What Bridge Building Group Inc. does

Bridge Building Group Inc. is an Ottawa-based facilitation and engagement consultancy that designs and leads gatherings, trainings, and visual tools to support dialogue, strategy, and team development. Founded around 2020 by Jane Porter and Melissa Hammell, the firm serves Canadian federal, provincial, and Indigenous governments, nonprofit and cultural organizations, corporate teams, and individual leaders, with engagements delivered virtually or in person. The firm distinguishes itself through certified facilitators (Integral and IAF credentials), graphic facilitation, land-based and Indigenous-informed program design, and the "Conversations with Canadians" public dialogue initiative launched in partnership with The Pearson Centre and The Other Hill to mark the 60th anniversary of the Canadian flag.

The company offers ten integrated service lines — Facilitation, Strategy, Coaching, Training, Team Development, Program Design, Retreats, Conferences, Graphic Facilitation, and Thought Leadership — plus the Conversations with Canadians program initiative. There is no proprietary technology product; the firm's offering is human-delivered professional services anchored on process expertise, visual capture of conversations, and the ability to mediate emotionally charged discussions into actionable outcomes. Named engagements include strategic planning work for the Nunatsiavut Government, team development and strategic facilitation for the Canadian Museums Association, and multi-day healthcare convening work for the National Collaborating Centre for the Healthy Journey (NCCJH).

The business operates as a privately held, founder-controlled professional services firm with a core team of nine (including Co-Founder Jane Porter, Director of Operations Vanessa Runka, Senior Engagement Lead Katie Baker, and bookkeeper Sope Olorunfemi-Bork), supplemented by a two-person advisory bench (Barb Sweazey, People & Culture; Jan O'Donnell, Finance) and a wider network of collaborators. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured as custom engagements rather than standardized tiers, with go-to-market conducted through direct client engagement, professional networks, content marketing (TEDx talks, newsletter, blog), and co-hosting partnerships with civic organizations such as Open Democracy Project, The Other Hill, and DemocracyXChange. The firm operates exclusively in Canada with no institutional investment or parent company structure identified.

Name

Bridge Building Group Inc.

Legal name

Bridge Building Group

Website

https://bridgebuilding.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bridge Building Group is an Ottawa-based facilitation and engagement consultancy that designs gatherings, training, strategy sessions, and graphic facilitation for Canadian governments, nonprofits, corporate teams, and individual leaders, and runs the public "Conversations with Canadians" dialogue initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Facilitation and Engagement Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Team-Building & Offsite Services (HSACADAF)

Keywords

• Professional facilitation services
• Strategic planning facilitation
• Executive coaching services
• Team development retreats
• Civic dialogue convening

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Facilitation Services: Core revenue stream from providing professional facilitation services for corporate retreats, management retreats, strategic planning sessions, and conferences. Services are delivered by certified facilitators (Integral Certified, IAF Certified) either virtually or in person.
2. Strategy Development & Consulting: Hands-on, participatory strategy sessions that help teams build strategy together. Results in clear strategic paths that teams believe in and are ready to act on.
3. Executive & Leadership Coaching: One-on-one coaching services (virtual, in person, or on walks) provided by certified Integral coaches with decades of experience. Includes executive coaching.
4. Training & Skill Development: Practical, participatory training sessions tailored to client needs, covering topics such as navigation of differences, hard conversations, facilitation skills, listening, and visual communication.
5. Program Design & Learning Experiences: Design of custom learning programs that incorporate land-based elements, experiential learning, and connection-building. Programs are designed to help groups learn by doing, reflecting, and connecting.
6. Community Dialogue Initiatives: Organization and hosting of public Exchanges (Conversations with Canadians) that bring Canadians together for meaningful conversations. These events are made possible through partnerships with community organizations, venues, and funders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bridge Building Group is a professional facilitation and engagement consultancy that designs and delivers strategic gatherings, retreats, conferences, training sessions, coaching engagements, and graphic facilitation services. The firm helps government, nonprofit, and corporate clients run participatory processes for strategy development, team development, and stakeholder dialogue, and convenes the public 'Conversations with Canadians' initiative hosting public Exchanges across Canada.

