About World Bridge Research (WBR)
WBR's mission is to improve the lives of under-served members of our society by:
The WBR is a for-profit, woman-owned, minority-owned business that began in 2005. WBR started
through a combined effort of bringing culturally competent research approaches together with efforts to
promote social justice. WBR involves a network of researchers and practitioners and is lead by Dr.
Jennifer Obinna.
Jennifer Obinna, Ph.D.
Dr. Obinna is the Owner/Principle of World Bridge Research (WBR) in Minnetonka, Minnesota. WBR
began in 2005 through a combined effort of bringing culturally competent research approaches
together with efforts to promote social justice. Dr. Obinna is the former Associate Director of Rainbow
Research, Inc. in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Vice President of Projects and Research for the Minnesota
Council on Crime and Justice.
Dr. Jennifer Obinna holds a Ph.D. in Social Welfare and a Masters of Science in Social Work from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research and evaluation expertise is on violence against women,
mental health interventions in community contexts and organizational development.
Dr. Obinna’s current work is focuses on assisting those who use community organizing strategies with
diverse communities to evaluate their primary prevention activities using a public health framework. Dr.
Obinna is the Empowerment Evaluator for the Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and
Leadership Through Alliances Project (DELTA) project in Wisconsin and North Dakota as well as the
Enhancing and Making Programs and Outcomes Work to End Rape (EMPOWER) Empowerment Evaluator
in North Dakota.
Dr. Obinna was the Principal Investigator of the Researching Sexual Violence in the Deaf Community
Project (RSVP). RSVP was a 2-year grant from the US Department of Justice, National Institute of
Justice (NIJ) to examine the effects of sexual assault in the Deaf community and the response of law
enforcement and community agencies’ to Deaf persons who seek intervention in Minnesota. Despite
traditional challenges to doing research in the Deaf community, RSVP had excellent success in gaining
the participation of members of the Deaf community and recruiting participants. World Bridge Research
seeks to build upon this study with new research and action.
Participatory research and evaluation methods are the cornerstone of Dr. Obinna’s work. Mastering
and sharing ToP® Facilitation Methods has been a focal point for Dr. Obinna in refining ToP® methods
for use in the research and evaluation context since 2003. She and teaches this unique method of
facilitation called the Technology of Participation (ToP®). Dr. Obinna is a Qualified ToP® Mentor Trainer
and Certified ToP® Facilitator (CTF). The Technology of Participation helps groups think, talk and work
together through the use of structured methods that:
• Recognize and honor contributions of all
• Let a group deal with more data in less time
• Pool individual contributions into larger more informative patterns
• Welcome diversity while minimizing polarization and conflict
In addition to evaluation and research, Dr. Obinna has a social work background and has worked as a
lobbyist for the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, community organizer with the Dane County
Coordinated Community Response to Sexual Assault and was a counselor/advocate at the Dane
County Rape Crisis Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
To view Dr. Obinna's curriculum vitae click here.
Contractors, Consultants and Partners
Mochablue Concierge and Errands
Mochablue is a lifestyle management company for small businesses, residential and personal use. Our
goal is to assist you in better managing your life by giving you back your time. Our services are insured
and bonded.
Mochablue is founded by Michelle Thayer, Owner/President. The concept of personal concierge merged
her 'passions' together to form Mochablue. One was being of service to others by helping clients to
better themselves; the second was obtaining needed things, ideas or services. Her professional career
has always circled around these passions as well as to deliver excellent customer service.
Susan Ramspacher
Ms. Susan Ramspacher works primarily in the field of domestic violence prevention and intervention.
She is on staff at the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence and works on primary prevention
and community organizing with funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prior to
joining the Coalition, she worked local domestic violence shelters in Madison and Janesville, Wisconsin.
Susan is currently pursuing a qualification as a ToP trainer and is working with Jennifer Obinna and
World Bridge Research to bring ToP facilitation training to Wisconsin. She is a graduate of the
University of Virginia.
Julie Atella
Ms. Julie Atella has been doing crime related research and project management since 1995, focusing
specifically on victimization, recidivism, policing and evaluation work. Ms. Atella has recently worked on a
federal grant which looked to uncover the needs of Deaf victims of sexual assault. She also has worked
with police departments in both California and Washington on various research projects in community
policing. She has been working as on-call staff for a 24 hour crisis line for victims of general crime in
Hennepin County, MN for over 8 years. Currently, she is consulting with World Bridge Research in the
role of project coordination and interviewer.
Linda Alton
Ms. Linda Alton is a Certified ToP Facilitator and Mentor Trainer specializing in participatory strategic
planning, policy consensus building, community building and leadership development. She develops
collaborative processes and curriculum to enable groups to transform input and conversation into
shared decision, working agreements and focused action.
