Our Approach
Nobody said community engagement was easy. Even though public planning and decision-making are the mainstays of democracy, these processes are difficult. Some people dominate the discussion and push their own agendas. Others are reluctant to speak for fear of criticism, or find it difficult to articulate their concerns. Meetings that lack structure can become exhausting, emotional, and frustrating. Too often, they lead nowhere and leave people feeling cynical and reluctant to participate again.
We approached community engagement by prioritizing authentic, equitable, community-level collaboration that is focused and well facilitated. Successful collaboration leads to meaningful and lasting results.
We believe that when it comes to our common future, together we always know more. We believe that society’s new heroes are the people who dedicate themselves to facilitating true collaboration and fostering engagement that produces long-lasting solutions.
Milenko Matanovic
By combining his talents as a thinker, educator, and artist, Milenko strives to help communities become wiser by working together and uncovering new ways to push good ideas into action. After 30 years as Pomegranate’s Executive Director, he stepped out of the role of Executive Director in February of 2017. He now focuses on writing, talks, and consulting. Read more about Milenko at milenkomatanovic.com.
Katya Matanovic
Katya became Pomegranate’s chief executive officer in 2018 after several years as program director and trainer. She is a teacher, organizer, strategist, and the ultimate “fierce facilitator,” deeply experienced in implementing the Pomegranate Method in any type of setting. She understands that successful projects require attention to both the big idea and the smallest details. She looks at life’s challenges as a cat’s cradle, beautiful tangles of connected people and issues, questions and dreams, desires and needs.