These Leaders Didn’t Settle for Surface-Level. Here’s What They Created Instead

Last week, I had the privilege of supporting a bold vision in action.

Facilitating collaborative gathering in Mass. Also pictured, event leader, Jenn Valenzuela

A coalition of children, youth and family service providers across Massachusetts came together with a shared goal: to reimagine how they collaborate in support of the young people and families they serve.

They didn’t just want updates. They didn’t want another info-heavy presentation. They wanted a space that would spark connection, clarity and real momentum.

One leader for the event, Kate Haranis reflects, “We knew we weren’t going to get anything innovative without a supportive, psychologically safe space for the conversation—and honestly, that’s when I knew we needed someone like Ariana to guide us through the day.”

Creating the Conditions for Engagement

That clarity made my role clear too. I was invited to design and facilitate an experience that could hold all of that intention—and turn it into something alive, participatory and grounded in action.

Many participants had been in a more traditional session earlier that same week. Hours of being talked at. Little room for dialogue. They left feeling depleted. In contrast, this gathering left them energized. Engaged. Reconnected with their purpose and one another.

That shift didn’t come from more content. It came from how the space was held.

Designing with Intention - Not Perfection 

The process I use—discover, design and do—helps teams like this move from idea to experience with care and intention. 

In this case, we had less than three weeks from kickoff to showtime. The design phase was fast, collaborative and at times unpolished. I shared ideas midstream, still honing the arc, flow and activities of the day as we critiqued the agenda together. They stayed open and invested. 

The result was a retreat that made space for new conversations, collective insight and a shared path forward.

The Real Power Was in the Room

But here’s the truth: the power of this gathering came from the people in the room. They showed up ready to listen, to speak honestly and to imagine something better together.

They left with a clear short-term priority, a list of long-term possibilities and—maybe most important—a renewed sense of connection across agencies and roles. 

The informal outcome was new connections for collaborating across agencies to fulfill the needs of children and families. Giving service providers a sense of relief that they don’t have to do all the things, they can rely on each other to provide the full spectrum of support needed.

A Different Kind of Gathering Is Possible

What these leaders made possible wasn’t accidental. It was earned through vision, trust and the willingness to do things differently.

And that difference matters.

If you’re tired of events and retreats that feel performative or surface-level, and you’re ready to create a space where real shifts happen that lead to positive change—let’s talk.

The way we design the space shapes what’s possible inside it.