Collective or participatory decision-making is a process where people affected by a decision are actively involved in shaping it, rather than decisions being made solely by a central authority. It emphasizes shared power, diverse perspectives, and collaborative deliberation to arrive at more inclusive, informed, and sustainable outcomes.
Join Sean Geobey and Sam Nabi from Groupthink Labs, together with Lisa Attygalle, Tamarack to:
Explore different processes and criteria for collective decision-making and when to use each one
See examples of collective decision-making algorithms and how they work under the hood — not to become platform engineers, but to build your understanding and make informed design choices
Discuss common implementation challenges and ways to overcome them
Groupthink Labs builds digital tools for collective decision-making, starting with Polls—a participatory budgeting platform for municipalities, community foundations, and organizations that must balance diverse voices and limited budgets. It helps groups allocate resources and set priorities using proven democratic methods, delivering a process that is transparent, efficient, and trusted.
Sean Geobey, Director and Head of Research, Groupthink Labs
Sean Geobey is Director and Head of Research at Groupthink Labs, where he develops and tests innovative models for participatory governance that communities of all sizes can adopt and scale. He is an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo and serves as Director of the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation (WICI), advancing interdisciplinary research on complex social and economic systems. Sean’s work bridges academia and practice, combining rigorous research with real-world application to strengthen collaborative decision-making and community impact.
Sam Nabi, Technical Lead, Groupthink Labs
Sam Nabi is a multi-disciplinary software engineer and entrepreneur with 13 years of experience spanning web development, urban planning, and community-driven initiatives. Sam makes hip-hop, builds websites, co-owns a grocery store, and collaborates on projects in Kitchener-Waterloo. The thread: Sam blends hands-on technical work with business leadership to build cities worth telling stories about.
Lisa Attygalle, Consulting Director, Community Engagement at Tamarack Institute
Lisa Attygalle leads Tamarack's Learning Centre, which supports learners to build their skills, relationships, and capacities that contribute to lasting community and systems-level impact on one or more dimensions of poverty. Over the last 12 years, her work has focused on enabling community-based participatory decision-making, creating authentic engagement strategies that centre the voices of people most impacted, and the use of technology and creativity for engagement. Outside of her work at Tamarack, Lisa is an artist and co-owner of Seven Shores Community Cafe in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.