About Barbara MacKay

Barbara MacKay, MS has been facilitating since 1981. She discovered ICA and the Technology of Participation (ToP®) approach in Canada in 1994, completing a 3 year ICA Canada Associate Program in 1999. She went on to certify as a ToP Facilitator and Assessor. Barbara founded her facilitation business, North Star Facilitators in 1995. She has designed and led thousands of facilitated meetings, conferences and workshops all over the world. She has spent the last 24 years researching and practicing a variety of tools and approaches. Her core work is based on ToP® methods and this is supplemented with a rich infusion of neuroscience, cross-cultural and Non- Violent Communication methodologies. Barbara offers multiple courses, including virtual training, in facilitation skills. She blogs extensively about facilitation on her website and has published over 45 lengthy articles on facilitation skills. Barbara is also a certified IAF Facilitator and Assessor. She was inducted into the IAF (International Association of Facilitators) Hall of Fame in 2018.

Barbara has a playful sense of humour and has been described as having a calm, wise, authentic presence. Barbara has a strong meditation and yoga practice and in her spare time gardens, makes mosaics, hikes and has global colleagues over to her house via Zoom or in-person when there is no pandemic.

NorthStarFacilitators.com