A 6-week virtual program for leaders to strengthen embodied practice, self-awareness, and interdependence; to move away from cultures of urgency, scarcity, and competition.
April 9 – May 14, 2026 12:00 – 2:00 pm EST
+ May 28 12:00 – 1:00 pm EST community of practice session
“What we practice at the small scale sets the pattern for the entire system.” – Emergent Strategy, adrienne maree brown
Rooting Leadership is for leaders who feel the tension between the values we aspire to center and the constant pressures of urgency, scarcity, and overwhelm. It is a space to operate outside of our reactive state, to practice dreaming, and to try new things.
Rooting Leadership is designed as an antidote to the isolation of leadership. It focuses on (re-)learning and practicing embodiment to increase self-awareness, while strengthening interdependence and mutual support. Practice creates possibilities to lead in new ways.
The program is for leaders who want 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.
In our time together, we will explore how to:
- Practice interdependence to reduce isolation and competition
- Build comfort with change and uncertainty
- Let go of perfectionism, exceptionalism, and imposter syndrome
- Move away from appeasement and urgency culture
Weekly Focus
Week 1: What are we doing here?
Introducing frameworks and building relationships
Week 2: Why am I doing that?
Deepening understanding of disconnection and panic
Week 3: How can I do more of this?
Identifying and strengthening zones of connection and stretch; learning the language of the body
Week 4: What can I do when I get stuck?
Building comfort with uncertainty and change; how to work with urgency and doubt
Week 5: How can I become more of the leader I want to be?
Connecting with your inner leader
Week 6: How can I keep doing this?
Integrating Forward; How to bring these tools into your life and work
Bonus: 1 hour Community of Practice Session
If you are uncertain if this program is a good fit for you, email us at rootingleadership@gmail.com.
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 leaders to move beyond traditional archetypes that are rooted in white supremacy, cisheteropatriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism.
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 need practices to deepen embodied leadership presence for a stronger mind-body connection. We also need spaces to feel connection, support, and understanding. Together, these empower us to take risks and try new things.
Drawing on Taashi and Karishma’s professional experience, this program fosters a community of practice focused on mutual learning, collective imagining, and building interdependence to move theory into practical application in a supportive environment. Because understanding something mentally isn’t enough for real change, our work together is grounded in somatic and embodiment practices to ensure that learning is integrated and actionable.
Testimonials from past participants
“This program has allowed me to find ways to come back to myself as a leader and to learn how to listen and ask for what I need. I realize that’s an important part of leadership.”
“This program has supported me in my leadership journey in a way unlike any other. It reminded me that to be a good leader we must know ourselves well enough to know what ways of being leadership requires of us. So many of us are detached from our feelings and we don’t recognize how those feelings lead us to make decisions or act in ways that might not necessarily align with the kinds of leader we want to be. This program helped me merge the two and feel more aligned in myself and my leadership.”
“At the axis of late-stage capitalism and non-profit leadership, I’m hoping to see leadership that leans into systems change work. I hope to see leaders guided by an inner-compass rooted in connection and care. As co-facilitators, I find Karishma and Taashi’s approach complementary as it weaves together the skills needed to facilitate this change internally, so it may ripple out externally into our places of work and community. […] Thank you. This program was a gift.“
Why us? Who we are.
Karishma Kripalani (she/her)
I work with leaders and changemakers who are often close to, or already experiencing, burnout. These are often people who go above and beyond in their roles because the work they do in the world is an extension of their personal commitments. I wanted to create a program to support leaders to build connections, skills, and capacity to transform their relationships to this culture of burnout. Rooting Leadership is designed to equip you to create a sustainable and values-aligned work life. 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 for systems change. A nervous system specialist and professional coach, she supports individuals and groups to shift the things that are keeping them stressed and stuck, so that they can have more alignment, ease and joy.
Taashi Gupta (they/them)
I’ve spent the last few years healing and reconnecting with the practices that ground me, to recover from burn out as an Executive Director. What has sustained me most is deepening my embodiment and sense of community. As a Trans leader of colour, I often lacked spaces where I could feel safe and supported, which made the journey even more isolating. That’s why I created a program that brings leaders – especially BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ leaders – together to feel resourced, connected, and hopeful about shifting our cultures toward our shared values.
