A 6-week virtual program for non-profit leaders* to strengthen embodied practice, self-awareness, and interdependence to move away from cultures of urgency, competition, and scarcity.
TUESDAYS 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM EST | JANUARY 28 – MARCH 4, 2025
*This program is designed to prioritize BIPOC leaders and is open to all non-profit leaders.
“What we practice at the small scale sets the pattern for the entire system.”
– Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown
Moving away from cultures of scarcity, urgency, and competition requires space to operate outside of our reactive state, to practice dreaming, and to try new things. Practice creates possibilities to lead in ways that don’t reproduce systems of scarcity, urgency, and competition.
Rooting Leadership is designed as an antidote to the isolation of leadership. It focuses on learning and practicing embodiment to increase self-awareness while strengthening interdependence and mutual support. In our time together, we will explore:
- Building comfort with change and uncertainty
- Letting go of perfectionism, exceptionalism, and imposter syndrome
- Moving away from appeasement and urgency culture
- Practicing interdependence to reduce isolation and competition
Why this program?
“When we fall in love with practice, we are less prone to the frustration and despair that come from repeating behaviors that don’t work for us”
– What it takes to heal, Prentis Hemphill
To create sustainable and thriving leadership, it is essential to equip leadership to push against traditional archetypes that are rooted in white supremacy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism. Rooting Leadership fosters a community of practice where participants can develop skills and build individual and collective capacities to imagine different ways of being. This includes learning embodied practices to feel a stronger mind-body connection that we believe is essential to rooting leadership to drive the cultural shifts needed for true transformation.
As queer people of colour, we (Karishma and Taashi) strongly believe that we can’t just talk or think our way out of the systemic inequities that continue to perpetuate harmful cultures within our communities. We require practices to deepen embodied leadership presence. We also require spaces to feel connection, support, and understanding to feel empowered to take risks and try new things.
Drawing on Taashi’s professional experience, this program fosters a community of practice focused on mutual learning, collective imagining, and building interdependence to move beyond theory into practical application in a supportive environment. Because understanding something mentally isn’t enough for real change, Karishma brings her expertise in somatic work and embodiment practices to ensure that learning is integrated and actionable.
Why embodied practice? Embodiment practice is about learning the language of the body and strengthening our awareness of how we have more than one way of accessing information. This mind-body connection supports us to become aware of how we have internalized and reproduce inequitable systems, so we can learn how to co-create new cultures in alignment with our values.
Who this is for?
Rooting Leadership is designed for leaders in the non-profit sector who feel the tension between the values we aspire to center and the constant pressure of urgency, scarcity, and overwhelm. While open to all non-profit leaders, the program centres the experience of BIPOC leaders, who desire to:
- lead with collaboration and care, driven by embodied values of anti-oppression, justice, and liberation;
- engage authentically in a community of practice, with a desire to foster deeper mutual support; and
- practice moving beyond despair and hopelessness to imagining different possibilities.
If you are uncertain if this program is a good fit for you, email us at [email protected].
Why us? Who we are.
Taashi Gupta (they/them)
As a recovering executive director, I have spent the last two years reflecting, healing, and regrounding into practices that align with my values. This wouldn’t have been possible without practicing deeper embodiment while feeling connected to others who practice centering care and compassion. As a Trans leader of colour, spaces to feel safe and centred were nonexistent creating addition isolation to figure things on my own. I wanted to create a program that brought together leaders, especially BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ leaders, to feel resourced, connected, and hopeful toward shifting cultures to be better aligned with their values.
Bio
Taashi Gupta (they/them) has spent the last 20+ years facilitating organizational and individual change focused on fostering environments and communities where everyone can feel supported. Taashi co-founded Grounding Solutions to support individuals and organizations to imagine possibilities to thrive and feel sustainable, including prioritizing joy, care, and rest.