Linda has had extensive experience with national and international projects for 35 years with The
Institute of Cultural Affairs, developing the approach of participatory facilitation that is now known as
the Technology of Participation. During the l970’s she facilitated town meetings in over 100
municipalities in the United States. Her international experience includes 3year establishing a village-
level Human Development Program in The Philippines, 6 years in rural Kenya establishing Village
Development Replication schemes, and 10 years training and consulting in ICA’s participatory facilitative
leadership approach in Belgium and Western Europe.
Her facilitation, training and consulting has focused on applications in community based, non-profit, and
public environments, recently extending to private sector organizations. In l996 she moved to
Minneapolis, MN, where she coordinated the ICA’s Field Office,established her own entity, MNTOP, and
since June 1, 2007 has worked with The Dendros Group as Senior Associate.
Facilitations that she has enjoyed in the last two years include facilitating an employee-wide strategic
plan for Hennepin County Medical Center, working with Ramsey County Community Corrections to bring
participatory planning approaches and competencies ‘in-house’ , designing a one-day in-house ‘course’
for a Fortune 500 company in the Twin Cities to support their Six Sigma Black Belt certified staff – and
monitoring the trainers inhouse as this has rolled out throughout the company; creating a module to
offer to groups in the first phases of launching food cooperatives, for the National Co-op Development
Services, working with Transit for Livable Communities to facilitate grant money determination and
priorities.
Wendy Devore, B.A., CI/CT, NAD V, CPS
Ms. Wendy DeVore is a certifed Crime Prevention Specialist who founded Community Solutions: Crime
Prevention and Safety for People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. She was born and raised by a deaf
parent and is a native signer of American Sign Language. Wendy has worked professionally in the field
of deafness for 16 years in different capacities. Wendy is also a national certified freelance interpreter
and recently has begun legal interpreting in the courts of Minnesota.
Wendy also worked for the city of Minneapolis as a police officer and a crime prevention specialist.
While working for the Minneapolis Police Department, Wendy developed and implemented the Deaf
SAFE program. The Deaf SAFE program is a community policing program that addressed policing, crime,
and safety concerns relevant to members of the Deaf community.
WBR's mission is to improve the lives of under-served members of our society by:
- Broadening our understanding of the experiences of crime, violence and the criminal justice
system
- Bridging practitioners and researchers understanding of social concerns using participatory
methods and culturally competent approaches
- Employing participatory approaches to insure research and evaluation is useful and relevant
The WBR is a for-profit, woman-owned, minority-owned business that began in 2005. WBR started
through a combined effort of bringing culturally competent research approaches together with efforts to
promote social justice. WBR involves a network of researchers and practitioners and is lead by Dr.
Jennifer Obinna.
Jennifer Obinna, Ph.D.
Dr. Obinna is the Owner/Principle of World Bridge Research (WBR) in Minnetonka, Minnesota. WBR
began in 2005 through a combined effort of bringing culturally competent research approaches
together with efforts to promote social justice. Dr. Obinna is the former Associate Director of Rainbow
Research, Inc. in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Vice President of Projects and Research for the Minnesota
Council on Crime and Justice.
Dr. Jennifer Obinna holds a Ph.D. in Social Welfare and a Masters of Science in Social Work from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research and evaluation expertise is on violence against women,
mental health interventions in community contexts and organizational development.
Dr. Obinna’s current work is focuses on assisting those who use community organizing strategies with
diverse communities to evaluate their primary prevention activities using a public health framework. Dr.
Obinna is the Empowerment Evaluator for the Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and
Leadership Through Alliances Project (DELTA) project in Wisconsin and North Dakota as well as the
Enhancing and Making Programs and Outcomes Work to End Rape (EMPOWER) Empowerment Evaluator
in North Dakota.
Dr. Obinna was the Principal Investigator of the Researching Sexual Violence in the Deaf Community
Project (RSVP). RSVP was a 2-year grant from the US Department of Justice, National Institute of
Justice (NIJ) to examine the effects of sexual assault in the Deaf community and the response of law
enforcement and community agencies’ to Deaf persons who seek intervention in Minnesota. Despite
traditional challenges to doing research in the Deaf community, RSVP had excellent success in gaining
the participation of members of the Deaf community and recruiting participants. World Bridge Research
seeks to build upon this study with new research and action.
