Facilitator & Learning Consultant
Michael David Lorsch
From theatre stages to executive boardrooms. Helping teams build the kind of learning experiences that actually stick.
About Michael
Michael David Lorsch has had a career with range, from television stages to executive boardrooms.
Michael began his career in the theatre industry, but his passion ran deeper than storytelling. What pulled him in was the insights and impacts possible in collective social learning. Theatre led him to social justice work, where he was mentored by Toronto activists in supporting movements important to the LGBTQ+ community. It was conversations within community centres, school classrooms, and political arenas where Michael honed his facilitation craft and fell in love with the idea of making stages for others.
Most recently, Michael completed his graduate certificate in Mindfulness Based Teaching and Learning from the University of the Fraser Valley. He continues his mission to make work a more fun, empowering, and emotionally regulated place to be. When not supporting Positive Impact, Michael works predominantly as an in-house learning and leadership consultant for lululemon.
Training and Certifications
How Michael Facilitates
Michael’s work is built on curating learning experiences that meet the specific needs of each participant group. His approach draws on relationship systems, human-centred design and strategy, consensus building, and adult learning methodologies, all backed by a commitment to keeping the humans at the centre of every learning experience.
That commitment is what shapes how Michael shows up in a room. The frameworks matter, but they exist in service of the people doing the work, not the other way around. Whether the session is a corporate retreat, a facilitated decision-making process, or a leadership development programme, the goal is the same: create the conditions where a group can think clearly, learn together, and leave with something real.
Frameworks Michael Uses
A few of the frameworks Michael draws on regularly. This isn’t an exhaustive list, just the ones that come up most often in the work.
Relationship Systems
Drawing on Organization & Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC), this approach treats the team itself as the client, alongside the individuals in it. Michael uses systems thinking to surface what’s happening between people, helping groups understand and reshape the dynamics that drive their work together.
- Systems Awareness
- Collective Voice
- Constructive Conflict
- Shared Vision
Human-Centred Design
Every session is designed around the people in it, not against a fixed template. Michael draws on human-centred design principles to understand who’s in the room, what they actually need, and how to structure an experience that meets them where they are. The result is facilitation that feels custom-built, because it is.
- Empathy First
- Iterative Design
- Prototype & Test
- Tailored to Context
Consensus Building
Trained in ICA Canada’s Consensus Workshop Method, Michael guides groups through structured conversations that surface every voice and build genuine agreement. The approach moves past majority votes and false consensus to produce decisions the whole group can actually commit to and carry forward.
- Surface Every Voice
- Structured Dialogue
- Cluster & Synthesize
- Real Commitment
Experience and Reach
Michael brings facilitation, coaching, and learning design experience across a range of sectors, including Fortune 500 retail enterprises, nonprofit and social enterprise organizations, and education. His current in-house work with lululemon adds depth to the kind of large-scale learning experiences he can design and deliver.
To explore working with Michael as part of a Positive Impact engagement, learn more about our facilitation services or our coaching offerings.
In a Nutshell
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Michael’s facilitation approach different?
Michael’s work blends mindfulness-based teaching, relationship systems thinking, and human-centred design. The result is facilitation that pays as much attention to how a group is showing up emotionally as to the content on the agenda. Sessions are custom-built around the specific group rather than dropped in from a template, which is why participants often describe his work as feeling unusually relevant to their actual situation.
What are Michael’s credentials?
Michael is a CTI-trained coach, an ORSC-trained relationship systems coach, and holds a graduate certificate in Mindfulness Based Teaching and Learning from the University of the Fraser Valley. He’s also certified in Brain Based Design and Facilitation from the NeuroLeadership Institute, trained in the Consensus Workshop Method through ICA Canada, and holds a Training Certificate from the Association of Talent Development.
What kinds of organizations does Michael work with?
Michael works across retail (including Fortune 500 enterprises), nonprofits, social enterprises, and education. His current in-house work as a learning and leadership consultant for lululemon adds depth to the kinds of large-scale corporate engagements he can design. The common thread across sectors is leaders who care about the experience of their people as much as they care about the bottom line.
How does mindfulness show up in Michael’s facilitation work?
Mindfulness isn’t a separate module Michael adds on. It’s a quality of attention he brings to how he reads a room, paces a session, and creates space for participants to think clearly. The graduate certificate in Mindfulness Based Teaching and Learning informs how he designs experiences that help people be more present, regulated, and intentional in the work they’re doing together.
How do I book Michael for a facilitation session?
The best place to start is a short conversation about what your team is working on. Get in touch here to share your needs, timelines, and goals, and we’ll follow up to scope a session that fits.
Ready to work with Michael?
Whether you’re looking for facilitated learning, organizational systems work, or a session built around what your team actually needs, Michael brings a grounded, human-centred approach to every engagement.