Karishma Kripalani (she/her)
In my work as a somatic coach to leaders and changemakers working in the non-profit sector, I often have people coming to see me close to–and often in–burnout. The sector benefits from people who often go ‘above and beyond’ because they choose their work out of personal commitments, yet there is a systemic lack of support and sustainability. I wanted to create a program to support leaders in the non-profit sector to build connections, skills, and capacity to shift their relationships to this culture of burnout and disposability. Together, we will practice embodying the conditions for this systems shift.
Bio
Karishma Kripalani, MA, SEP, PCC (she/her) is a practitioner and teacher of relational somatics. As a professional coach, she supports individuals and groups in their goals of personal transformation and professional impact in service of collective liberation. As an ancestral reconnection guide, her work is a commitment to developmental, intergenerational, and cultural repair.
What does it cost?
This program is designed as a professional development opportunity for non-profit leaders with the assumption that your participation will be partially or fully covered through your organization. Our rates are informed by our intended audience, number of participants, length of program, and to ensure a sliding scale that makes space for BIPOC leaders who may have limited to no funds to put towards their professional development. Below is our sliding scale rate with an assessment, adapted from AORTA, to help you determine what rate would work best for you.
- Full Cost: $900
- Redistribution : $1,050
- Solidarity Rate: $600
Note: We never want money to be a barrier, and have kept some spots for a further discounted rate. If you are a BIPOC leader or lead a grassroots organization, and the Solidarity Rate is too high, please email us at [email protected].
Sliding Scale Assessment
Please assess your organization based on the criteria below to determine which sliding scale level you should choose. We know that the picture of an organization’s financial resources can be complex, and trust you to determine which Rate is most true for your organization.
Solidarity Assessment
- If your organization’s annual budget is under $1 Million
- If your organization is led by/for BIPOC communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, newcomers, working class communities, and/or disabled communities
- If the highest-paid person in your organization is paid less than $65,000/year (FTE), or your organization has no paid staff
- If your organization does not have dedicated budgets for professional development or conference attendance
Full Cost Assessment
- If your organization’s annual budget is between $1 – $4 Million
- If the highest-paid person in your organization makes between $65,000-$100,000/year (FTE)
- If your organization has dedicated budgets to cover some professional development or conference attendance for staff (approx. 1 per year)
Redistribution Assessment
- If your organization has dedicated budgets to regularly cover professional development or conference attendance for staff. (more than 1 per year)
- If your organization’s annual budget is over $4 million
- If the highest-paid person in your organization makes over $100,000/year (FTE)
Other Finance Details
Currency: Program pricing is in USD. Equitable pricing applies for Canadian residents and organizations (e.g. US residents pay USD 900; Canadian residents pay 900 + HST)
Amount: In the application, we ask what rate you would like to pay. We also offer the option of naming a different amount from the three options above.
Payment Methods: To reduce overhead costs and payment delays, we prefer e-transfer or EFT payments. If neither of these work for you, the application asks you to name a different method of payment.
Invoicing: Our acceptance email will include an invoice with payment information. In the application, we also ask if you need the invoice addressed to someone other than you.
Payment Deadline: Payments must be received before the program starts.
Refund or Transfer Policy
Rooting Leadership is offered by two community-based facilitators who depend on a minimum expected revenue to host this program. Given this:
- Program fees are non-refundable. All program participants will receive recordings of the training.
- If you cannot participate, you may be able to transfer your registration to a different participant, and we may be able to help you find another participant.
- If we need to cancel a session (due to unforeseen circumstances), we will do our best to reschedule for a later date. If you are unable to attend on the rescheduled date, or if we are not able to reschedule the session, then you will have the option to be partially refunded.
Access Information
- Participation: This is a high-engagement program! You will be asked to have your camera on to participate in pair, small group, and large group discussions. Most weeks will also have embodiment practices, always offered with options (including no requirements to have cameras on for this part of the session). At times, we will also offer the option to solo journal instead of joining a group discussion.
- Program Delivery: All sessions are hosted on Zoom using video, voice, and chat functions. Each session is 90 minutes long with a break.
