Virtual Facilitation Workshop was light, fun and dynamic! I was looking for a course that would help me learn tools and methods, and develop skills in online facilitation, but I got a lot more than that. In addition to techniques and practice, the reflections and group work enabled me to develop myself.

Neil Pretty

Co-Founder and CEO of Aristotle Performance

I didn’t think that meaningful dialogue and collaboration could be accomplished as well in the virtual space. To see the online space in a new way that can be more engaging and more effective when facilitated by a skilled practitioner has completely changed my view of what is possible.

Suzanne Gagnon

Management Consultant

Fernando and Carolina's events are well designed and dynamic. Active participation is supported and encouraged. Reasonable time is allocated for each activity and is respected.

I learn something new every time I participate to any given event and I have lots of fun while connecting with other international Facilitators.

Diane Walters

Waldorf Educational Mentor, Teacher Education, Evaluator for Teaching Into The Future!

Virtual facilitation with Carolina and Fernando goes beyond the commonplace and into the realm of true community development. The tools of facilitation I learned from participating in several of their workshops are tools I have utilized for my consulting practice with great clarity and success. Their approach is top-notch.

Bronwyn Murray

HR Coordinator at Kootenay Boundary Division of Family Practice

Carolina and Fernando have a compendium of tools paired with fun and engaging delivery. The majority of our team has taken their workshop, which has advanced and improved our meetings and events tremendously in this virtual world. Highly recommend!

Viviane Gonçalves Calaça

Marketing Director at The Coca-Cola Company

In an ever changing world unlearn old ways of working to open room for new formats is extremely important. <br>But I also believe that the learning process needs to be fresh, inviting and fun, and that’s why I enjoyed being part of these sessions led by Carolina and Fernando.