Pro Tip: 6 (Actually) Engaging Icebreakers & Energizers
Featured Program: Effective Communication Strategies with HUE Conversations
People Making A Difference: Lincoln Bacal
The Search is On: Little Canada, MN is Seeking Their Next City Administrator
Pro Bono Facilitation Opportunities
Mission Update: YouLEAD 2025
A Message From Our CEO, Dr. Irina Fursman
As we celebrate International Women’s Month, I want to take a moment to honor the incredible contributions of women within our organization and beyond. This month is more than just recognizing achievements—it’s about creating spaces where every woman’s voice is heard, ideas are valued, and opportunities to lead are abundant. True empowerment comes from acknowledgment and ensuring that every individual—regardless of gender—feels encouraged to contribute and thrive. That’s why this month, we’re focusing on a crucial element of leadership and collaboration: Improving Group Participation.
When we cultivate environments where everyone feels empowered to engage, we unlock innovation, strengthen teams, and drive meaningful change. But participation doesn’t just happen—it requires intentionality. It’s about actively listening, fostering trust, and creating opportunities for diverse voices to be heard and valued. So, how can we make this a reality? By learning new approaches, embracing inclusivity, and committing to open dialogue, we transform passive involvement into active engagement. This month we offer strategies and resources to help you do just that—whether in the workplace, in partnerships, or in the training room. Thank you for being a part of the HUE community. Let’s continue to build spaces where every voice matters, participation thrives, and collaboration leads to lasting impact.
Upcoming Courses
Effective Communication Strategies with the HUE Conversation Method
Learn to engage, connect, and think in new ways. Transform teamwork with the HUE™ Conversation Method. Harness diverse thinking styles to bridge ideas, empower teams, and achieve more together.
Tools for the implementation phase of plans. Keep teams committed and engaged, bring new people in mid-stream (without starting over), course-correct as needed, and close it all out.
March 18-19: Minneapolis, MN(Only a few spots left!)
Discover powerful tools to uncover insights, analyze data, and align teams for action. Build contextual awareness, track trends, and create a shared vision for meaningful impact. A great follow-up course to ToP Strategic Planning.
A space to sharpen your facilitation skills and connect with a supportive community—whether you're a seasoned facilitator or just getting started. Join us every fourth Wednesday of the month from 2:00–3:00 p.m. CT on Zoom to present a case you would like advice on, exchange ideas, and expand your network. On April 23, we will have a guest speaker who will share tools to navigate challenging conversations.
Launching April 16: Grow Your Facilitation Practice in Community
Looking to deepen your facilitation skills in a supportive, hands-on environment? MToP is a year-long journey designed to help you build confidence and mastery with ToP® methods, alongside a cohort of peers.
• In-Person Learning Intensives – Gather quarterly for immersive three-day sessions to practice facilitation, consensus-building, and guiding meaningful change.
• Hands-On Practice – Apply what you learn between sessions, develop your facilitation style, and gain real-world experience.
• Supportive Mentorship – Learn alongside experienced facilitators and a community that will encourage and challenge you.
ToP Facilitation Methods is a prerequisite. Our March 45-25 TFM is held prior to the MToP launch. If this sounds like the right next step for you, we’d love to have you join us. Register to secure one of the last spots!
We've all faced meetings or sessions with low energy and hesitant participation. The right icebreaker or energizer can transform this and create a safe environment for engagement. "Ugh...I hate ice breakers!" We get it - this writer might disintegrate if she has to play Two Truths & A Lie again. Fortunately, HueLife specializes in transforming group dynamics, so our team has compiled six of our favorite go-to icebreakers and energizers. We'll also explain why they work and how to use them effectively. Whatever you're leading, these activities will help you spark connection, boost energy, and actively engage participants. Let's dive in!
Effective Communication Strategies with HUE Conversations
Go beyond just asking questions—master the art of truly engaging, connecting, and thinking in new ways. This dynamic one-day interactive course equips you with the skills to adapt your communication approach using five key thinking styles: data-based, emotive, visionary, critical, and action-oriented thinking.
Grounded in brain science, this course emphasizes deep listening, empathy, and perspective-taking to help you understand others' needs and emotions. Through a structured communication framework, you’ll gain practical tools to foster inclusivity, encourage meaningful participation, and confidently guide conversations from inquiry to informed action.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we are thrilled to feature Lincoln Bacal. Lincoln is a brilliant young woman and quite the powerhouse. She is a nonprofit co-founder, community organizer, and facilitator. As Director of People & Partnerships at Bridgemakers—a youth-led nonprofit she helped launch—she’s facilitated millions of dollars of investment into young entrepreneurs and their businesses, innovative education practices, and emergency COVID aid for Minnesota students. Drawing on expertise in organizational leadership, youth development, and policy advocacy, Lincoln specializes in working with diverse perspectives to design transformative and community-centered solutions. Outside of work, she serves on the boards of several Minnesota nonprofits, co-leads a cross-sector youth-services collaborative, and facilitates a community of practice on political diversity.
Following our recent engagement with City of Little Canada to facilitate their 2030 strategic plan, we were honored to be invited to also facilitate the search for their next City Administrator. They reasoned that our intimate knowledge of the City and its 2030 plans made our team a great fit for the project. If you have interest in the job listed here, please get in touch with Richard Fursman. More details can be found on our website.
Join our mission to inspire action for the greater good through pro bono facilitation. If you're service-minded and eager to make an impact, express your interest by completing the form below. Collaborate with like-minded partners and drive positive change. Pro Bono facilitation through HueLife is also an excellent chance for those pursuing their Certified Top Facilitator (CTF) Certification to work with our ToP-certified mentors. We are currently seeking facilitators to do pro bono action planning for the Institute of Cultural Affairs Youth Conference in Zimbabwe, as well as strategic planning for the nonprofit organizations participating in a HUE Strategy course through the Milwaukee Nonprofit Management Fundthis summer/early fall.
YouLEAD stands for Youth Leadership Engagement and Development Program. It is a month-long leadership program for Ukrainian youth in the United States, now in its 13th year! YouLEAD 2025 will provide 15 Ukrainian teens with the opportunity to participate in development activities and continue the tradition of sharing views and culture and learning from one another as they grow as individuals and leaders. Ukrainian participants will engage in intensive learning and create partnerships with Minnesota youth and community organizations, local governments and schools, and the Minnesota Ukrainian community. Click on the link below to be directed to Global Synergy Group's website and learn how to get involved and support this life-changing program.
Have questions or suggestions for our HUE News? Either respond to this email or contact Flower Krutina, Director of Community Engagement atflower.krutina@hue.life
HueLife, 5775 Wayzata Blvd, Suite 700, St. Louis Park, Minnesota 55416
