All protracted problems in our societies require solutions imagined and implemented by people in harmonious relationships with one another.
Distressed relationships hinder progress. Healed relationships make miracles possible. Building people power through solidarity is an integral step to social transformation.
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BridgePeople equips leaders and their teams to nourish relationships that heal divides, foster collaboration, promote solidarity, and build bridges towards healing, justice, and peace.
Our Story
In today's multicultural world, cultural competencies are no longer a nice addition, they are a foundational requirement for competent leadership and effective organizations.
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Around the world, leaders are recognizing the importance of holding space for difficult conversations about injustice, discrimination, and exclusion, and the importance of building cross-cultural competencies that allow for diverse teams to effectively communicate across differences and collaborate towards sustainable solutions. ​
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Our logo demonstrates our emphasis on people, because systems transformation requires people to transform—only a collection of committed individuals working together can change the world for good. We are committed to centering our shared humanity to uncover the truth about what is possible when we shatter the myths of superiority, scarcity, and separation, and instead center the power of love, faith, and compassion.
We intend to demonstrate that according to global indigenous wisdom, our world was built with sufficient resources to meet everyone’s needs. Despite the powerful historical and ongoing opposition and backlash against justice and equity, we are persistently optimistic that by relying on radical love, our shared humanity, and working hand-in-hand with those most impacted, we will create a more just, equitable, and peaceful world.
The BridgePeople Network partners with a diverse group of global independent consultants, with a broad set of professional and lived experiences, to expand our capacity and access wisdom from across many different communities and experiences. Our network partners are all deeply committed to our values of shared humanity, radical love, and advancing peace through justice.
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Meet the Founder
Itzbeth Menjívar, Founder & CEO
Itzbeth Menjívar has been building bridges between cultures in both the private and philanthropic sectors for more than 25 years.
For the first half of her career, she led international project teams at global accounting and consulting firms, advising executives of the world's largest multinational corporations and financial services firms on best practices to assess and mitigate risk. A deep calling to serve the very communities she came from, led her to Washington DC to pursue a graduate degree in International Development.
For over a decade Itzbeth built and deepened relationships across the Global South with the aim of promoting shared prosperity, equity, and justice. In November 2016, she awoke to the realization that equity and justice were also badly needed in the United States, shifting her perspectives on the international development field, and turning her focus towards her adopted home.
Itzbeth founded BridgePeople in 2019 with the hopes of partnering with leaders and organizations in uncovering and transforming the root causes of systemic racism, inequality, poverty, and injustice. BridgePeople has supported organizations big and small in transforming their cultures and structures to align better with their values and increase the effectiveness of their work.
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Originally from Panamá, Itzbeth identifies as a daughter, sister, spouse, friend, a person of deep faith, and as an Afro-Mayan Black woman. She is a dedicated student of different wisdom and faith traditions and she proudly advocates for interfaith solidarity and unleashing the power of love and consciousness in both secular and faith-based spaces. She has a degree in Finance from Florida International University, and a Masters of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She speaks four languages, and is an avid human, animal, nature, music, dance, arts, and food lover.
