Customized Seminars, Trainings & Keynotes

Thousands of participants from educational, government, corporate, and social service agencies have taken StirFry’s trainings and seminars. We are recognized internationally as having one of the most outstanding cross-cultural and communications training programs for managers, supervisors, H.R., admin executives, education professionals, social services leaders and agencies. (See our selected client list) 

The following is a sampling of popular keynote, seminar and training titles and descriptions that our company offers.  This list is meant to showcase what is possible. Any of the selections below can be adjusted to meet the specific hopes and needs of your group.  For example, the workshop title “Responding to a Discriminatory Incident on Campus” can easily be adjusted to “Responding to a Discriminatory Incident in the Workplace.”  Our company can also adjust the timeframe for many of these workshops to meet your specific needs.  The possibilities are limitless.  Contact us today for more information.   

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  • You Don’t Understand Where I’m Coming From or How I’m Feeling!

    How many times have we heard folks say this, but we often don’t know how to respond or what to do because we’re scared or feeling defensive?  Many times folks from underrepresented groups often feel a lack of understanding or sensitivity about their cultural differences. They often feel that they have to “blend in” or…

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  • What Closes Us Down/Opens Us Up When Having a Conversation About Diversity Issues

    Having an honest conversation of diversity issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia and classism etc., is not easy and often leads to folks feeling unheard, devalued, and misunderstood. In this, our most popular seminar, we will explore the myriad of ways that open up and close down a conversation on diversity issues. We will also…

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  • Mindfully Working With Difficult Participants

    One of the great fears and struggles of managers, diversity facilitators, DEI trainers, educators and administrators is trying to work with difficult folks who refuse to listen and are often closed and highly critical of any point of view other than their own. There is often an escalation of emotions, with various groups and individuals…

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  • Transforming Difficult Conversations into Authentic Relationships Based on Curiosity, Empathy & Respect

    So many times, difficult conversations with those from different cultures and communities leaves us paralyzed, not knowing what to say or do next. We leave feeling guilty and ashamed because of our silence and our inability to have an authentic connection. In this unique seminar, we will explore the roots of what makes these conversations…

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  • How Talking About & Making Use of Our Differences Makes for a Safer and More Welcoming Environment

    Why is it that so many folks have to leave parts of themselves at the door before coming into a room or feel that who they are, how they speak, how they think and see the world are often not welcomed or valued? In this unique and much needed seminar, we will explore how talking…

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  • The Secret to Belonging

    In this unique workshop we will discuss why belonging is such an essential part of creating a sense of community and connection in our workplaces, classrooms and communities. Seldom in our history have we experienced such intense polarization and separateness from each other because of our different religious, ethnic, gender and sexual orientations. We will talk about…

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  • The Secret to Belonging (KEYNOTE)

    In this unique keynote we will discuss why belonging is such an essential part of creating a sense of community and connection in our workplaces, classrooms and communities. Seldom in our history have we experienced such intense polarization and separateness from each other because of our different religious, ethnic, gender and sexual orientations. We will…

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  • Transforming Difficult Conversations into Authentic Relationships Based on Curiosity, Empathy & Respect

    So many times, difficult conversations with those from different cultures and communities leaves us paralyzed, not knowing what to say or do next. We leave feeling guilty and ashamed because of our silence and lack of authentic connection. In this unique workshop, we will explore the roots of what makes these conversations so difficult and…

    Read More

  • Mindfully Working with Difficult Participants

    One of the great fears of managers, diversity facilitators, DEI trainers, educators and administrators is trying to work with difficult folks who refuse to listen and are often closed and highly critical of any point of view other than their own. There is often an escalation of emotions, with various groups and individuals rapidly becoming…

    Read More

  • What Closes Down/Opens Up a Conversation on Diversity Issues

    Having an honest conversation of diversity issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia and classism etc., is not easy and often leads to folks feeling unheard, devalued, and misunderstood. In  this, our most popular workshop, we will explore they myriad of ways that open up and close down a conversation on diversity issues. We will also…

    Read More

  • What’s Missing in our Classrooms/in our Workplace?

