Meet the team
Jose Barco
A Colombian Community Organiser, and Art of Hosting Practitioner. Jose Augusto Barco, is a social entrepreneur based in Bristol, UK and Founder of Community CoLab.
He is passionate about people power, social change and social justice, creating spaces for meaningful participation and collaboration at an organisational and grassroots level.
He understands the complexity of working with diverse groups and communities and his experience includes working with local and national & international organisations as a trainer, group process designer, campaigner and consultant.
Jose is also a founding director of Community Organisers Ltd, a national body supporting the training and development of community organisers in England.
His work is influenced by his creative practices, musical roots and permaculture principles.
Paulette Singer
Paulette is a community organiser, Art of Hosting practitioner with 10+ years of experience, a community development research facilitator and permaculture gardener/trainer.
Her frustrations working across the homeless sector led to a desire to connect locally to her community and ultimately to her becoming a Community Organiser.
Paulette believes most systemic and structural issues can be overcome through the power of truly connected and resilient communities
Co-founder of Our Yard and Field to Fork workers co-operative Paulette has a keen interest in innovative social businesses and their role within communities to support individual and collective power.
Karime Hassan
Karime is a historian, urban planner & economist, Art of Hosting trainer & tech host based in Colombia. As co-founder of Sentido Comun Associados.
She designs and hosts workshops, events, trainings and programs online & offline which inspire better results in organisations and communities in Latin America and beyond.
Karime has more than 10 years experience in international cooperation and with the public sector working on entrepreneurship support & development, public engagement innovation and has a focus on developing conceptual models and tools kits for engagement, collaboration and action.
Jon Dorsett
Jon is a graphic facilitator/ practitioner and trainer in The Art of Hosting based in Leeds. He is an associate of Together for Peace where he is facilitating the Poverty Truth Commission, and being a learning partner with local Gypsy and Traveller organisation Leeds GATE.
Jon works across the country helping groups and organisations to harvest their learning, and making films for organisations to communicate complex information simply and engage audiences creatively.
Jon’s background is in campaigning for various NGOs, and in running programmes that create space for activists to reflect, learn and do inner work. He is continually interested in the dynamic between inner well-being and outer change, and sees a powerful potential in the combination of Art of Hosting and Community Organising practices.
Georgina Wilson
Georgina is passionate about helping others to fulfil their potential and to be empowered to realise their vision of positive change in business, community and their personal development.
Social Entrepreneur, Trainer, Teacher, Coach, Public Speaker, Author, Community Engagement, Marketing and Sales are just a few of the talents she offers around her ethos of empowerment.
She has delivered training with various organisations in London, some of her favourite courses are in Community Development, Starting your own Enterprise and Discovering your Potential.
Her innovation, creativity and ability to think “outside the box” has enabled her to continually work alongside clients to develop strategies for project growth, engagement branding and publicity.
Agustín Jiménez
Agustín is an organisational management consultant with 20+ years of experience in strategy design, leadership, innovation and cultural transformation with the private sector in Colombia, Chile , Ecuador & The US.
His passion for reinventing management practices fit for the XXI century VUCA environment have led him to become a pioneer in the development of organisations with purpose which see themselves a licing system and start ups working through transformation towards a collaborative leadership approach
Agustin has worked with more than 100 organisations from across the private and public sector as well as with international cooperation organisations and has written articles for the London Business School y B Academy.
Zulma Patarroyo
Zulma is a consultant and a facilitator of participatory processes that brings to her projects the best of her training and experience in the areas of creative facilitation, pedagogics and design.
Zulma holds an MSc in Strategic Leadership for Sustainability from the Blekinge Institute of Technology, a MA in Multimedia from London College of Communication, a postgraduate certificate in education from London University and is trained as a creative facilitator and consultant from the Danish social entrepreneurship school kaospilot.
With her additional background in pedagogics and experience as a facilitator, Zulma brings to her teaching & facilitation the best blend of effective communication and extensive knowledge base, mixed with her own unique sense of fun.
Fausto Llopis Peña
Fausto is a Spaniard based in the UK, he is a member of Civic Wise and has been a Community Organiser for Pembroke House Community Centre in London for a number of years, working with the local community to create positive change through grassroots action.
He specialises in designing and hosting conversations that matter to people and organisations.
Throughout his career Fausto has been involved in community work in diverse environments, providing advice, training, personal support, project management and networking with a range of agencies and target groups including the disabled, community residents, homeless, Roma children and subsistence farmers.
His experience also includes graphic and video harvesting of events, developing strategic project plans and evaluating tools to continuously improve actions using a participatory action research approach.
Cait Cross
Cait is a facilitator and trainer based in Bristol with a background in popular education, research and community organising. She’s passionate about building creative, engaged, connected communities that are a force for positive change.
Cait’s worked with a range of civil society groups to develop their change making skills and take action, most recently as manager of the Quaker’s New Economy project.
Cait’s pride and joy is innovative education charity English For Action where she’s worked for the last seven years, supporting migrants and refugees to collectively challenge injustice. Cait has helped to collaboratively develop and run this charity, and has expertise to share around grassroots organisational development, strategy and participatory evaluation processes and meeting facilitation.
