About Us | macchdistr

We started with a simple observation: Canadians are losing the ability to disagree well. Polarization was seeping into city councils, community associations, and corporate boardrooms alike. Decisions that required nuanced discussion devolved into binary battles.

In 2012, a small team of facilitators, researchers, and former public servants decided to do something about it. We incorporated as a social enterprise with a dual mission—deliver excellent facilitation services while advancing the practice of public dialogue in Canada.

Team members in a strategy meeting — Our founding team mapping the first deliberative process design

What Guides Us

Three principles shape every engagement we undertake:

Structured Neutrality — We hold no stake in outcomes. Our facilitators exist to serve the conversation, not to steer it toward predetermined conclusions.
Inclusive Design — Every voice carries weight. We design processes that surface perspectives often overlooked in traditional consultation formats.
Accountable Outcomes — Participants deserve to see how their input shaped decisions. We build feedback loops that demonstrate real impact.

"Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires citizens who know how to disagree productively."

Our Approach

We draw from multiple disciplines to design dialogue processes. Deliberative democracy research informs our session structures. Restorative justice principles guide our work in polarized contexts. Design thinking shapes how we prototype and iterate on engagement formats.

But frameworks only take you so far. The real work happens in the room—reading body language, sensing when tension needs release, knowing when to push a group deeper and when to let things settle. Our facilitators bring decades of combined experience navigating these moments.

We also believe in building capacity. Many organizations hire facilitators as a crutch, never developing internal skills for ongoing dialogue. We offer training programs specifically designed to reduce future dependence on external support.

The Team

Our facilitators bring diverse backgrounds—urban planning, social work, Indigenous governance, corporate strategy, environmental mediation. This range allows us to match expertise with context.

Senior Facilitators

Seven practitioners with 15+ years experience each. They lead our most complex multi-stakeholder processes and mentor junior team members.

Process Designers

Four specialists who architect engagement programs from scratch. They handle participant recruitment, information design, and outcome synthesis.

Training Faculty

Three educators who deliver our leadership dialogue programs. They adapt curriculum for organizational contexts and provide ongoing coaching.

14

Team Members

186

Combined Years Experience

9

Languages Spoken

Working With Us

Every engagement begins with discovery. We need to understand your context, stakeholders, constraints, and aspirations before recommending an approach. Sometimes a single facilitated session solves the problem. Other times, a six-month deliberative process is warranted.

We are honest about fit. If your situation calls for skills outside our expertise—formal arbitration, therapeutic intervention, crisis communications—we will say so and refer you to trusted partners.

Our Story