    So many schools/workplaces teach about multiculturalism from a celebratory perspective and only as it relates to people of color, often failing to notice that Euro-Americans have not entered into the conversation or found a way to celebrate their own roots or traditions. Thus, it is no wonder that so many Euro-Americans see themselves only as…

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  • Conflict in our Halls

    Many discussions around diversity issues are bound to have communication issues and potential for some form of conflict or misunderstanding. The Buddhists say that conflict is both an opportunity and a sign of danger. At StirFry Seminars we call it a “dangerous opportunity”! In our experience conflicts are often opportunities for growth and deeper understandings…

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  • What Stands Between Us

    Westerners are very good at honoring diversity, but not very good at practicing it. If we are ever going to learn about someone who is different from ourselves, we are going to have to leave the comfort of our familiar world and begin a relationship, not just by talking about ourselves, but by truly wanting…

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  • The Art of Being Mindfully Present

    The art of listening and being fully present with someone isn’t easy, given the world we live in today, with all its distractions and responsibilities. However, our inattention costs us missed opportunities to connect and to truly learn about each other. In the world of business, where connecting with someone is essential in cementing trust…

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  • Only A World Away

    As a new world of different cultures enters into our classrooms and schools, what is needed to begin this journey together? How does one come to appreciate all the myriad of new perceptions and insights, resources and skills? Where does one begin? How does one avoid making mistakes or saying something offensive? And as we…

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  • A Promise Still to Keep

    A recent poll showed that about six-in-ten (58%) say race relations in the U.S. are generally bad, a view that is held by majorities across racial and ethnic groups. Still, blacks (71%) are considerably more likely than whites (56%) and Hispanics (60%) to express negative views about the state of race relations. (Race in America 2019,…

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  • The World is All Around Us

    When agencies desire to become more multicultural, what will they need to prepare themselves? What kinds of skills will they need? What kinds of cultural knowledge will they need to traverse this new world? How will they attain this level of expertise and from whom? These and many other questions will be answered in this…

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  • An Unfinished Conversation

    So often, we have conversations behind closed doors with our own affinity groups because we feel misunderstood and invalidated by others due to our cultural differences. We need these conversations to be brought out into the light and discussed openly and honestly. This workshop is about all those unfinished conversations that have the potential to…

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  • The Art of Creating Community & Connection in a Divided World

    There is an African proverb, “To go fast, you must go alone. To go far, we must go together.” This describes what community and connection means to me on a very intimate level.  Yet, the question that still begs to be answered is how do we find a way to connect with each other when we live…

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  • Walking Across the Room

    How do we begin a conversation with people who are culturally different from ourselves? Where do we begin? How do we keep from offending someone? What if they get angry or hurt? These are just some of the many questions that result in barriers and fears that keep us apart and in silence. Together we…

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Cross Cultural Facilitation Skills for Leaders- Four Part Program:

Part 1- Creating Authentic and Transformative Relationships through Listening and Responsive Communication Techniques

Part 2- Exploring the Roots of our Disconnection and Ways to Rebuild and Restore Trust

Part 3- Mindful Techniques that Create Lasting and Adaptive Inclusionary Practices

Part 4- Advanced Facilitation Techniques that Promote Empathy, Compassion and Community

A National Conversation on Race: Lee Mun Wah & Honorary/Special Guests on Stage followed by a Community Workshop

An Unfinished Conversation on Campus:  Keynote, Faculty/Staff & Student

Contact Us to learn how we can create a customized package for your company, group, or organization.

Booking an Event: Common Questions

We have a variety of diversity programs as well as those that we customize to meet your needs.

Our most popular workshops are our Film Presentations. Each of these is quite stimulating and educational. We encourage you, however, to also plan for follow-up seminars/trainings to allow for continued dialogue and sharing. Also, if you have any facilitators, managers, or administrators that would like to enhance or practice their communication/diversity skills, this is a great opportunity for your staff to take our Intensive Training Programs dealing with diversity conflicts and issues.