Product overview

Bridge Building Group offers a unified suite of facilitation and engagement services rather than a software product. The core offering consists of 10 distinct service lines: Facilitation, Strategy, Coaching, Training, Team Development, Program Design, Retreats, Conferences, Graphic Facilitation, and Thought Leadership. Additionally, the company runs "Conversations with Canadians," a public dialogue initiative focused on bringing Canadians together for meaningful conversations on national issues. The services are designed to help groups and organizations have meaningful conversations, build strategy, develop teams, and create impactful gatherings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Facilitation Design and leadership of gatherings that create conditions for honest conversation, shared insight, and real momentum, helping groups connect, align, and leave with clarity on what comes next.
• Strategy
• Coaching
• Training
• Team Development
• Program Design
• Retreats
• Conferences
• Graphic Facilitation
• Conversations with Canadians Public Exchanges bringing Canadians together for meaningful conversations on issues shaping the country, moving beyond debate to deepen understanding, rebuild relationships, and uncover new possibilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Teams leave strategic planning sessions with clear, actionable plans they believe in and are ready to execute, rather than strategies sitting on a shelf.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Open Democracy ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Open Democracy Project works to strengthen and evolve the practice of democracy in Canada. They co-hosted the inaugural DXC+ Ottawa regional event with Bridge Building Group at the Global Centre for Pluralism. The Open Democracy Project is a not-for-profit that fosters collaborative multi-stakeholder programs to build democratic resilience.
• OCAD U's Cultural Policy HubminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026OCAD U's Cultural Policy Hub provided support for the DXC+ Ottawa event at the Global Centre for Pluralism. The Cultural Policy Hub connects academic resources with civic engagement initiatives.
• The Other HillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Other Hill is a space dedicated to inspiring conversations in Canada's capital. They partnered with Bridge Building Group and The Pearson Centre to host discussions with everyday Canadians about the Canadian flag, and presumably other national dialogue initiatives under the Conversations with Canadians umbrella.
• The Pearson CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pearson Centre hosts annual celebrations of the Canadian flag on Parliament Hill. They partnered with Bridge Building Group and The Other Hill to host an important discussion with everyday Canadians about what the flag means today, marking the 60th anniversary celebration.
• DemocracyXChange (DXC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemocracyXChange is Canada's premier annual democracy summit, connecting, celebrating and equipping people taking action to strengthen democracy. DXC+ is the regional events initiative bringing the national DXC Summit spirit to communities across Canada. Bridge Building Group co-hosted the inaugural DXC+ Ottawa regional event.
• The Dais at TMUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University is a co-producer of DemocracyXChange alongside OCAD U and Open Democracy Project. While not a direct partner for DXC+ Ottawa, they are an ecosystem partner in the broader democracy strengthening network.
• Community Organizations & Local HostsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity organizations, venues, funders, and local hosts who partner with Bridge Building Group to host Exchanges across Canada. They believe community, belonging and strengthened democracy begin with conversation and actively seek partners to bring future Exchanges to life.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Open Democracy Project: Canadian not-for-profit fostering collaborative multi-stakeholder programs to strengthen democracy. Direct ecosystem partner of BBG on DXC+ Ottawa events with overlapping civic engagement focus.
• Forum for the Future: International sustainability non-profit working with business, government, and civil society on systems change. Comparable in facilitating multi-stakeholder sustainability dialogues and co-founder Jane Porter's prior sustainability focus area.

Broad incumbents

• Hyper Island: Global learning and innovation company offering leadership training, digital programs, and facilitation at scale. Comparable in training design and team development methodology but operates at much larger scale across geographies.
• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy offering human-centered design, facilitation, and strategy services. Comparable in participatory strategy and team facilitation but operates as a much larger firm with broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Reos Partners: Global social innovation consultancy specializing in multi-stakeholder facilitation, strategy, and transformational change processes for complex social challenges. Comparable in facilitation methodology and cross-sector client base.
• The Luma Institute: Innovation consultancy that designs human-centered learning experiences and trains teams in innovation methods. Comparable in facilitating design thinking, training, and team capability-building workshops for organizations.
• MASS LBP: Canadian social-purpose strategy and engagement consultancy based in Toronto that helps governments, nonprofits, and foundations tackle complex social challenges through participatory design and facilitation — directly comparable to BBG's core offering.
• Voltage Control: Facilitation company specializing in training, certification, and event facilitation for teams and organizations seeking better meetings and collaboration. Comparable in facilitation-first service offering and team development focus.
• Tamarack Institute: Canadian community development institute focused on building collaborative capacity across sectors to address complex social issues. Comparable in serving similar government, nonprofit, and civic-engagement customers through training, convening, and consulting.

Emerging players

• The Collective Intelligence Project: Research and design organization exploring how deliberation, dialogue, and AI can strengthen democratic processes. Comparable in civic dialogue and democratic engagement work, with intersecting but more tech-forward focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bridge-building-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bridge Building Group Inc.