ATTENTION:

Professionals in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion,

HR, and Social Services!

Conversation Starters:

Focused Facilitator

Conversation Starters:

Focused Facilitator

Become a certified facilitator to confidently lead discussions on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Start creating real change.

Space is limited! Apply by April 28, 2022.

Conversation Starters: Focused Facilitator will teach individuals who work in social services, Human Resources and DE&I how to expertly lead conversations in the workplace with confidence. It will also teach individuals how to talk to anyone (even people with whom they disagree) to create lasting change.

We want to help you find your voice.
We want to help you take action.

The ONLY WAY for you to create positive change is by having the right conversations.
The ONLY WAY for you to navigate difficult conversations is by utilizing the skills and tools learned through facilitation.

This is NOT an automated online course. This is a live, interactive training that is engaging and challenging.

Here’s what we cover:

1

First we dive into the fundamentals – Shared Language, and What Facilitation Is and Is
Not. In this session we get into somatic understanding and practice, conversation agreements, harm reduction in facilitation, and facilitator skills and habits of mind.

2

Next we dig into some specifics – What are You Bringing Into the Room, and Biases and Cultural Competency, which includes self assessment, conflict responses and triggers, cognitive biases, trauma informed principles, and cultural competency.

3

And finally we pull it all together with – Empathy, Radical Listening, Facilitation Tools & Techniques. This session covers empathy and psychological safety, calling in versus calling out, crafting a conversation, the anatomy of an apology, conversation management, and disruptors.

Your ticket includes:

All of this is valued at $7,459.
But if you sign up today, it's all yours
for only
$7,459  $799.

Ji’Carla uses what she learned even in her everyday conversations…

“I love laying ground rules whenever I am talking to people and groups of people. Having everyone invest on the front end of what is going to be acceptable and not acceptable during discourse. I think that is incredibly valuable, not only in group settings but also when talking one-on-one. I’ve even used this to settle conflicts between coworkers.”

Do you want to be seen as a LEADER who is taking real action to effect sustainable change?

?

Do you want to be part of your company or community’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work, but you don’t know where to start?

?

Are you scared to start a conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion because you are afraid that you will say the wrong thing?

?

Terrified that if you say the wrong thing you will deeply hurt others, get “canceled”, or even be fired?

Learn how to confidently start a dialogue around important topics like race, identity, privilege and change. Find out what to do when someone misunderstands you or reacts negatively to part of the conversation. Practice how to address the conflict upfront and keep the conversation moving forward. And do all of this without being seen as disruptive, but actually have people open up to you using focused facilitation.

Terry is able to use what he learned in his job working for a United States Congressman…

“Having the additional language and knowing how to organize and structure these conversations in a more effective way has definitely helped since I’ve been in D.C. Working for a United States Congressman, I talk to a lot of people all day. And sometimes those conversations can be very difficult, if it’s about a hard topic or event. The Facilitation course really helped when I’ve had to have hard conversations with people who are already emotionally charged.”

Who teaches Focused Facilitator?

Two Certified Facilitators and Equity Educators

CS - bio photos (1)
Skyra Rideaux Managing Partner & Chief Operations Officer

Skyra Rideaux

Managing Partner & Chief Operations Officer

A Managing Partner and COO of Conversation Starters, Skyra Rideaux is an equity consultant, inclusive economic development expert, and a climate and environmental justice advocate who specializes in hyperlocal community development. She has worked with mid-sized and large municipalities to “localize” redevelopment and revitalization efforts and create research-based reinvestment strategies in historically excluded BIPOC communities.

A former bomb-builder for the US Navy, Skyra also serves as a diversity, equity and inclusion expert for a Fortune 10 global tech company. Skyra  is a first-generation college graduate and holds a Bachelor of Arts in public relations from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

 A featured TEDx speaker, Skyra has given keynote presentations and been featured on international panels to discuss the intersection of equity, policy and economic development for almost a decade.

Skyra is a 2021 International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Gold Rank award recipient, 2019 Girls Scouts of Louisiana ‘Woman of Distinction’ awardee, 2017 TEDx speaker, 2015 Acadiana Top 20 Under 40 honoree, a decorated United States Navy veteran, and a member of the Holy Rosary Redevelopment Board and a member of the IEDC’s Racism in Economic Development committee. A certified facilitator through the National Coalition Building Institute, Skyra specializes in facilitating the following populations groups: military, faith based, Black women, youth STEM, cross racial, and young professionals.

CS - bio photos
Elsa Dimitriadis Managing Partner & Chief Impact Officer

Elsa Dimitriadis

Managing Partner & Chief Impact Officer

A first generation American and Washington, D.C. native, Elsa Dimitriadis is a strategy and communications specialist and queer interdisciplinary artist with two decades of specialized work in art for social change, including work with Shakespeare Behind Bars,Young Audiences, Alternate ROOTS and interventions in juvenile detention centers. A story listener and story teller, she is a certified facilitator, end of life doula, and somatic coach.

Elsa is a Leadership Lafayette Class XXVIII graduate and was one of Acadiana’s 20 under 40 honorees in 2017. She holds a master of arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and is currently the Interim Executive Director for the Acadiana Regional Coalition for Homelessness and Housing, an eight parish (county) region Continuum of Care lead agency.

A former faculty member at Tulane University, Elsa has CESR proficiencies of A2 in Spanish and C2 in Greek. Elsa served as the Public Information Officer for Acadiana Organizations Active in Disaster for four years, managing communication and coordinating responses between nearly a hundred agencies and organizations during unprecedented floods, hurricanes, and COVID-19.

Certified and trained through Dialogue on Race Louisiana, National Coalition Building Institute, Narrative4, Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute, Theatre of the Oppressed, and the Strozzi Institute, Elsa specializes in facilitating groups who have experienced incarceration, disasters, and death and dying.

Work personally with Skyra and Elsa. Apply today.

Start with Conversation.