We equip people to choose dialogue over division.

Excited
Overwhelmed
Proud
Mission

teaches democratic  
skills for polarized times

Did you know that only 20%* of people across 27 countries would work with or even live in the same neighbourhood as someone who disagrees with them about an issue they feel strongly about? When we cut off those who see things differently, we stop trusting each other and learning from each other. That makes it harder to solve problems, or simply live together peacefully.

We offer companies, schools, and citizens the skills to communicate across cultures, generations, politics, and gender — and the mindset to want to. We teach what the World Economic Forum calls the skills of the future: emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and collaborative dialogue. We call these democratic life skills.

Our mission is to inspire people to talk to each other, not in spite of their differences, but with respect for them.

*2023 Edelman Trust Barometer

Our vision

Our vision is a pluralistic society in which diverse groups, beliefs, and unique identities co-exist, thrive, and work together to face the challenges of our time.

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Program

Versus  teaches the skills that artificial intelligence will never master. Our curriculum rests on our 10 years of experience and draws on neuroscience, equity & inclusion principles, somatic practices, media literacy, digital citizenship, and more, to go beyond surface-level solutions.

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Play

Events

Playful learning experiences to connect strangers and improve the way we see, speak to and treat each other, online and in real life.

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Our program
is unique

We live in a multicultural, technology-driven, increasingly polarized world. Discomfort, disagreements and difference are inevitable - but they don't have to divide us.

Our program develops communication and collaboration skills for working, learning, and living together with respect and curiosity, both online and in real life: emotional intelligence, critical thinking (including digital and media literacy), and dialogue skills.

Our curriculum works from the inside out — subconscious mind (and gut) first, rational mind second — because most of our behaviours and communication patterns stem from unconscious thought processes. This isn’t a quick fix: it’s a structured training program that develops inclusive, open-minded individuals who contribute to inclusive, collaborative workplaces, schools and communities.

Practical emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence determines our relationship to ourselves and to others - many experts consider it more important than IQ.

This is an introduction to the self. Think of this as a “sex ed” class for EQ: an introduction to how our biology affects daily decisions and behaviours, often without us realizing it. It helps to understand how our bodies react to the world, often without us being aware of it - and what to do about it to choose how we engage with others.

Expect to strengthen the five core skills of EQ, and more.

Skills: self regulation, bias awareness, self-awareness, adaptability, self-expression, empathy, stress management, relationship-building, resilience & motivation.

Digital eq + critical thinking

The information we consume online as individuals has real-world consequences for our society. It shapes our biases, beliefs, and decisions — from who we vote for to who we hire.

Strengthen critical thinking skills for your digital and real-life. Develop media and digital literacy; learn to cut through information overload, break out of echo chambers, and spot disinformation so you can base your decisions and discussions on facts - not fake news. These are essential skills for your mental health and our democracy.

Skills: critical thinking, media literacy, digital citizenship, bias management, mental health, emotional self-regulation.

Dialogue gym

Communication is not just the words we say, it's also the processes we use - the conversational habits we grew up with, which are often unconscious.

Practice advanced dialogue techniques that help you tackle issues at work, home, or school. Incorporate your EQ and critical thinking skills to improve both verbal and non-verbal communication skills: from active listening to building constructive disagreements.
Navigate diverse perspectives, manage conflict - and use differences as a source of learning & innovation.

Skills: conflict management, self-regulation, negotiation, empathy, critical thinking, team-building.

We've worked with...

Since 2015, we’ve connected radically different communities through dialogue and collaboration - and we learned from them too. We have 10 years' experience designing and teaching diverse groups - from financial executives to primary schools students, from ad agencies to government agencies, in English and French.
Sid Lee global creative agency
We launched their annual team-building day with a connection-building experience for 450 employees: from getting everyone to change seats to sit with colleagues they didn't know, to making them cry - in a good way - we create spaces in which people give themselves permission to open up to each other.
C2 Montreal : Commerce & Creativity conference
What issues do you care about most, yet feel least equipped to talk about? This was the focus of the dialogue-building workshop we designed for C2 Montreal's audience. Over three days, we taught over 240 international attendees practical skills to address the issues that weigh on them at work and at home, in English and French.
École Buissonnière primary school
We adapted our curriculum to teach two classes of French-speaking 12-year-olds to notice & recognize racism and sexism in everyday life by showing them how to identify media bias—and their own biases—through critical thinking, self-awareness, and play.
Integrating new arrivals: Canada Créatif
A training program en français to help French-speaking newcomers to Canada from over 22 countries  to develop the communication & collaboration skills that will allow them to transfer their professional skills to the Canadian job market. In collaboration with Factry School of Creative Leadership.
Les Affaires & Infopresse
We bring our expertise to professional development programs & conferences on Leadership and Communication to equip busy leaders with strategic communication, EQ and critical thinking skills and self-awareness to counter 'CEO disease' - because nobody wants to be the boss with blind spots.
Sid Lee global creative agency
We launched their annual team-building day with a connection-building experience for 450 employees: from getting everyone to change seats to sit with colleagues they didn't know, to making them cry - in a good way - we create spaces in which people give themselves permission to open up to each other.
C2 Montreal : Commerce & Creativity conference
What issues do you care about most, yet feel least equipped to talk about? This was the focus of the dialogue-building workshop we designed for C2 Montreal's audience. Over three days, we taught over 240 international attendees practical skills to address the issues that weigh on them at work and at home, in English and French.
École Buissonnière primary school
We adapted our curriculum to teach two classes of French-speaking 12-year-olds to notice & recognize racism and sexism in everyday life by showing them how to identify media bias—and their own biases—through critical thinking, self-awareness, and play.
Integrating new arrivals: Canada Créatif
A training program en français to help French-speaking newcomers to Canada from over 22 countries  to develop the communication & collaboration skills that will allow them to transfer their professional skills to the Canadian job market. In collaboration with Factry School of Creative Leadership.
Les Affaires & Infopresse
We bring our expertise to professional development programs & conferences on Leadership and Communication to equip busy leaders with strategic communication, EQ and critical thinking skills and self-awareness to counter 'CEO disease' - because nobody wants to be the boss with blind spots.
How can we solve the challenges of our time
if not together?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why choose Versus?

