Open Facilitation - Brussels
Facilitating participation and deep democracy in the capital of Europe
Contact: leenschelfhout@openfacilitation.com
I offer facilitation services to help you organise conferences, team buildings, retreats, assemblies, trainings and workshops in English or Dutch.
Intro
My name is Leen Schelfhout (LinkedIn). My personal mission is to design and hold spaces for a deeper democracy, authentic connection and participation. When I work with teams, groups and organisations I create brave spaces where people can connect, share, and co-create using the power of collective intelligence.
Whether through participative conferences, team retreats, interactive and dynamic assemblies, my goal is to design and facilitate experiences and conversations where diverse voices are heard and valued.
My background and skills
I am trained in Deep Democracy, Processwork, and Liberating Structures and have over 20 years of experience in (higher) education, facilitation, and participatory event and workshop design. In higher education I researched and specialized in creating inclusive and interactive spaces where real participation can happen and collective intelligence is used to co-create solutions and rich environments. I am an independent consultant and facilitator since 2020 and bring this work now to organisations and teams.
In 2022, I co-founded Regens Unite, and became the lead facilitator of a series of conferences building bridges between the climate & social justice movement, cities and the regenerative finance sector. We have organized over 20 gatherings across Europe, focusing on human connection and inclusion.
I also co-founded Commons Hub Brussels, a community-driven coworking and event space in the city center. This place is my day-to-day practice ground in setting up governance, internal communication flows, conflict resolution practices, and even new complementary economies.
Very recently I teamed up with two incredible facilitators, Inge Wiame and Catherine Cattaruzza, to create a collective called Weaving Wolves. We focus on long term processes towards more regenerative team dynamics and governance and intuitive, life enforcing leadership.
My Background & Training:
🌀 Master in Dutch & English Literature & Theatre (2002)
🌀 Master in Educational Management and Master in Teaching (2003)
🌀 Certified Deep Democracy facilitator & Processwork (2021-2022)
🌀 Space Alchemy - facilitation of group dynamics (2023)
🌀 Regenerative Leadership facilitator at the Regenerators Academy - yearlong program (2024)
🌀 Art of Hosting training (2025)
🌀 Life Force Leadership training - six month program (2026)
(For more information, please check LinkedIn)
What can I do for you?
I have extensive experience in designing and facilitating conferences/seminars and team retreats, ensuring engaging, participatory, and impactful events, even for large groups.
Whether you are a company, non-profit, institution, or community, I can help you design and facilitate participative events such as:
✅ Team retreats and team building
✅ Conferences & seminars
✅ Interactive assemblies & participatory processes
✅ Open Space technology and unconferences
If you are looking for trainings and process/project facilitation for your team, I can help you with:
✅ Facilitating your teambuilding for purpose alignment, tapping into individual strengths, ecosystem mapping and teamsprints
✅ Deep Democracy workshops and workshops on group dynamics (intro and advanced workshops)
✅ Workshops on commoning, shared governance, collective stewardship
If you are looking for ongoing support, long term processes over several months, I can accompany your team on:
For teams that need more than a single intervention, I offer ongoing accompaniment over several months — working alongside you as governance, processes, and communication habits actually shift. That might mean reshaping how decisions get made, building healthier feedback loops, helping conflict move through the team instead of around it, or embedding new tools so the change outlasts my involvement. Also have a look at our collective Weaving Wolves for long term guidance in internal processes.
Available in English & Dutch.
Who did I work with in the past?
Non profits
- All for Climate (An organisation I founded and led for 4 years. I left 2 years ago, but it is still flourishing and helps activists all over Europe)
- European Climate Foundation
- Teach for Belgium
- Hart Boven Hard
- Friends of the Earth
- GBPN - Global Buildings PerformanceNetwork
- Commons Lab Antwerp
- Lets Vlaanderen
- Curalia
Institutions
- European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), YEYS
- CNO (University of Antwerp)
- KULeuven
- Housing Europe
Eco villages
Regenerative finance communities
Reach out
leenschelfhout@openfacilitation.com
Photos of in person events I facilitated and organised
Communication Leadership Summit April 2026
The Commons Game November 2025 at VUB - University of Brussels
May 1st - Breaking Boundaries
Reclaiming work - full day open space and unconference on the topic of work.
March 2025 - National Assembly of the Commons
Unconference and network event to bring together commonsminded projects.
Genesis Experience January 2025
Host, space holder for the open space/unconference, and facilitator at the 2day Genesis Experience event in Brussels
(website)
Regen Village July 2024
Source and lead facilitator of a 5 day gathering in Brussels, bridging the world of tech, healing and climate activism.
Honour the Earth Festival Amsterdam April 2024
Lead facilitator of the Honor the Earth was a festival for the people, by the people and you are invited to join in building an inclusive and just society with a stable climate, with a strong focus on including indigenous voices.
Regens Unite London August 2023 (and second edition March 2024)
Lead facilitator of the 2 day gathering at the community space “Cody Dock”, London (website).
Bringing together everyone working on regenerative solutions for people, communities, the environment. This includes climate activists but also people from crypto/web3, cooperatives, healing, art, …
Regen Summer Camp August 2023
Griffon summer camp at the eco place “L’Arbre qui pousse”, Ottignies, Belgium.
Family friendly summer camp with opening and closing circle and unconference. 50 people including 14 kids.
Enchanted July 2023
Devon, UK (website).
Lead facilitator of a co-created gathering hosted every year at Selgars Mill Estate to build a community with like minded friends who share our passion and curiosity for all things Regenerative.
Regens Unite Brussels May 2023
2 day gathering at the community space “Citizen Corner”, Brussels (website).
Bringing together everyone working on regenerative solutions for people, communities, the environment. This includes climate activists but also people from crypto/web3, cooperatives, healing, art, …
Regen Blissness Retreat April 2023
5 days retreat at the eco place “Les 4 sources”, Yvoir, Belgium (website).
Regens Unite Berlin September 2022
2 days gathering in the community space Moos, Berlin (website).
Bringing together everyone working on regenerative solutions for people, communities, the environment. This includes climate activists but also people from crypto/web3, cooperatives, healing, art, …
Regens Unite Brussels May 2022
2 day gathering at the community space “Citizen Corner”, Brussels (website).
Bringing together everyone working on regenerative solutions for people, communities, the environment. This includes climate activists but also people from crypto/web3, cooperatives, healing, art, …
Your Europe Your Say! April 2022
Online event (website).
Bringing together 99 teenage students and 44 teachers from 27 EU countries to reflect, engage in workshops and discuss how to tackle disinformation more effectively and how to better educate themselves, their teammates and others.
Fridays for Future December 2021
Gathering of young European leaders, Brussels, December 2021 (website).
Fearless Cities September 2018