Excelsior University

How can participation influence and transform the systems it is intended to serve? In this presentation, Lisa examined how democratic engagement can be strengthened through intentional participation design, including thoughtful decisions about who is included, how dialogue is structured, how spaces are configured, and how community input is translated into action. Participants were invited to consider how organizations, communities, and institutions can create conditions that foster authentic dialogue, shared understanding, and durable change rather than simply collecting input.

How can participation influence and transform the systems it is intended to serve? In this presentation, Lisa examined how democratic engagement can be strengthened through intentional participation design, including thoughtful decisions about who is included, how dialogue is structured, how spaces are configured, and how community input is translated into action. Participants were invited to consider how organizations, communities, and institutions can create conditions that foster authentic dialogue, shared understanding, and durable change rather than simply collecting input.

Portland, Maine

In this onsite session we began with considering the conversations that needed to happen - with whom and how - to get an entire project team to consider alternative design approaches, deconstruction, and circularity. While touring the two-story headquarters of Woodard & Curran, we discussed the considerations, barriers, and benefits of designing circularity into a workplace, from furniture and technology to construction, while meeting environmental goals within real-world constraints.

Invited presentation to graduate students of the Residential Housing & Land Development course taught by Professor Rob Leonard. Discussed resistance to change and the importance of intentional community outreach to generate support and buy-in for proposed projects. Leaning into her experience and research in community engagement,

Lisa emphasized early invitation, listening, language, and feedback loops to bring residents along through a proposed project cycle to completion.

Miami, Florida

Invited presentation to the board and senior leaders of a financial institution to share research on the future of work and Generation Alpha. Focused on how anticipated changes require leaders to think differently about how work is done, who does it, and its anticipated impact on the broader connectivity of humans, community, and social networks.

What if you understood your employees as well as retailers understand their customers? This webinar explored how organizations can move beyond lagging engagement surveys and metrics to treat employees as informed consumers of work. Drawing on AWA's research, it examined how behavioral data, workplace analytics, and experience insights reveal what traditional measures miss — offering practical frameworks for asking better questions of data and making evidence-led decisions that support productivity, cognitive wellbeing, and long-term performance.

Presentation to school leaders and administrators recognizing that schools built on an industrial-era hierarchy struggle to meet today’s complex challenges. Lisa suggested that leaders lean into “circular leadership” when designing new schools, or considering renovations. Circular leadership requires humility, reciprocal conversation, and the courage to invite participation of all stakeholders before drawing a single line on paper.

Five years after COVID, concern about culture remains a top priority of organizational leaders. But community and culture do not happen on command, or only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Research shows that the most connected organizations do one thing consistently. In this practical, engaging session, Lisa Whited reveals why the real obstacle to engagement isn't hybrid work, but a failure to foster belonging. She’ll share five tips that help build culture and connection across any work model and why being “seen” matters more to employees than free pizza.

In this highly interactive Sustainability Council session, you’ll experience the circular economy in action with a tour of a workplace intentionally designed around circular principles. Through dynamic small-group engagement, you’ll discover how circularity is not just about materials. It’s a way of thinking that can be applied to any industry: manufacturing, professional services, technology, retail, food service, and more. From reimagining resources to reinventing business models, you’ll leave with fresh insights, practical inspiration, and a mindset shift that expands how you define sustainability and success.

The premier HR event in Maine, this event always includes a rich tapestry of HR education and networking. Attendees invariably come away with a strong sense of how to make a difference in the lives of their employees and the business direction of their organizations.

Presentation to Interior Architecture graduate students about the courageous decisions, forward thinking, and extensive conversations required among all stakeholders (client, contractor, design team, vendors, and end-users) to successfully design for circularity and deconstruction by sharing a case study about a 45,000 square foot workplace designed around the circular economy principles.

Photo: John Phelan

The Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Women In Innovation Network (WIN) is the largest employee resource group at the Airport, and their annual luncheon is a much-anticipated gathering of the driven and passionate women making a positive impact at DFW.