Catalytic Thinking Training

With Hildy Gottlieb from Creating the Future

Change how you listen for, question and imagine the future

Catalytic Thinking is a powerful yet simple method to be radically inclusive, focus on people, embrace collective enoughness and find new possibilities to create transformative change. It was shaped by lessons from social change efforts and informed by neuroscience, focused on how to create connection and unlock collective creativity. You can read more about the background of Catalytic Thinking in Hildy’s Stanford Social Innovation Review article Creating a Better World Means Asking Better Questions.

ABOUT THE TRAINING:

Catalytic Thinking is useful for all of us who want to get better at imagining new futures, especially changemakers, strategists and facilitators who work with communities and groups on complex systemic challenges. It's for those who love learning and want to deepen their understanding of how to use questioning to discover more possibilities and unlock new movement and momentum in their life and work.

In this one-day training you will:

Learn about the deep foundations of the catalytic thinking method in social change history and neuroscience

Explore and consider how to apply the practice of radical inclusion
Get to practice and apply Catalytic Listening, to create a foundation of strengths, values and outcomes to orient a discussion
Understand and practice the Catalytic Thinking questions – applying them to work or life
Learn about the process of facilitating catalytic thinking and consider the conditions for using it in your context
Connect with and learn from a group of experienced social change leaders and facilitators.

WHO'S INVOLVED:

Lead Trainer: Hildy Gottlieb is a futurist, a social scientist, TedX Speaker and an asker of powerful questions. She is the co-founder of Creating the Future (USA) and the creator of the Catalytic Thinking method. Hildy is a TEDx speaker, and contributor to Nonprofit Quarterly and the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR). She is the host of the Making Change podcast, where she interviews leaders from around the world about the factors that create powerful, positive change.

Co-facilitator: May Miller-Dawkins from Prism (NZ/Aotearoa) is a researcher, advocate, facilitator and advisor supporting social change leaders and organisations around the world to be more reflective, collaborative and adaptive so that they can contribute to sustained and transformational change. May is the co-host of Hildy’s NZ trip, in November 2025.

Sydney Hosts: Kate Clugston and Tom Dawkins are partners, co-parents and co-founders of the Black Rock City Farmers Market and The Next Dinner. They also like to organise events and experiences for changemakers. Tom is a serial social entrepreneur and co-founder of StartSomeGood, LendForGood and Vibewire. Kate is an advocate, writer, futures muser and creator of experiences; she has a postgrad in creative intelligence and works with advocacy training organisation Australian Progress.

PRICING:

We are offering pay-what-you-can pricing for this training to maximise equitable access. We hope that you or your organisation will contribute at the nominated levels below to enable us to support Hildy’s trip to Australia and diverse participation.

Suggested contributions:

Organisations with budgets/revenue over $1m pa, Government, Private Sector: suggested $750-900 AUD

Community or voluntary organisations or small not-for-profits, solo operators: suggested $300 AUD

40+ places available

Details:

When: Wednesday 12th November

Arrive at 9am for a 9:30am start, we'll finish by 4:30pm.

Catered lunch is included in your ticket price.

Venue: Impact Story Lab Level 2, 101 William Street Darlinghurst (about 15min walk from Kings Cross or Town Hall Station)

We look forward to seeing you there!

Kate, Tom and May