Participatory research and evaluation methods are the cornerstone of Dr. Obinna’s work. Mastering
and sharing ToP® Facilitation Methods has been a focal point for Dr. Obinna in refining ToP® methods
for use in the research and evaluation context since 2003. She and teaches this unique method of
facilitation called the Technology of Participation (ToP®). Dr. Obinna is a Qualified ToP® Mentor Trainer
and Certified ToP® Facilitator (CTF). The Technology of Participation helps groups think, talk and work
together through the use of structured methods that:
• Recognize and honor contributions of all
• Let a group deal with more data in less time
• Pool individual contributions into larger more informative patterns
• Welcome diversity while minimizing polarization and conflict
In addition to evaluation and research, Dr. Obinna has a social work background and has worked as a
lobbyist for the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, community organizer with the Dane County
Coordinated Community Response to Sexual Assault and was a counselor/advocate at the Dane
County Rape Crisis Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
To view Dr. Obinna's curriculum vitae click here.
Contractors, Consultants and Partners
Mochablue Concierge and Errands
Mochablue is a lifestyle management company for small businesses, residential and personal use. Our
goal is to assist you in better managing your life by giving you back your time. Our services are insured
and bonded.
Mochablue is founded by Michelle Thayer, Owner/President. The concept of personal concierge merged
her 'passions' together to form Mochablue. One was being of service to others by helping clients to
better themselves; the second was obtaining needed things, ideas or services. Her professional career
has always circled around these passions as well as to deliver excellent customer service.
Susan Ramspacher
Ms. Susan Ramspacher works primarily in the field of domestic violence prevention and intervention.
She is on staff at the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence and works on primary prevention
and community organizing with funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prior to
joining the Coalition, she worked local domestic violence shelters in Madison and Janesville, Wisconsin.
Susan is currently pursuing a qualification as a ToP trainer and is working with Jennifer Obinna and
World Bridge Research to bring ToP facilitation training to Wisconsin. She is a graduate of the
University of Virginia.
Julie Atella
Ms. Julie Atella has been doing crime related research and project management since 1995, focusing
specifically on victimization, recidivism, policing and evaluation work. Ms. Atella has recently worked on a
federal grant which looked to uncover the needs of Deaf victims of sexual assault. She also has worked
with police departments in both California and Washington on various research projects in community
policing. She has been working as on-call staff for a 24 hour crisis line for victims of general crime in
Hennepin County, MN for over 8 years. Currently, she is consulting with World Bridge Research in the
role of project coordination and interviewer.
Linda Alton
Ms. Linda Alton is a Certified ToP Facilitator and Mentor Trainer specializing in participatory strategic
planning, policy consensus building, community building and leadership development. She develops
collaborative processes and curriculum to enable groups to transform input and conversation into
shared decision, working agreements and focused action.
Linda has had extensive experience with national and international projects for 35 years with The
Institute of Cultural Affairs, developing the approach of participatory facilitation that is now known as
the Technology of Participation. During the l970’s she facilitated town meetings in over 100
municipalities in the United States. Her international experience includes 3year establishing a village-
level Human Development Program in The Philippines, 6 years in rural Kenya establishing Village
Development Replication schemes, and 10 years training and consulting in ICA’s participatory facilitative
leadership approach in Belgium and Western Europe.
Her facilitation, training and consulting has focused on applications in community based, non-profit, and
public environments, recently extending to private sector organizations. In l996 she moved to
Minneapolis, MN, where she coordinated the ICA’s Field Office,established her own entity, MNTOP, and
since June 1, 2007 has worked with The Dendros Group as Senior Associate.
Facilitations that she has enjoyed in the last two years include facilitating an employee-wide strategic
plan for Hennepin County Medical Center, working with Ramsey County Community Corrections to bring
participatory planning approaches and competencies ‘in-house’ , designing a one-day in-house ‘course’
for a Fortune 500 company in the Twin Cities to support their Six Sigma Black Belt certified staff – and
monitoring the trainers inhouse as this has rolled out throughout the company; creating a module to
offer to groups in the first phases of launching food cooperatives, for the National Co-op Development
Services, working with Transit for Livable Communities to facilitate grant money determination and
priorities.
Wendy Devore, B.A., CI/CT, NAD V, CPS
Ms. Wendy DeVore is a certifed Crime Prevention Specialist who founded Community Solutions: Crime
Prevention and Safety for People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. She was born and raised by a deaf
parent and is a native signer of American Sign Language. Wendy has worked professionally in the field
of deafness for 16 years in different capacities. Wendy is also a national certified freelance interpreter
and recently has begun legal interpreting in the courts of Minnesota.
Wendy also worked for the city of Minneapolis as a police officer and a crime prevention specialist.
While working for the Minneapolis Police Department, Wendy developed and implemented the Deaf
SAFE program. The Deaf SAFE program is a community policing program that addressed policing, crime,
and safety concerns relevant to members of the Deaf community.
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