She’s trained other practitioners across the country in participatory approaches to training and course delivery and in gender awareness. Cait also supports meetings and trainings with graphic recording.
Outside work, Cait enjoys reading, meditating and driving off in her van to sit by fires.
Jamie Colston
Jamie is a Facilitator, Catalyst and Parent. Professionally he has designed & co-facilitated four youth conferences on climate change and species loss and trained young people to be facilitators at those events.
He has catalysed and facilitated the creation of community farm (CSA) using open space, created a leadership development programme for a school council, facilitated stakeholder events in schools and local councils, supported young people with Autism in work and set up and managed a successful music and arts marketing business.
For the last few years he has been hosting his children and himself through a a big change process using the personal practises learnt in Art of Hosting, Systemic Constellation work, Meditation, Yoga, Dance, Non Violent Communication and Playful Parenting/Hand in Hand Parenting. Jamie is curious about the act of living life in a sustainable, life affirming way which honours ourselves, each other and all life
Liz Stone
Senior research consultant with extensive international experience and excellent skills in research design, planning, delivery, analysis and report writing. Dynamic and versatile with strong critical thinking and problem solving skills and an authentic passion for research and development.
Excellent track record of designing and delivering traditional, innovative and participatory research studies to support evidence-informed decision-making.
Octavio Aguirre
Octavio es un explorador apasionado de técnicas, metodologías y lenguajes que potencien la solidaridad y la colaboración.
Cree enactivar el poder de la empatía como mecanismo para resolver problemas colectivos. Socio de sentido común, es un facilitador experimentado de procesos de intercambio de conocimiento y liderazgo participativo.
Alison Spaul
Alison Spaul Ali is passionate about finding joy in the little things and bringing people together across boundaries to collaborate and build connections.
With a background in youth work, education and community network development, Ali is currently leading work to shift the power in funding though participatory grant making and through facilitating participatory spaces that influence and transform strategic decision making.
Ali is building on her work as a whole, returning to her love of drawing through sketch-noting and visual harvesting to capture interactions, connections, opportunities and more in a beautiful and accessible way for all.
She is also returning to art for my own personal joy and believes that the future we aspire to; exists in the present, in empowered, creative and caring people and communities.
Tatiana Garavito
Tatiana is the co-director of Organising for change. She also writes for Open democracy and the New Internationalist on issues related to racial justice and the peace process in Colombia.
Tatiana Garavito is an organiser and facilitator who uses direct education in her approach. She delivers training to groups in organising and movement building, movement ecology, power and privilege, facilitation skills and strategies as well as training tailored to specific groups’ needs.
Catalina Ramirez
Cata es anfitriona, practicante y aprendiz de art of hosting -el arte del liderazgo participativo – y de otros caminos como la terapia comunitaria, las danzas de paz universal, la biodanza y el arte. Caminos que cree que llevan a relaciones más conscientes, fuertes y sanas entre los seres humanos.
Es docente universitaria, responsable de innovación del equipo docente Laboratorio de Prácticas Innovadoras en Polimedicación y Salud y cofundadora de la consultora en salud https://somosalmanomada.wixsite.com/somosalmanomada.
Ella cree en el poder de las conversaciones significativas, de las imágenes y de la poesía para cambiar nuestra desafiante realidad. Por eso desde hace dos años además de ser facilitadora de procesos colaborativos es también facilitadora gráfica.
Cata ha estado trabajando con ONGs durante los últimos 12 años como consultora en temas de género, salud mental y antropología de la salud.
Es psicoterapeuta experta en procesos grupales. Desde que fue invitada a participar hace 10 años en el Art of Hosting en Ecuador, inició un camino de belleza y forma consciente de ver la vida, la comunidad y el trabajo. Vive entre España y Colombia.
Valentin Sánchez
Valentín es Médico de Familia y Comunitaria, Terapeuta Comunitario y host de la comunidad de práctica de Art of Hosting. Enamorado de la Atención Primaria de Salud donde ha trabajado desde 2006 tanto en España como en diferentes paises de Latinoamérica.
Con más de 10 años de experiencia en la formación de postgrado de personal sanitario en el área de Salud Comunitaria y metodologías participativas en Salud donde ponemos en práctica diferentes modelos, métodos y técnicas para generar entornos de trabajo colaborativo en Salud.
Profesor de las Unidades Docentes de Salud Familiar y Comunitaria de Asturias y Salamanca. Profesor visitante de la Universidad del Quindío en Colombia.
Marjeta Novak
Marjeta Novak, an accomplished collaborative change facilitator and certified Art of Participatory Leadership trainer, is dedicated to social research in the field of cultural transformation. With a career spanning international, national, and local levels, she is the founder of Marjeta Novak s. p., specializing in conflict transformation, intercultural communication, and strategic workshops.
Holding a Master of Science in Communications, Marjeta is certified by the Center for Nonviolent Communication and is an IAF-Certified Professional Facilitator. Actively engaged in numerous memberships, she leads the Slovenian Chapter of the International Association of Facilitators and serves on the supervisory board of Slovene Philanthropy. Her commitment aligns with applying her expertise to social research projects that contribute to cultural transformation.
