4 day training retreat.

Renewed sense of purpose.

Practical tools for collaboration.

Art of Hosting: Wasan Island

Context
In 2023, the Centre for Social Innovation sought to strengthen the leadership capacity of changemakers working across nonprofit and private sectors. Recognizing the need for approaches that foster collaboration, dialogue, and systems thinking, they convened a four-day Art of Hosting training on Wasan Island in Ontario’s Muskoka Lakes. The retreat was designed as an immersive experience where leaders could reconnect with purpose while building practical skills in participatory leadership and collective problem-solving.

Our Role
Colab invited Rehana Tejpar and Moyo Rainos Mutamba to co-design and co-facilitate the training, working alongside Sophia Horwitz and Greg Woolner. We created a learning environment rooted in relational practice, deep listening, and embodied leadership. Participants engaged with a range of frameworks and methods—including World Café, Circle Practice, and ProAction Café—while experiencing firsthand the power of intentional dialogue and co-creation. The retreat combined structured learning with reflective and experiential practices that allowed participants to integrate new approaches into their leadership.

Outcome
The training deepened participants’ capacity to lead collaboratively, hold space for complex conversations, and cultivate cultures of participation within their organizations and communities. Many left with practical tools, a renewed sense of purpose, and stronger networks of peers committed to working differently. As one of many Art of Hosting trainings Colab’s founders have hosted or supported across Canada, the US, and Europe, this gathering reinforced a foundation of practice that continues to shape how we help groups navigate complexity through collective wisdom and creative collaboration.