Creating Brave Spaces In-Person Program
Offering our first in-person experience in collaboration with MacEwan University's School of Continuing Education!
Join us in Revolutionizing the Workplace
We are thrilled to be in collaboration with MacEwan University's School of Continuing Education
Are you ready to become a brave leader who transforms the way you work? Our program is designed to empower both formal and informal leaders to show up authentically, embrace discomfort, and cultivate psychological safety within their teams.
Here's what you'll gain:
Authentic Leadership:
Learn to lead with authenticity and integrity, inspiring trust and respect in your team.
Comfort in Discomfort:
Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, fostering resilience and adaptability.
Psychological Safety:
Create an environment where team members feel safe to express themselves, take risks, and innovate.
Compassionate Conflict Resolution:
Develop the skills to navigate conflicts with empathy and curiosity, fostering understanding and collaboration.
Here is Why You Should Join Us
Our innovative program offers a blended learning approach designed to equip you with the skills and mindset needed to overcome challenges while fostering intrinsic motivation in yourself and others.
-
Blended Learning Approach: Our program combines the best of online and in-person learning to maximize your capability to meet workplace challenges head-on.
-
Coaching Circles: Experience the power of collaborative learning through coaching circles.
-
Peer-to-Peer Support: Tap into the collective wisdom and expertise of your fellow participants as you explore new ideas, and share experiences.
-
Reciprocal Learning Environment: In coaching circles, you'll have the opportunity to both give and receive coaching, fostering a culture of mutual learning and growth.
Target Audience
Anyone who wants to develop the confidence and ability to be brave in the workplace, have difficult conversations, and manage through conflict. This course has been designed to give you the competencies and the mindset to lead yourself and others with courage. You do not have to possess a formal leadership title to lead others.
Learn More About Our Coaching Circles
The Fishbowl Experience
To support the transfer of learning from the online course to the workplace, each participant will be assigned one of the modules from the online course. You will be required to bring a real-life case scenario that demonstrates how you have applied the concepts from your assigned module to your workplace. You will share your case scenario during one of the coaching circles with the coach, while your fellow participants observe.
After the coaching session, fellow participants will share their insights, feedback and suggestions with the you. The goal is to create a supportive space for reflection, exploration, and learning.
Testimonials
Great course on psychological safety
I have just completed Creating Brave Spaces. It is exceptionally well done. It was a great refresher for me on many fronts and was enlightening in the psychological safety area. The video clips were very good.
Everyone should take this course!
I feel that everyone within my organization should take this course
Grow as a leader
Any opportunity to grow as a leader is time that although may be difficult in the moment will pay off tenfold in time.
Great course on communication
Helped me learn a different leadership style and there was lots of content on communication. I will use a lot of tools from this course.
Highly Recommend!
I would recommend the course because it’s a great way to meet and learn from others outside of your workplace. You also understand that others are going through similar issues.
Increasing my self-awareness
I do not take a lot of time to focus on myself and my own values. I am rather always concerned about other people. The course was a good reminder to focus on myself, as my emotions and values affect the way my conversations go with other people.
Managing Burnout
Within policing "work/life" balance is a "buzz" word that is often talked about but rarely understood by senior executives. I learned the importance of guardrails and strategies to better manage burnout and over exhaustion.
How to be a good leader
I am new to leadership, taking this course provided skills and ideas on how to be a good leader, and to find my leadership style.
Perspective Shifting
There is always value in hearing the perspectives of others in similar roles and professional coaching feedback.
Change the way you lead
This course will change the way you lead for the better, regardless of how you currently lead.
FAQ
-
What makes the "Creating Brave Spaces In-Person Program" different from other courses?
Most leadership training focuses on theory, leaving participants without the tools to effectively apply what they’ve learned in real-world settings. Creating Brave Spaces In-Person Program goes beyond traditional learning by integrating peer coaching circles and fishbowl experiences—structured, hands-on methods that foster direct application of new skills. Participants engage in real-time coaching, observe and provide feedback in a safe environment, and practice the competencies they need to navigate workplace challenges with confidence. This unique approach ensures that learning is not just theoretical but is actively transferred to the workplace, resulting in real behavioral change and stronger leadership impact.
