Lauren Barthold, a philosopher at Emerson College, brings academic rigour to practical dialogue questions in this participative webinar. Barthold's work spans multiple dialogue traditions including Reflective Structured Dialogue developed by Essential Partners and Intergroup Dialogue from Michigan State University. At Healthmere, she engages marginalised youth through dialogue combined with arts-based approaches. The webinar focuses on her research into how implicit bias negatively impacts civil engagement across difference, and her central argument that dialogue must precede deliberation; that relational bonds and shared understanding are essential prerequisites for effective political conversation. Hosts Nancy Dixon and Linda Ellinor conducted an interview-style opening, then moved participants into small groups for reflection on how Barthold's experience connects to their own dialogue practice and contexts. The session demonstrates the Academy's participative webinar format, combining expert input with member dialogue and active reflection on practice.