We have a catalogue of all our seminars and trainings; if interested, please ask the Director of Seminars to send you one.

Most companies have not participated in our type of workshops, so you have company. We customize our workshops to begin at the level of your agency and employees. We will never sell you any programs that you don’t need or want.

Our Director of Seminars will walk you through each step. We also have a checklist, audience assessment, and publicity materials that will help you have a successful diversity experience.

Our Trainers have countless exercises to meet the changing needs of each agency and audience. We have a diverse pool of trainers that represent a cross section of issues and ethnic groups.

In addition, our Director of Seminars will guide you through the contractual, travel, and technical supports that will be needed. The Director, Lee Mun Wah, and our other facilitators are available to answer any of your questions both before and after the event.

This is a very common concern amongst many companies that have a limited budget. StirFry Seminars makes every attempt to customize our workshops and trainings to meet the budgetary concerns and limitations of our clients.  We are very receptive to working with you and your agency to be sure that our product and services are available and accessible to everyone.

What we recommend is perhaps combining a seminar or training with other agencies so you can share expenses and planning. If you look on our website’s Calendar page, you can synchronize your schedule to coincide with the dates in which we are scheduled to be in your area to save on transportation and accommodation costs. In addition, when we present a workshop and/or training, we offer a 50% discount on all of our films and products.

We try very hard at StirFry Seminars to work within your budget and to help customize the exact kind of workshop that will meet your budgetary needs and restraints. We strongly encourage you to call our Berkeley office if you are financially restrained in purchasing our films, products, and workshops.

We also often recommend our Trainer of Trainers series, which teaches trainers and potential facilitators the skills that they will need to lead groups, mediate conflicts, and help others with basic skills such as listening and responsive techniques for effective communication.

If you have just completed a workshop on racism using The Color of Fear, then we recommend our film on sexism, Last Chance for Eden – Part 2. Last Chance for Eden – Part 1 (on racism) is also an excellent follow-up after The Color of Fear because it includes men and women talking together about racism and sexism.

Our Film Guides (available to supplement Last Chance for Eden 1 and Color of Fear 1) are available through our Film Department. The Film Guides provide process questions that coincide with particular scenes in our films. These questions help stimulate group discussions and are framed within a broader cultural perspective. The process questions and exercises were written by Lee Mun Wah and a team of diversity trainers.

The StirFry Seminars Seminar Catalog is also available, and lists all of our seminars and types of trainings, in addition to descriptions of our Berkeley, California, workshops and trainings on Unlearning Racism, Unlearning Sexism, Film Facilitation, and Mindful Facilitation.

We have facilitators that specifically work with youth on diversity issues. We also find that high school students are quite prepared to sit through our films and feel engaged. The Color of Fear 2: Walking Each Other Home, was created for high school students. The pace is faster and the dialogue is enhanced with more contemporary music. It is also a shorter than the original film – about 50 minutes in length.

We believe that teaching skills to our audiences is essential to practicing diversity work. We teach participants ways of listening, responding and noticing what is spoken and what is not. Throughout the seminar we point out different communication techniques and ask the audience to practice them throughout the session. In that way, when the participants finish our seminars, they have a vast array of skills that will apply to their particular work and employee environments. We also provide our popular “Nine Healthy Ways to Communicate” cards to all the participants upon request.

Lee Mun Wah has written countless manuals on communication and facilitation techniques. One of his most famous writings is “The Art of Listening”. StirFry Seminars offers trainings on facilitation and film techniques as well as a 3-Day Intensive Trainings Program for Managers, Facilitators, and Trainers.

Each of our films is appropriate for learning about diversity issues and provides different insights and unique cultural and social perspectives.

