Waterlution
50 Old Mill Road , Suite 401, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Waterlution is a facilitator of multi-stakeholder dialogue. We use process and content to engage young leaders, organizations, businesses and communities in fostering pattern-breaking and pattern-making change towards inclusive, sustainable ways to manage water.

Waterlution’s purpose is to inspire pattern-making and pattern-breaking change towards a healthy and sustainable relationship with water.

Waterlution is a registered non-profit corporation that works across Canada and internationally, where strong local partnerships exist. We engage diverse individuals, organizations and communities in the exploration of creative management solutions that respect water and the broader ecosystem. Waterlution understands that everyone has a vested interest in water. We work to promote awareness and provide opportunities for collaboration towards long-term, inclusive management solutions.

Our Story began back in 2002 while founders Karen Kun and Tatiana Glad saw an opportunity to blend their facilitation skills within the water world. Waterlution offers experiential learning opportunities and collaboration platforms for young Canadians to develop the inspiration, motivation, contacts, knowledge and understanding needed to affect real change across a variety of sectors, mechanisms and projects. Learn more about our programs here.

For those who want to connect with us, work with us, or learn alongside us, here is a snapshot of what our work entails:

Developing future leaders – we invest significant resources developing young leaders, blending their current assets with new ways of thinking and doing, offering techniques to generate ideas and honing their strategic skills to envision the needs of the future.

Facilitated dialogue – we are skilled facilitators, using multiple methods to engage audiences (and always experimenting with new engagement practices). We believe deeply in the long-term benefits of a variety of people being in gatherings where they can engage on important, complex water related topics. We don’t think talk is cheap, nor do we think talking aimlessly leads to substance. We believe in a good balance of dialogue and action plans (content and process). When people have fun together first, they build trust. They then open up to sharing ideas on important topics. At this stage, focused discussions can be designed and facilitated so the group moves forward with purpose.

Diverse networks – we seek out connection with diverse individual and groups, always searching for a beautiful water connection. We learn on an ongoing basis from local watershed groups, indigenous communities, entrepreneurs across sectors, students, scientists, corporations of all sizes, all levels of government; and local, national and international NGOs. We often find our own excitement builds when we develop relationships with “non-water” folks*. Many of our projects and programs offer a multi-stakeholder design, where we tap into our diverse network.
*Technically, we are all water folks, some people have made that conscious connection and others have not – we engage with both groups as they offer us a great variety of insight and expand our own work and knowledge.

Enabling Creativity – we believe creativity is a key ingredient to enable inspired solutions. We work to inject creativity into all of our programs so that participants feel enabled and inspired in their water work. Our workshops, Hub events, and Innovation Labs all incorporate creativity from the design to delivery stages – whether it is through a unique venue or environment, an artistic piece of music, theatre, dance or new forms of creative expression. Through creative engagement, we invite participants to co-create and design the best ideas and solutions they can think of.

Inspiring (current and still to be discovered) ) Entrepreneurs – we believe there is much potential for entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial approaches within the water sector. By showcasing successful entrepreneurs, experimenting with new projects, and gaining insight from a variety of leaders we are witnessing the immense potential to understand and contribute to a resilient water future. At the Water Innovation Lab 2013, twelve projects were pitched and received feedback from guests and participants. Many of these projects were fresh and had potential to shape the future of the water sector. We continue to create opportunities to inspire and support entrepreneurs on their journey.

Waterlution’s vision is for the next generation of decision-makers – across all sectors and stakeholder groups – to be strong, informed leaders with a passion for and commitment to healthy watersheds.

Our Principles:

We recognize and celebrate the interdependence of water in all of our lives
We are locally oriented and globally aware in exploring our relationship with water
We trust the power of small-scale, community-led initiatives in making a difference in the global sphere
We connect diverse stakeholders, bringing them together as equal players
We balance vision, action and reflection
We invite creative modes of expression into learning experiences
We seek unlikely partnerships that reflect these principles 
Content and Process: What sets Waterlution apart 

Waterlution is founded on the experience that it is only with the combination of content and process – two key drivers of systemic change – that meaningful dialogue and action can occur. One without the other will lead to marginal results.

What do we mean by “content and process”? There exists excellent water science, policy, and knowledge (“content”) across Canada and globally – much of that experience can be lost or not acted upon if not well communicated (“process”). At Waterlution, we utilize a variety of facilitation techniques that enable the effective transfer of knowledge and perspectives between individuals and organizations. Processes used at Waterlution include team dynamics, cross-sector collaboration, the breakdown of complex topics, the encouragement of play and the use of scenario planning, where appropriate.