"Lisa is the real deal."

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
Chicago, Illinois, USA

"Thank you for the manner in which you handled the session, providing a predicate which allowed the participants to feel empowered enough to take risks and work through their traditions and anger, and fears and resentments toward working closer together to address common concerns. Your sense of humor and focus are both admirable qualities which, as you applied them, ensured the successful outcome of the forum.

"I look forward to the possibility of working with you again on future endeavors."

Edward W. Morris
Director, Civil Rights Office
Federal Highway Administration
Washington, DC, USA

"Each field has its own language. Lisa works to understand the language of the field while using every day language with a group. This humanizes the work. And Lisa brings her whole humanness to her work, which allows participants to do the same.

"Lisa does not cower from clearly sharing her observations of tensions or conflicts. She names them with respect for each player and offers them on the table for the participants to choose if and how they will address them.

"Lisa is fun, playful, heartfelt, approachable, human, and compassionate. She is also a team player, and her natural ease to freely acknowledge and affirm other team members contributes greatly to the enjoyment and building of the team process."

Francesca Wright
Director of Knowledge Management
Foundation Consortium
Sacramento, California, USA

"Lisa was very skilled at being able to present in a manner that was understandable and positive to senior management. She also did an excellent job of communicating with senior management. She was extremely flexible in terms of the 'front end' work that needed to be done and the budget that was being worked with.

"Lisa is very skilled at getting all parts of the organization involved in the process and soliciting help in a manner that makes the individuals feel very good about their contribution. She is also able to use a great deal of humor and at the same time be very straightforward in dealing with issues and concerns.

"In our particular instance, one of the unplanned outcomes of the Open Space event was the fact that people in the different organizations were allowed an opportunity to not only get to know each other, but actually have the experience of working together on a task -- true teambuilding."

Scott Stillinger
Director, Human Resources Organization Development
Valley Resort Management
Carmel Valley, California, USA

"Thanks so much Lisa! I really enjoyed the process and your insight - you did a great job 'herding cats' with us!"

Michael O. "Coop" Cooper
Business Profits & Strategy Coach
San Francisco, California, USA

"If you've ever worked with Lisa, you probably know she has the ability to be an intent listener and an insightful guide. Her greatest talent is not doing things for people, but showing them how they can do things for themselves.

"Lisa has the ability to interact and communicate in any environment or culture, from an alleyway street outreach program to a corporate boardroom."

Javier Valencia
Manager, Community Relations
KRON TV-4
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, California, USA

"Lisa is one of the most creative, exploring, learning, engaging people you'll meet. She is generous, collaborative, humble, enthusiastic, and incredibly industrious. She is fearless when it comes to trying new strategies and engaging from the non-linear part of her brain. This being said, Lisa is also incredibly linear and focused and detail-oriented. Her group work is excellent. Her standards and values are impeccable. She expects the best and helps to support it."

Ellen Goldstein
Co-Director, Technology and Information Exchange Core
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, USA

"As the Education Department reorganization unfolded, it became clear not only that the department required assistance beyond facilitation, but also that the process was uncovering difficult personnel and related issues. Thus, Lisa seamlessly expanded her role to include tasks such as defining standard business practice, staff coaching and counseling regarding reorganization, and determining the timing of and manner in which to relay important information to appropriate staff. She also trained our educators in interactive methodology and helped us standardize, evaluate and redesign our curriculum to make it more effective.

"As potential barriers to our goal arose throughout the process, Lisa was not distracted, nor did she disregard or undervalue any issue. Rather, she addressed each issue directly with respect to the players and their concerns, all the while keeping the goal in mind."

Brett Penfil
Former Associate Director of Evaluation and Research and Acting Director of Education
for Planned Parenthood Golden Gate
Organization Consultant
Blue Shield of California
San Francisco, California, USA

Q: In your opinion, what was the most useful thing you learned today?
A: To be my self. - Thomas B.
How to make a presentation. How to just deal with it and keep going. - Carter S.
That which felt uncomfortable was ok after all. - Ron M.
Don't be aferad [sic] - Thomas B.

Incarcerated men, California State Prison / San Quentin
Katie Kramer
Associate Director
Centerforce
San Rafael, California, USA

"I think the thing about Lisa is that she can teach people things they are hesitant to learn and communicate things they are perhaps afraid to hear, in a way that makes them feel safe, respected, accomplished and successful."

Ed Decker
Executive Director
New Conservatory
San Francisco, California, USA

"The entire conference was a wonderful experience. I had real reservations when you started talking about Open Space, wondered how it would work, would the groups be intellectually challenging. Some were, some were not, but the liberating factor of being able to get up and move on more than made up for this. Some, where I thought I would bumblebee away were interesting enough that I stayed put. Others finished early and I wandered around until something caught my eye. In others I, with the approval of the group, went over to check with another group to see if we were duplicating each other, we weren't, and then came back and reported to the group. It is truly remarkable how…a…conference could produce so much good information.

"I don't know if it was you or the process but there was almost a Zen quality to it. No pressure, just being in the moment and in the present. Following your gut or your heart instead of a schedule.

"This was my first experience with this. I liked the diversity of the people there. I found most of the people who convened groups were not experts on an issue, but were ones who wanted to know more about the issue. And somehow those with expertise and information found their way there.

"I don't know what you did on Wednesday with the young people, but they were wonderful. It was a wonderful experience in breaking down age related barriers, the generation gap. They were afraid we would be judgmental. Once they relaxed with us it was just a great discussion and a foundation for more discussion."

Joanne Leavitt
President
League of Women Voters
Santa Monica, California, USA

"Thank you for helping me open up a little to others but I had to see first. You made me feel comfortable and at ease."

Danielle M.
Youth participant
YouthBuild USA's
Diversity Working Group
Healing and Dealing workshop
Houston, Texas, USA

"Thank you for your inspiration and your hard endeavour to reach out to people."

Malay Biswas
Directorate of Employment and Training
Taj Residency Ummed
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India