-
What do the modules in the online course focus on?
We encourage you to watch the video above to learn more about the online course. The modules in the online course focus on the following: Self-Awareness | Connecting with Others | Responding to Challenges | Maintaining Brave Spaces.
-
How do the virtually facilitated sessions work, and what technology do I need to participate?
All virtually facilitated workshops will be delivered virtually through Zoom videoconferencing. Therefore, participants will require a microphone and a webcam to fully reap the benefits.
-
Can I still benefit from the program if I miss a virtually facilitated session?
Although attendance in each virtual session is highly recommended, each session will be recorded. Therefore, participants who have a scheduling conflict can catch up by watching the recording before attending the next session.
-
Where will the in-person workshops and peer coaching circles be held?
In-person workshops and peer coaching circles will be facilitated as a highly interactive experience in-person at MacEwan University's City Centre Campus (Edmonton) in room 11-520A
-
What is the expected time commitment for the program, including the online course and virtual sessions?
You can download the full schedule below. The program starts on May 7, 2025 and ends on June 25, 2025. Virtual sessions will occur on the following days: May 7 (1:00pm-3:30pm) and June 25 (1:00pm-3:30pm). In-person workshops and peer coaching circles will occur on the following days: May 21, June 4, June 18, 2025 (9:00am-4:00pm). During the weeks there are no in-person workshops scheduled, participants are expected to complete modules in the online self-paced course.
Meet Your Instructors
Chief Executive Officer Dr. Johanna Pagonis
As the founder and CEO of Sinogap Solutions, Dr. Pagonis brings over 20 years of expertise in researching, evaluating, designing, and implementing organizational processes that enhance communication and collaboration. With a Master’s in Educational Psychology from McGill University and a PhD from the University of Alberta, her research and commitment focuses on improving the way employees engage with one another to achieve organizational goals.
Dr. Pagonis is deeply committed to fostering psychological safety in workplaces, recognizing that mental well-being is a key component of overall health and safety. She is currently writing her second book, which is focused on psychological safety, and is based on the extensive research being conducted by Sinogap Solutions. This research aims to provide practical frameworks for creating "brave spaces" in which employees feel empowered to voice their thoughts and concerns openly, thereby enhancing organizational culture and performance.
Her first book, Choose to Be a Leader Others Would Want to Follow, provides insights on leveraging organizational processes to design and implement meaningful supports that enhance informal learning for leaders and employees. Her forthcoming book will delve deeper into strategies that organizations can adopt to prioritize psychological safety as part of their health and safety excellence.
Sinogap Solutions is committed to helping organizations create workplace cultures of psychological safety, trust, and innovation, ensuring that employees can thrive both mentally and professionally.
Email
Chief Operating Officer Katie Allan, M.Ed
Katie Allan is a dynamic and people-centered leader dedicated to creating spaces where individuals feel heard, valued, and empowered. As Chief Operating Officer at Sinogap Solutions, she blends strategic vision with a deep commitment to leadership development, guiding organizations through research-backed insights, training programs, and coaching sessions that foster real transformation. Katie has expanded Sinogap Solutions’ organizational consulting services, helping organizations operate more effectively through organizational reviews, competency frameworks, culture assessments, change management, strategic planning, and research methodologies such as surveys and focus groups to inform direction and priorities.
With a Master’s in Education from the University of Alberta, Katie’s expertise in mentorship, organizational change, and leadership learning is rooted in both research and lived experience. She brings over a decade of formal leadership experience in higher education, specializing in volunteer and staff management, student mental health, curriculum development, program assessment, stakeholder engagement, and relationship building.
Whether leading high-impact research initiatives, facilitating leadership workshops, or amplifying meaningful conversations through the Tackle Tuesday podcast, Katie is passionate about fostering brave spaces where people can learn, grow, and lead authentically.
Email
Download the Full Program Schedule
Creating Brave Spaces In-Person Program consists of a blended format of asynchronous (slef-paced online course) with synchronous (virtual and in-person) workshops and peer coaching circles.
Download the syllabus.pdf to see the full schedule.
