“I started this company mostly by accident.”

~ M.J. D’Elia

At the time, I was working at the University of Guelph library, and I was co-creating a staff boot camp related to innovation. Everyone wants to be more innovative right?

Honestly, we didn’t know what we were doing, but our senior leadership team believed in us and gave us $400 to experiment.

A man wearing a camouflage cap and shirt, with a beard, looking at the camera with a neutral expression.

Not all experiments work out, but this one did. Before long, nearby libraries were inviting us to take their staff through similar workshops related to innovation, design thinking, and creative problem solving.

When other libraries started asking me for invoices, I figured it was time to start a company.

Stack of beige boxes with 'I.B.C.' printed in green on the sides.

After almost 20 years of working in academic libraries, I decided to do this facilitation, training and teaching thing full-time. I love designing and delivering new curriculum and helping organizations have better conversations (onsite and online).

Now I direct the LLEAD Institute and design human-first learning experiences that bring people together - and I love it!

Colorful LEGO creation with various structures, including water and greenery, on a wooden surface.

I am glad you stopped by. If you want to discuss what it might look like to work together, drop me an email. I’d love to connect.

M.J. D’Elia (he/him)

Purple graffiti-style text with intersecting lines and loops on a black background.

The Land

Thirdway Think is based in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx (Okanagan) peoples. We are grateful for their stewardship of the beautiful Okanagan Valley.

A lake with mountains in the background under a partly cloudy sky, and two people in a small orange boat on the water.