Brainstorming Sessions
Our dynamic training programme includes Public Lectures, Interactive Workshops, and Brainstorming Sessions. While the lectures are open to the wider public, the workshops and brainstorming sessions are for the Public Squares team members only.
Facilitated brainstorming sessions
We invite the Public Square teams to schedule facilitated brainstorming sessions to refine their project concepts, develop specific proposals, or discuss funding opportunities. Unlike our workshops, which typically involve a few teams, these interactive sessions are tailored to meet the unique needs of each team at any stage of their development. Teams can choose the date, time, and venue for their session, and we will provide a professional facilitator, venue, and catering.
Interactive goal setting session
This session is an interactive discussion designed to help participants reassess and clarify the goals of their Public Square by reflecting on its current direction, envisioning its future, and collaboratively setting short- and long-term objectives.
Click here to book a session.
Funding strategy session
This session focuses on identifying funding opportunities aligned with your Public Square’s goals, offering strategies for matching objectives with funders, and providing guidance on grant writing and institutional support.
Click here to book a session.
Meet the facilitators for the brainstorming sessions
Facilitator
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Dr. Renee Goretsky
| Dr. Renee Goretsky is a Specialist Research Grant Proposal Developer and Writer at Stellenbosch University, with over 20 years of experience in research management. She has held key roles at the NRF and university research offices in both South Africa and Canada.
Her expertise is in research management and the administration of pre- and post-award grant funding processes. She has cultivated research networks to promote interdisciplinary knowledge exchange. As a former National Contact Point for the EU’s Funding Programme, she played a key role in fostering collaborations between South African and EU researchers. Currently, she assists researchers in developing and writing large-scale international grant proposals for various funding agencies.
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Prof. Scott Drimie
| Scott Drimie is a researcher and facilitator working primarily on food systems and food security. His work takes a political economy lens, focusing primarily on understanding and strengthening food systems in different contexts. Currently, Scott serves as a Professor (Extraordinary) in the Department of Global Health at Stellenbosch University.
Since 2013, Scott has directed the Southern Africa Food Lab, a multi-stakeholder initiative bringing together diverse food system actors to identify and pilot innovative approaches to achieving food security. The Lab has successfully facilitated collaboration and dialogue, catalysing action to foster innovations. Outside of these roles, he is often involved in the design and facilitation of processes involving diverse stakeholders ranging from local, grassroots projects to large national and international initiatives with the United Nations.
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Nzwaki Adonisi
| Nzwaki is a facilitator, strategist, and chartered accountant with over 14 years of experience in impact, systems change, and sustainable finance across Africa. She has led pan-African projects in sectors like gender equity, food systems, inclusive finance, and impact investing. Her clients have included organisations such as Tshiamo Impact Partners, Rockefeller Foundation, United Nations FAO, World Economic Forum, and Médecins Sans Frontières. Alongside leading her own consultation practice, Nzwaki's career also spans roles at companies including Deloitte, Allan Gray and Momentus Global.
She recently joined Anglo American Platinum to lead gender-based violence and harassment prevention interventions through cross-sector, systems-change approaches. Nzwaki also serves on several mission-driven boards, including the Female Academic Leaders Fellowship (FALP), and is a 2025 Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow.
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Dr. Gill Black
| Dr. Gill Black has worked in the field of global health for over 25 years. As an engaged research specialist, Gill facilitates partnership-building between researchers and affected communities to strengthen co-production and policy engagement. Gill has capability in numerous creative participatory methods and has worked on a range of topics including tuberculosis, HIV, cardiovascular disease, water microbiology, and, most recently, environmental disaster risk management.
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