Course Chairs
Kathleen Bellamano — Ambitus Consulting, Victoria
Lisa Arora — Visual Divorce Mediation, Victoria
About the Course Chairs
Lisa Arora — Ambitus Consulting, Victoria
Lisa Arora first discovered visual communication in 2003. During a discordant board meeting, she watched a facilitator neutralize conflict dynamics simply by mapping the conversation on giant sheets of paper. It rocked her world to see the profound power visuals had to improve communication between clashing parties.
Over the next decade, Lisa studied and practiced with the best minds in visual facilitation. Eventually, she was traveling the globe to visually map high-level business meetings and teaches prestigious organizations how to leverage visuals in their communications and work processes.
Lisa has worked with companies such as Johnson and Johnson, Emirates Foundation, Bell, the Conference Board of Canada, Goldcorp, Helmsley Trust, Amgen, Health Canada, TransCanada and LNG Canada. She’s also worked with countless universities across Canada and the USA, First Nations, and all levels of government including a range of ministries, Offices of the Auditor General and municipalities.
In 2013, Lisa’s world was rocked again when mediation proved unsuccessful during her divorce. It was obvious to her that if the mediator had used visuals, Lisa and her ex would have been empowered to literally see whether they were on the same page during their sessions. She developed a passion for combining visual communication with mediation and returned to school to become a certified family mediator.
Lisa is a speaker, graphic recorder, and an educator who is a pioneer in the field of visual mediation.
Lisa has written 3 visual facilitation practice guides, contributed to 2 visual facilitation anthologies, been featured on CBC Radio, and when the first television show introduced visual facilitation to its format, it was Lisa’s team who was there, markers in hand. Creator of Big Beginnings in Visual Mediation, Lisa is a member of Mediate BC and Family Mediation Canada, contributor to Mediate BC Blog and founder of Visual Divorce Mediation.
As a speaker, graphic recorder and pioneer of visual mediation, Lisa brings a dynamic, engaging combination of professional expertise and personal experience to your audience. From keynotes to mini, half- and full-day workshops, Lisa will create something that will fit your topic and meet your organization’s needs.
Lisa has a natural confidence, humor and style that, combined with her unstoppable passion for visual mediation, makes for a dynamic, engaging and informative presentation every time. Participants walk away with immediately actionable information that they can take back to their own practice.
In her 14 years as a visual communication practitioner, Lisa has:
- Visually facilitated countless executive level business conversations across the globe
- Graphically recorded for hundreds of keynote speakers and conferences
- Delivered 600 workshops and been ranked the highest rated instructor
Kathleen Bellamano — Ambitus Consulting, Victoria
Kathleen Bellamano BSW, RSW, FMC Cert. CFM, has been a dispute resolution practitioner for over 12 years. Most of her work is with families and non-profit organizations and she specializes in high conflict and intercultural situations. She is certified as a Comprehensive Family Mediator by Family Mediation Canada, is on the family and civil rosters of Mediate BC, the Hear the Child and Parenting Coordinator rosters and is a mentor with the Mediate BC Family Mediation Program. Kat received her Certificate in Conflict Analysis and Management and her Certificate in Family Mediation from The Institute of Conflict Analysis and Management with an emphasis on Conflict in Organizations and Group Facilitation Skills. She received her Certificate in Arbitration from the BC Arbitration & Mediation Institute and completed her mediation practicum training with the Provincial Court Registry Court Mediation Practicum Program in Vancouver and Nanaimo. She is also currently studying Social Work at the University of Victoria.
Kat provides group facilitation, mediation, arbitration, training and conflict assessment and intervention for small or large groups with an emphasis on relationship building and cultural awareness. She has extensive experience with government employees, First Nations groups, non-profits, school groups, youth, seniors, families, corporations and volunteer organizations. She specializes in developing community engagement projects, has worked extensively with a number of different dialogue models and tools and has extensive experience in high conflict and cross-cultural situations.
For the past 10 tears, Kat has specialized in designing, implementing and facilitating dialogue processes among many diverse groups, including:
- Interfaith Dialogue & Interfaith Bridging Projects: dialogues among eight different faith groups over three years
- People and Police Project: Victoria City Police and five different ethno-cultural groups
- Group Home Dialogue: families, residents, and staff of a group home for adults with disabilities
- Family Dialogue Project: child protection social workers and families with children in care
- Aboriginal community and neighboring ranchers
Kat is a certified member of Family Mediation Canada and member in good standing of The BC Arbitration and Mediation Institute, the BC Parenting Coordinators Roster Society and the BC Mediator Roster Society on the Civil Mediator Roster, the Family Mediator Roster, and the Family Mediation Mentoring Roster. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Broadmead Area Residents’ Association, Family Mediation Canada and the BC Arbitration and Mediation Institute.