Stolen Ground offers audiences insight into the experiences and perceptions of Asian Americans. It demystifies the “model minority” stereotypes and replaces it with a more realistic and personal cultural portrayal. People of all ethnicities find Stolen Ground illuminating because of the remarkable similarities to their own racial experiences.

The Color of Fear is the most well known of our films. It is an intimate portrayal of what many people of color go through on a daily basis. It is confrontational, intimate and contains extremely honest dialogue. This film provides great stimulus for audience discussion. For many EuroAmericans, this film is their Racism 101 course. For many people of color this film is a perfect opening to talk about their personal experiences and the effect that racism has had on their families and communities.

The Color of Fear 2: Walking Each Other Home is the sequel. It helps answer the questions about how the men responded emotionally to each other, as well as what EuroAmericans in general can do to in their struggle against racism. The format was adapted for high school students. It moves at a faster pace and has more music to keep the energy flowing. It is a good primer for those unaccustomed to talking about racism.

The Color of Fear 3: Four Little Beds features eight men from the original cast talking frankly about the painful struggle of growing up gay in a heterosexually oriented society. In addition, a ten year retrospect is included with Roberto Almanzan and David Lee talking about gay marriages and other issues that are facing our communities, as we struggle to deal with this extremely important and relevant issue.

Last Chance for Eden Part 1, is about nine men and women talking about racism in two weekend sessions. What makes this film different from our previous films, is the inclusion of women, more examples of facilitation interventions, video diaries from each participant, withhold sessions, and a question & answer period between whites and people of color that is revealing and deeply moving.
  
Last Chance for Eden Part 2 is an illuminating and educational film, which describes issues of sexism in intimate, family, workplace, and societal contexts. This is a must-see film for men and women both; for women who doubt the validity of their feelings and responses to their treatment by and experiences with men; and for men regarding their issues of control and the acceptability of emotional expression.

Last Chance for Eden Part 3: For those of you who have viewed Last Chance for Eden Parts 1 & 2, this film is a perfect follow-up to the whole series. It is focused on the biographies of each of the cast members – as they struggled to understand what had happened to them in their families and eventually, their journey towards finding a healthy life as an adult.

The Four Hour Seminar is useful for those agencies that have a limited time schedule. The Four Hour Seminar includes the showing of one of the above films, time for dyad discussions, and a group processing time. What the Seven Hour Seminar offers is more time for questions, answesr, team building exercises, the closing circle, and next steps declarations. Our experience has been that the Seven Hour session is more effective and allows the most time for debriefing and dealing with underlying issues. Also, the Seven Hour session allows for adequate facilitation of any conflicts that might arise.

Process Questions

No one is the founder of racism or sexism. What we are responsible for is the cure: looking at ourselves and our own stereotypes. We often feel that racism and sexism are not about hate, but rather about fear. Lee Mun Wah often says, “I am a recovering racist and sexist. That doesn’t mean that I’m a horrible person; what it does mean is that I’ve been acculturated since I was very young to see particular groups in stereotypical ways. My work is to realize how that permeates how I see others and how I treat them on a daily basis both at work, in my community, and in my relationships.” What pertains to all of us is that we may not directly engage in racist or sexist behaviors, but we may still indirectly benefit from the oppression of others.

Too often we assume because someone is emotional, that they are out of control. Showing emotion is a natural and healthy part of all relationships. When we allow people to share their personal stories and experiences, what we find is that they feel relieved. Not necessarily because a solution has been found, but because they can finally share with someone who believes them and is open to understanding what they have gone through. That is the secret of closure, starting from the beginning – acknowledging what they have experienced and the effect that it has had on them. Through believing them and supporting their reality and needs, the journey towards closure begins. If we are ever going to heal from racism and sexism and all the other isms, we need to be willing to hear the stories- all the stories, however hard, because they, too, are a part of the healing and learning.

Quite often, people don’t want to talk in front of a large group, but will do so with one other person. That is why we have the audience break up into dyads (groups of 2) by choosing someone who is different from themselves. That way they can have the privacy and the attention of one other person who they don’t know and of their own choosing.