Linda Joy Mitchell
Linda diseña procesos, elabora y organiza reuniones, capacitaciones y espacios para la transformación personal, colectiva y de todo el sistema.
Basada en Bruselas y el Reino Unido, pero con un alma internacional, Linda es una persona que ama colaborar desde el corazón y conectar personas e ideas. Anfitriona de Art of Hosting, Linda está enfocada en cuidar y mantener el propósito, el espacio y el proceso mediante el cual se construyen conversaciones significativas. www.lindajoymitchell.org.uk
Marina Córdoba
Admirer of the world of conversations as enablers of everything and, especially in these times, conversations that invite us to feel-
think about our impact as humans in the ecosystem.
Social Communicator and Master in Mental Health by profession and for pure pleasure!
I am convinced that the key is to take action with systemic awareness and, in this process, conversation is the key.
Among other beautiful things, I am co-founder of RUNA, a model and methodology for managing change in organizational processes, ontological coach, specialist in interpersonal, team and public speaking communications.
Since 2020 also, co-founder of REGENERARTE, the first school for green jobs in Argentina, I am its academic and pedagogical manager.
I am interested in motorizing any project with a triple impact purpose (social, environmental and economic), as well as the creation of spaces that promote and genuinely take advantage of collective intelligence as a way of living together and solving.
For several years now, I have been venturing into the world of university teaching, another space to open up possibilities for meeting, reflection and action.
Mira Bangel
Mira Bangel (German with Iranian roots, based in Spain), currently works for the Joint Research Centre at the European Commission at the Centre of Organisational Transformation.
She has over 18 years of experience working in global and international communications, community management and capacity development. She is an experienced process host and facilitator and fluent in 6 languages (DE/EN/ES/FR/PT/NL and notions of Mandarin Chinese) and familiar with the thematic focus area. Past clients she has supported include among many others: Sanofi Pasteur, WHO, Robert Koch Institute, Daylight Research Initiative, Laudes Foundation, World Medical Association, The European Federation for Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, UN Women Initiative, European Development Days etc. Mira holds a Master of Science in Environmental Decision Making and a Bachelors in Communication Management.
Ruth Parkinson
Self-employed certified life and business coach and small business owner
15 years’ experience working in the third sector as senior project manager and leader in many contexts including the delivery and management of frontline services, work in national membership organisations and social enterprises spanning operations management, business development, digital development, wellbeing economics and community organising.
Specialist and in-depth knowledge of wellbeing economics and measurement, impact assessment, operations, community organising, participatory leadership and large group processes, change management, personal and professional development;
A creative, energetic project leader with a positive outlook to motivate and inspire others;
Good strategic appreciation and vision; able to build, implement and deliver sophisticated plans; Adaptable and flexible, managing people and projects to maximise learning and involvement;
A safe, reliable pair of hands
Laura Grassi
Laura Grassi, founder of Grassroots Facilitation and Senior Trainer & Process Facilitator at SenseTribe Consulting, is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in facilitating strategic multi-stakeholder initiatives, organizational development, and events. Her skills encompass a broad range of areas including Participatory Leadership, Social Innovation, and Non-violent Communication
Laura’s education includes a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering with a focus on Management from Politecnico di Milano, Italy. She has also acquired certifications in Deep Democracy and Hosting Innovation, highlighting her adeptness in leadership and transformative learning. With a rich background in various roles across the global network of social and environmental entrepreneurs, Laura’s expertise is underpinned by her ability to foster collaboration and innovation in diverse, multicultural environments.
Alejandra Robledo
Facilitadora gráfica y productora de experiencias para el aprendizaje y la colaboración, ha sido consultora para organizaciones internacionales, instituciones, universidades y centros de investigación principalmente en Colombia, y algunos proyectos en Perú, Ecuador, Chile, España.
Apasionada por aportar a las transformaciones que tanto necesitan Colombia y América Latina, está convencida del poder de las narrativas transmedia para lograrlas. En 2012 creó AleroVisual, una marca de facilitación gráfica que lleva ideas de bienestar a diferentes públicos y formatos.
Tiene experiencia en la producción de videos, encuentros y dibujos, que conectan las personas con el propósito de cada historia. Desde 2011 es Multiplicadora de tejeRedes, una metodología para la colaboración y el trabajo en red, con la que ha acompañado y facilitado conversaciones con agentes de cambio, funcionarios, empresarios y actores sociales en diferentes niveles y territorios.
Trabaja para organizaciones como instituto Humboldt, Fescol, PNUD, Foro Nacional Ambiental, Universidad Externado, Uniminuto, entre otros.
Khang Nguyen
Khang Nguyen specializes in research & analysis; sustainable agriculture practices; and has been facilitating workshops and youth leadership programmes in Vietnam since 2012.
She designs and delivers learning journeys for farmers and communities, both online and in-person. In her current projects, she supports organizations in resolving conflicts through mediation and restorative practices. Khang enjoys dancing and playing improv games with kids.