Bio
Taashi Gupta (they/them) has spent the last 20+ years facilitating organizational and individual change focused on fostering environments 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.
What does it cost?
This program is designed as a 12 – hour professional and personal development opportunity for leaders, with the assumption that your participation will be partially or fully covered through your organization.
The full cost for this program is $950.
Many organizations and individuals are experiencing funding constraints at this time. In recognition of this, the pricing structure for this program is based on an equity sliding scale model.
The sliding scale rate is $600 – $1,250.
Please use the guide below to determine your rate.
Consider contributing MORE on the scale if:
- Your organization has dedicated budgets to cover professional development or conference attendance
- The highest-paid person in your organization makes over $60,000/year (FTE)
- You comfortably meet your basic needs
- You have access to family resources or own your home
- You benefit from social or economic privilege (e.g. education, race, gender, class)
Consider contributing LESS on the scale if:
- Your organization does not have dedicated budgets for professional development or conference attendance
- The highest-paid person in your organization is paid less than $60,000/year (FTE), or your organization has no paid staff
- Your organization is led by/for BIPOC communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, newcomers, working class communities, and/or disabled communities
- You struggle to meet basic expenses or have significant debt
- You cannot afford time off due to financial constraints
This sliding scale is inspired by AORTA and the “Green Bottle” sliding scale model by Alexis J. Cunningfolk.
Currency: Program pricing is in USD. Equitable pricing applies for Canadian residents and organizations (e.g. US residents pay USD 950; Canadian residents pay 950 + HST)
Payment Methods: Payment can be made by e-transfer or EFT for Canadian payments, or Zelle for American payments. A 3% processing fee applies to credit card payments and payment plans.
Invoicing: Your acceptance email will include an invoice or link to process payment. Please indicate in the application if the invoice should be addressed to someone other than you.
Payment Plans: Payment plans are available. Let us know in the form if you would like a plan.
Refund Policy: Rooting Leadership is offered by two community-based facilitators who depend on a minimum expected revenue to host this program. Program fees are non-refundable. If we need to cancel a session due to unforeseen circumstances, we will 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 (and no requirement 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 two hours long and includes 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 intake form to understand your access needs and what supports you to participate meaningfully.
What You get
- 6 weeks of skill-building, tools and practices to feel more resourced and aligned in your leadership
- Connection and community with other non-profit leaders who get it
- Individual support through small group coaching with other participants
- Mind-body practices to go beyond the surface and to ground your learning
- An additional community of practice to support integration after the program
- A resource document with activities and recordings of the somatic practices
Application
The application form will help us get to know you a bit more, cover some logistical information, and ensure this program is a good mutual fit.
You can view a copy of the questions here. Please email us at rootingleadership@gmail.com with any questions or if the application format is a barrier for you and you’d rather share information in another format.
Applications close on March 24, 2026.
We are considering participants on a rolling basis and the program has a limited number of spots. We will respond to you within a week of receiving your application.
Frequently Asked Questions
While leadership can mean many things and many individuals are leaders in their communities, this program prioritizes 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, or individuals looking to take on organizational leadership roles. Regardless of role/title, this program is ideal for individuals that are or have been in roles that:
- Are responsible for leadership of organizational responsibilities (e.g. programming, finances, human resources, communication etc.);
- Have (in)direct staff reports; and/or
- Report to board of directors or similar governance/accountability structures.
Yes. This is not a traditional leadership development program. Program discussions are driven by participant experiences and embodied practices are designed for all leaders. If the invite speaks to you, then this program is for you.
While the majority of participants in the program are likely to be current leaders, learnings from Rooting Leadership can be beneficial for those looking to take on leadership roles. If you feel like this would be a meaningful space for you, you are welcome to apply.
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.
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.
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.
A community of practice is a collaborative space where individuals with similar experiences (in this case, organizational leaders) share knowledge, exchange ideas, and offer support. It is an opportunity to build mutually interdependent relationships, reduce the isolation experienced by many leaders, and strengthen learning.
Sessions are two hours every week. Between sessions, you will be provided self-reflection questions to go deeper into that week’s content.
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.
This group will be no more than 20 participants.
Yes. Recordings will be available within 24 hours and participants will have access for 30 days after the course concludes. You will also receive a document with all the resources shared during the program.
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.
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.
Grounding Solutions 