Our Story

Jacqueline (Jacquie) is a skilled facilitator and Master Trainer and holds a diploma in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®  methodology from the LEGO® Group in Denmark. In 2007, Lloyd Smith received the partner business growth award from LEGO® and also that year, she began certifying facilitators for The LEGO® GROUP.  In 2009, Jacquie was appointed to the training board in the LEGO® Play for Business division where she worked to bring LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods into the Open Source model.  Jacquie is a Registered Art Therapist (ATR), is certified in Play Therapy & Creative Problem Solving.

In 2000, she earned an MA in Conflict Analysis and Management; and in 2006, she completed an MBA in Executive Management (Management Consulting).  She earned both degrees from Royal Roads University in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. In 2005, she studied business strategy and global business in Grenoble, France. In November 2006, she received the Ted Wilson Memorial Award for Lifelong Learning from Royal Roads University.  

Jacquie instructed at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario Canada for over ten years, where she developed and delivered curriculum for the postgraduate Art Therapy students. She has also taught in the business department at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. From 2012-2019, she was an associate faculty member in the MBA program at Royal Roads University in Victoria.

During her career, she has trained and facilitated thousands of professionals in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia, with modules she specifically developed to meet their needs.  

She has been a certified Canadian Management Consultant since 2009 and holds NAFTA Secret Clearance. She was nominated by her peers in 2010 and is a Fellow with the Royal Society for the Arts.

Stephen is a connector and a natural born team builder and problem solver. 

He comes from a mechanical and building background with over 10 years experience as a bicycle mechanic. As a designer, he holds certifications as a guitar builder (Luthier) and studio wood furniture making.  He is also an accomplished musician.

Stephen is certified and registered as a Strategic Play® facilitator with LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology and has been training in LSP since 2010 under one of the original LEGO® Master Trainers.  He has level II certification in Simplex Creative Problem Solving and Decision Making, trained directly by Dr. Min Basadur.  He holds certificates in Agile Coaching, Project Management, Simplex, Creative Problem Solving, and is a graduate of Royal Roads University with a certificate in Executive Coaching.

Today, he facilitates and trains in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods throughout Canada, USA, Central America, (Panama) and South America (Venezuela), Japan, Austria, and Australia. Occasionally he teaches at Royal Roads University where he acts as a Strategic Mentor in the MBA program: Advanced Strategic Integrated Practice. This is a fast-paced, intensive, problem-based learning program and Stephen is there with LEGO® bricks ready for business analysis. 

In 2021, Stephen was nominated by his peers as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (F.R.S.A).  

Stephen credits his creative talents to playing with LEGO® as a child. 

Dr. Steve Ralph is passionate about catalyzing ingenuity in those he comes into contact with.  In addition to offering workshops and coaching, he is also a professor at Pepperdine University's Graziadio Business School where he has designed and teaches courses in creativity and innovation, leadership, organizational change and team dynamics.

Dr. Ralph is the founder and director of the international creativity and social innovation conference, EPIC International Summit, which has been recognized as one of the top 10 most innovative meetings in North America (BizBash) and has featured leaders from organizations such as Disney, NASA/JPL, Lionsgate and award-winning actors, entrepreneurs and educators. Dr. Ralph's professional background has also included business development and corporate relations roles in higher education, entertainment and non-profit industries.

Dr. Ralph holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University and has research interests centered in creativity and innovation, with special focus in personal disruption, pause practices and the impact of exponential technology. He is a frequent speaker at international creativity conferences and is an active member of the Creative Education Foundation.

Maxine was trained originally in LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methods by the LEGO® Systems Group in 2007.  She has not only completed all certification programs but is instrumental in the course design.  She holds a Master's degree in leadership and learning and has also studied early childhood education and disability studies at Ryerson.

Maxine's 30 years of experience working in Post Secondary Education where her specialization in early learning provided her with a thorough background in the value of play and the importance of active learning.  Designing and implementing training outside Canada has provided Maxine with experiences that support Strategic Play® Group Ltd. in our many International opportunities.

During Maxine's secondment from Social Services into Planning and Research, as the college's Curriculum Designer, she designed innovative programs and implemented unique delivery models across all sectors.  Today, Maxine brings her vast experience in play partnered with her expertise in curriculum and instructional design to our team.  Maxine ensures that all our training programs are designed and delivered with academic rigor; consistently across all continents, with measurable learning outcomes and curriculum that builds upon existing knowledge and skill sets .... all delivered with full participant engagement and lots of laughs.

Play comes with risks, and lucky us we have Doug Smith on our team. Doug manages all the risks at Strategic Play and he is also our in-house musical director. Doug has over 25 years of hands-on experience in business development, risk management, and community and economic development. His knowledge and understanding of the functions of both the private and non-profit sectors make Doug an invaluable resource. His track record speaks volumes about his skills in building multi-party agreements and in gaining stakeholder buy-in.  He understands how to bring groups with different backgrounds, positions and interests together in order to create and build sustainable community projects.  

Larger projects include the World Nordic Ski Championships (1995), the Woman's and Men's TSN Skins Games (1987/98), the development and implementation of the Thunder Bay Recreational Trails (1990-2009).

Doug has an extensive track  record as a community player and volunteer. He was the Chairman for Contact North from 2002-2010, which now proudly hosts 118 post secondary distance-learning centers throughout Ontario.     Doug is also an accomplished musician and in 1993, he co-founded Diamonds in the Rough, a very successful 17-member band that for over 14 years played events to raise money for numerous charities. This community involvement represents a small sample of the type of work Doug has done to date.

He earned an Honors Bachelor of Commerce from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario (1977).  He is a past fellow of the Insurance Institute of Canada.

He is also a certified LEGO® Serious Play facilitator – trained by the LEGO® Group in Denmark (2008), and holds certificates in Creative Problem Solving from the CPS Institute (2009/10).