A decade of experience: we've been working on dialogue & inclusion since we founded our non-profit, WeDoSomething, in 2015.

Inclusive, Diverse roots: we learned much of what we teach from Indigenous communities, refugees and marginalized groups.

Holistic, science-based curriculum: we address subconscious processes as well as the rational brain to go beyond surface-level impact.

Digital and real-life application: our digital and our real lives are more and more intertwined, so we teach skills for both.

Relevant, adaptable content: from skeptical executives to highly engaged teens, our adaptable approach ensures relevance and impact for a wide range of audiences.

Bilingual: we teach in both French and English.

Who is this for?

Professionals face miscommunication and disengagement in multicultural, multigenerational workplaces due to technology gaps, leadership styles, and polarization. We equip leaders and teams with tools to navigate differences, build trust, and collaborate effectively.

Schools & universities: teachers face disengaged students and classroom conflicts. Students struggle with (dis)information and social pressures. Parents feel disconnected in a digital-first world.

Community leaders & change-makers:
need resilience and strategic communication skills to run their overworked teams and to reach their audiences. Versus provides tools to navigate conflict, engage diverse voices, and support mental health.

Democracy-loving citizens
who want tools to depolarize their online and real life interactions. We've got you.

How can Versus help?

Attraction & Retention: many companies don't understand why they can't seem to reach diverse candidates. We do, and we'll give you the knowledge you need to develop new approaches and processes that uncover blind spots.

Team-Building & Engagement:
Unspoken tensions harm communication, collaboration, belonging. We equip teams to address disagreements and use them as a source of inclusive insights, problem-solving, and connection.  

Adaptability to change:
85% of the jobs of 2030 don't exist yet, according to the World Economic Forum. Our program equips teams to learn, unlearn, and relearn so they can adapt and thrive, together.

Activists & democracy-loving citizens
who need tools to protect their mental health, and support their efforts to influence the world for the better, online and IRL.

Leadership Development
– the EQ of leaders can impact between 20-30% of company performance - their moods & style of communication influence the engagement, sense of belonging and productivity of their teams.  Collaborative leadership requires new skills and mindset.

Diversity & Inclusion
– whether you have a DEI strategy or not, diversity exists in your team. Knowing how to welcome it is the foundation of inclusion, belonging, innovation. Learn to build trust and engagement across multicultural, multigenerational teams.  

Internal Communications  
– Certain words mean different things to different people. Reduce miscommunication and develop skills & processes to build alignment between employees, teams, and leadership.

Conflict Management: Providing tools for navigating inevitable - and sometimes necessary disagreement, by learning how to create healthy conflict for a resilient, collaborative workplace.

Don't take our word for it.

Trust our clients:

“I had the privilege of attending a Versus workshop for C2 Montreal’s Emerging Entrepreneurs contest winners. Through a combination of interactive exercises, real-life examples, and practical strategies, we learned skills for active listening and its importance for operational - and not just relational - efficacy.”

David O.

Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation

“Versus helped us navigate our complex organizational dynamics with a thoughtful and inclusive approach, providing tailored engagement strategies, unique communication tools, and supportive resources that empowered our team.”

Anne-Jennifer C.,
Director, HR & Culture

Tourisme Montréal

“This was a beautiful journey about psychology, bias, media and the role modern media plays in our lives. It allowed us to reflect on our own ways of engaging with each other and with media, and also offers practical tools to engage with more critical thinking.”

Samantha R.
Executive director

Apathy is Boring