- Captions, Transcripts, and Recordings: We will use Zoom captions for the sessions. Participants will also be able to download a transcript. You will receive a recording of each session, available for 30 days after the program ends.
- Accessibility: We ask questions in our application and intake form to understand your access needs and what supports you to participate meaningfully.
- Tech and access support: A tech and access support person will be present throughout the training to attend to any emergent needs.
Please email us at [email protected] with any questions or if the application format is a barrier for you and you’d rather share information in another format.
Application Process
Thanks for your interest in Rooting Leadership. We have created an application form to get to know you a bit more and to cover some logistical information. Once we receive your application, we will respond to you within 2-3 working days with an acceptance or follow-up questions. We ask that you confirm acceptance within a week. We are accepting participants on a rolling basis and the program has a limited number of spots.
Applications close on January 13th, 2025.
You can view a copy of the questions here. Please email us at [email protected] with any questions or if the application format is a barrier for you and you’d rather share information in another format.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do we mean by leaders?
While leadership can mean many things and many individuals are leaders in their communities, this program prioritizes non-profit leaders (e.g. ED’s, Directors, Managers) with responsibilities towards an organization’s decision-making systems and sustainability. This can include individuals who are on leave or taking a break between leadership roles. Regardless of role/title, this program is ideal for individuals that are or have been in roles that:
- Report to board of directors or similar governance structures;
- Have (in)direct staff reports; and/or
- Are responsible for leadership of organizational responsibilities (e.g. programming, finances, human resources, communication etc.).
I am a seasoned leader. Is this program for me?
Yes. If the invite speaks to you then this program is for you. This is not a traditional leadership development program. Program discussions are driven by participant experiences and embodied practices are designed for all leaders.
What do we mean by BIPOC?
This program is designed for non-profit leaders, prioritizing and centering the experiences of BIPOC folks. It is informed by our experiences as queer, brown settlers on Turtle Island / North America. We recognize that our embodiment limits our knowing of the lived experiences of Indigenous and Black folks. We also recognize the challenges/shortcomings of IBPOC/BIPOC and, more generally, race-based terminology. For this program, we are using this imperfect shorthand. In our application, we have opted to use an open-ended question to ask about identity to allow folks space to identify and share what they feel is important, and we welcome feedback.
Is the program only for BIPOC folks?
No. This program will ensure at least 60% of participants are BIPOC leaders, non-BIPOC folks are encouraged to apply. We also recognize that identification can feel complicated, including mixed race and white-presenting folks. We encourage you to share what is true for your experience.
I have never participated in a program focused on embodiment practice. What is embodied practice and is this program for me?
Yes. Building an embodied practice is about learning the language of the body, and strengthening our awareness of how we have more than one way of accessing information. The practices are intended to be simple and accessible ways to be in connection with yourself for greater alignment between your values and actions. The experience of coming into relationship with our bodies is different for everyone, and is a life-long process. The practices are designed to meet you where you are in your journey today.
Is there anyone for whom this program would not be a good fit?
If you are in an active trauma state then this program would not be appropriate and we recommend working with a mental health professional. While the facilitators will support participants through practices, we are not psychotherapists.
How big is this group?
The group will be no more than 16 participants.
How much time do I need for this? Will there be homework?
Sessions are 90 minutes. Between sessions, you will reflect on a few introspective questions and continue an embodied practice.
How much will I be expected to engage?
This is a high-engagement program! You will be asked to have your camera on to participate in pair, small group, and large group discussions. Most weeks will also have embodiment practices, always offered with options (including no requirements to have cameras on for this part of the session). An explicit goal of this program is to build a mutually supportive community of practice.
Are sessions recorded? Can I access the content post-program?
Yes. Recordings will be available within 24 hours and participants will have access for 30 days after the course concludes.
What if I have to miss a session?
Sessions will be recorded and available for 30 days after the course concludes. However, if you anticipate you will miss the first session or more than 1 session, please wait for the next round.