Inbo Retreats

Six Weeks To Responsible AI
The TRAIL Journey

Smiling woman with long brown hair wearing a white shirt and tan cardigan in a softly blurred indoor setting.

“Inbo supported both the design process and the final product including delivery of the program! They also created an inclusive space for the entire team to contribute. They are creative and so much fun to work with!”

— Anna Jahn, Director of Public Policy and Learning

The Client

Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute is one of the world’s leading AI research centers, globally recognized for advancing deep learning and shaping the ethical future of AI.

The Challenge

Book A Free Discovery Call

Graphic of a blue triangle pointing up and to the right over a purple shape.

Mila envisioned a groundbreaking leadership program that could unite PhD students, faculty leaders, and AI professionals across diverse industries around the principles of responsible AI. The challenge was designing a program that spoke to these varied audiences while bridging the cultural and practical gap between academic research and real-world application. Their challenge was designing something that would:

White checkmark inside a black circle on a white background.

Work for a very diverse audience of PhD students, faculty, and industry professionals.

Balance academic depth with practical, real-world application.

Keep participants engaged while addressing complex topics like ethics, governance, and human rights.

Book A Free Discovery Call

The Inbo Approach

We partnered with Mila to design and deliver TRAIL: Trustworthy and Responsible AI Learning, a six-week leadership certificate program that combined research-driven content with experiential, participatory learning.

Our approach integrated:

Interdisciplinary learning: Sessions explored fairness, accountability, transparency, governance, ethics, and human rights, bringing together legal, technical, and social perspectives.

‍Real-world application: Participants engaged with complex case studies, scenario-based exercises, and collaborative projects, applying responsible AI frameworks to real challenges in research and industry.

‍Participatory design: We created a learning environment that encouraged dialogue, collaboration, and co-creation, empowering participants to shape how responsible AI could look in their own work.

‍Blended delivery: The program blended virtual and in-person modules, from expert-led talks and impact assessment workshops to hands-on exercises.

The Results

Equipping Leaders to Shape an Ethical AI Future

The TRAIL program delivered transformative outcomes. Participants gained a holistic understanding of AI’s societal impact and developed the skills to critically evaluate ethical, legal, and socio-technical challenges. Many reported heightened awareness of responsible AI principles and felt empowered to apply these frameworks in their research, policy, and product development work. The program built bridges between disciplines and sectors, strengthening a growing network of AI leaders committed to human-centered, ethical innovation.

Why It Worked

The success of TRAIL lay in its fusion of rigorous content and experiential design. By centering collaboration, real-world application, and inclusive facilitation, we created a program that transcended traditional lectures and inspired meaningful change. Participants didn’t just learn about responsible AI, they practiced it, questioned it, and left equipped to lead it.

Learn More Inbo Retreats

People engaged in group discussions and working at tables in a bright office space with large windows and exposed brick walls.

Two Days to a Values-Driven Culture : The Trevor Project Culture Canvas Retreat

The Client

The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for LGBTQ young people. With over 25 years of service, their work is critical, heart-driven, and often high-intensity. In 2023, The Trevor Project’s Clinical Operations team was navigating growth, transitions, and shifting leadership, and needed to strengthen alignment around culture, vision, and success.

The Challenge

Creating Cohesion Across a Growing, Evolving Team. The Clinical Operations department spans eight diverse sub-teams. With new leaders, shifting team dynamics, and evolving service delivery needs, the organization identified a gap: they needed a stronger sense of shared culture and purpose. Their goals were to :

Rebuild trust after a period of change and rapid growth.
Define what success looks like across roles and teams.
Establish values-aligned ways of working, from meetings and decisions to communication & accountability.
Spark ownership, clarity, and connection across the vertical.

The Inbo Approach

Three Days of Intentional Design, Dialogue & Alignment Inbo partnered with The Trevor Project to design and facilitate a 3-day in-person retreat in New York City for 35–40 members of the Clinical Operations leadership team. Our approach was trauma-informed, equity-centered, and highly participatory. Each day was designed to build on the last, combining strategic design with deep listening and hands-on co-creation:

Day 1 – Grounding & Trust-Building

Opened with relationship-building and leadership storytelling.
Explored foundations of trauma-informed leadership practices.
Created a safe and connected space to surface honest dialogue.

Day 2 – Culture & Values in Action

Facilitated the co-creation of a Culture Canvas focused on team norms, feedback, communication, rituals, and psychological safety.
Connected organizational values to the daily work of Clinical Operations.
Clarified how leadership values show up across roles and functions.

Day 3 – Alignment on Strategy and Success

Defined vertical-level priorities and measurable success outcomes.
Aligned on service and quality standards across sub-teams.
Closed with a collaborative synthesis of key ideas and themes to be shared across the organization.

Throughout, we created feedback loops with leadership to support post-retreat integration.

The Results

A Shared Language for Culture, Clarity, and Forward Momentum. A Custom Culture Canvas : Developed and co-owned by the Clinical Operations team, capturing shared commitments around meetings, decisions, communication, values, feedback, and psychological safety.

Renewed Trust & Engagement : Leaders voiced greater clarity, accountability, and openness, setting the foundation for stronger collaboration.

Clearer Strategic Direction : Teams aligned on KPIs, service standards, and cross-functional collaboration to drive outcomes

Sustainable Momentum : A summarized and synthesized version of the Culture Canvas was prepared for broader team rollout, supporting implementation, reflection, and continuous iteration

Why It Worked

Inbo met the Trevor Project where they were: in a moment of flux and transformation. Our facilitation grounded people in care and possibility, while our design methods moved them toward clarity and action. The retreat became a launchpad for cultural renewal, built on purpose, not perfection.