Team
Meet the percolab team, a multilingual, international group of motivated lifelong and life-wide learners of diverse expertise. We have in common an ease to collaborate across distance, a joy in working with others and our drive for social change and innovation.
Samantha Slade, co-director
Co-founder, Samantha accompanies government agencies, educational institutions, companies and community organisations to help shared visions emerge and to make good use of « disruptive » technologies – shifting work culture, developing organisational e-portfolios or rethinking approaches to learning. Anchored in participatory and anthropological methodologies with structured processes, Samantha works with the strengths and particularities of an organisational context. She enjoys the practical challenges related to competence based approaches, valuing informal experiences, collaborative working processes and equipping for lifelong learning and learning organisations. Samantha prides herself in lean and rigorous account and project management.
Samantha is currently on the board of directors of Communautique. She co-founded the coworking ECTO, designed and hosted the event Conversations on Competences: 8 ePortfolios supporting lifelong learning, employability and learning organisations, participated in the production of the report Eportfolios for the learning citizen for the Ministry of Education of Québec.
She has worked as R & D advisor and project coordinator for distance learning, pedagogical consultant for the integration of technology, as teacher, trainer and animator for continuing professional development, adult education and initial education.
Samantha has a M. Sc. in Education in Instructional Design of Online Learning, a Certificate in Community Education, a Graduate Diploma in General Education (teaching permit) and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology.
sam [at] percolab.com
Yves Otis, co-director
Co-founder, Yves is a creative thinker who enjoys the challenges of novel collaborative solutions and governance structures for organisations. He has a long experience in the design and implementation of information systems – databases, portals, content production, wikis – for government, NGOs and learning organisations. Yves is a standards specialist, continually concerned with the forward functioning capacity of projects. He is skilled at making good use of semantic web technologies to empower and enhance how content or data can be rendered and played with by users.
Yves participates in numerous research project involving the web and large databases. Previously, Yves managed the development and implementation of a literacy portal for francophones (Espace Alpha) and was the new technology advisor for the Société de formation à distance des commissions scolaires du Québec (SOFAD). Trained as a historian, Yves taught computer science and quantitative methods in history at University of Québec in Montréal and the University of Sherbrooke.
He is active in the development, use and promotion of educational standards via the Groupe de travail sur les normes du Québec (GTN-Québec) and he is co-founder and president of the board of the Co-operative ECTO and collaborates with Montréal-Ouvert.
yves [at] percolab.com
Paul Messer, principal associate
Design, be it web, graphics, products or packaging is how Paul approaches any project. His graphic facilitation techniques and simple mockups help project team and stakeholders better negotiate the path forward. User focused, understanding the strategic issues interlinking design and implementation, Paul is able to advise on solutions to meet both user and stakeholders needs in a fun and creative way.
Recently Paul has been co-managing European Commission projects and ensuring quality designs that stand the test of cultural differences. Paul also provides much appreciated user support.
Previously online manager for Careers Wales, national online system with over 300,000 registered users. Paul oversaw the information system design, integration and quality of all projects and their work plans and ensured liaison with key national and regional stakeholders via governance structures.
Paul has a degree in Industrial Design and is a certified Web Master. Paul is an active volunteer of the Guatemalan Families Association supporting the implementation of their web 2.0 site.
paul [at] percolab.com
Guillaume Coulombe
Entrepreneurial eco-spirit specialising in optimizing business and production processes, and the improvement of working tools and policies. Specialising in quality processes, Guillaume is an excel king. Guillaume is involved in the initiation phase of divers open innovation projects and is currently working on the francophone network of Fab Labs.
guillaume [a] percolab.com
Emmanuel Décarie
Brilliant at designing programming frameworks, producing elegant code and impeccable documentation and ensuring system administration, Emmanuel is a geek, but he also has many non-technological passions. Nicknamed Mahatma Mac for his immense knowledge of Apple technologies, Emmanuel offers mini-workshops for productivity improvement.
emmanuel [at] percolab.com
Nadine Jouanen
Soulful lifelong learner, Nadine is driven by a holistic approach to the world. Nadine connects learning with social technology. She is versed in many branches of body works and is currently developing her skills in the area of permaculture.
nadine [at] percolab.com
Martin King
Web programmer with a diverse tool set and strong focus on Drupal based web sites and system integration. Calm and understated, Martin tackles the most complex challenges with seeming ease.
martin [at] percolab.com
Eric Smith
Philosopher and fabuloso Drupal configurer and themer. Structured, methodical, rigorous and user aware, Eric ensures sharp, smart, and stylish user interfaces.eric [at] percolab.com
Marc Ouimet
Writing, socio-cultural issues related to the web, digital competence and internal martial arts are Marc’s passions. He is also a social entrepreneur, facilitator, web developer and, above all, a free thinker.
percolab learns and sometimes work with:
- JEAN LAMBERT DANS L’APPAREIL France, graphic artist extraordinaire, like our logo?
- François DUPORT, France, for rich discussions and rebellious ideas
- HRDS Netherlands, Theo Mensen, passionate about social innovation.
- YNTERNET.ORG Switzerland, behaviour on the net, eCulture
- CRIM Montréal, Research and development in technology and education
- GRISVERT Québec, Jean-Sébastien Bouchard and Phlippe Dancause grounded in transformative organisational development
- IN PRINCIPO France, facilitation and Co-agility in projects.
- OPOSSUM Québec, Mario Asselin a fellow ePortfolio soul
- ARYENTU Montréal, sustainable development and business development
- KNOWLEDGE CAFÉ Montréal, Joel regularly ‘hosts” conversations on knowledge management
- IN’TECH INFO France, an inspirational example of project based learning
