BridgePeople is getting a new look! We are now two years old, and we are delighted to reintroduce ourselves. BridgePeople was born in 2019 in response to the very deep and palpable divisions across our society, fueled by dominant and toxic leadership models, and by the dehumanizing myths of scarcity, superiority, and separation. Those of us who work to advance the social good know that it does not have to be this way. We hold the collective power to transform the systems that oppress, dominate, separate, and dehumanize too many of us.
BridgePeople partners with socially-minded leaders and organizations ready and committed to eradicating all forms of injustice through cross-cultural relational competencies, human-centered culture transformation, and inclusive and embodied leadership development.
Our vision for the future is a network of interconnected, culturally competent local, regional, and global leaders who are accountable to the communities they serve and are willing to boldly shift power to eradicate the root causes of poverty and injustice.
Our new 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. We intend to demonstrate that according to global Indigenous wisdom, our world was built with sufficient resources to meet everyone’s needs (barring hoarding by the few.) Despite current and historical powerful opposition and backlash against justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, we are persistently optimistic that by relying on radical love and our shared humanity as tools, and working hand-in-hand with those most impacted, we will create a more just, equitable, and verdant 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 and radical love.
The BridgePeople Approach meets organizations exactly where they are, works to deepen relationships, and then builds upon those relationships to challenge the status quo. Because every client has different needs, we customize our services and co-create culturally appropriate methods that drive the organization towards transformation.
While every client is different, our services normally fall within these three categories of services:
Facilitated Dialogue, Workshops, and Retreats
Our signature workshop is called “Beyond Diversity & Inclusion, Towards Equity, Belonging, and Justice” and it is the starting point for most of our clients. We help clients understand why D&I is just the starting point, and that our end goal must be equity and justice. This learning experience leverages approaches for collective healing and is customized to each client’s unique needs. Normally this workshop includes:
Developing shared language for conversations across differences
Exploring the historical context to create a common understanding of existing problems and conflict legacies
Reflecting on our own contributions to systemic injustice, as individuals and in our relationships, including self-love, compassion, and forgiveness
Developing agreements for racial dialogue and other difficult conversations
Nurturing relationships that move us towards collaborative problem-solving and creative non-violent conflict
Other learning experiences the BridgePeople Network offers include:
Emergent strategy: Leading through change
Non-violent communication and conflict resolution
Facilitating equitable, effective, and inclusive meetings
Developing and aligning to your organizational values
Inclusive decision-making for leaders
Advancing accountability within teams
Dismantling white supremacy culture and anti-Blackness in the workplace
Liberating organizations: Creating alternatives to a culture of domination
Decolonizing aid: Improved equity practices across borders
New leaders boot camp
Having difficult conversations
Leading with equity and emotional intelligence
Building your leadership coaching skills
Resilience in the midst of change, uncertainty, and growth
Leading generative and productive conflict
Leading remote teams equitably
Strategic Consulting and Culture Transformation
In order to see an authentic shift in your organization’s equity, belonging, and justice commitments, a culture transformation is needed. Organizations desiring to advance racial and social justice must be willing to integrate equity best practices into every part of their strategic plan and the organization’s DNA. We partner with our clients to move conversations beyond the superficial, and toward deep engagement with key stakeholders to center the needs and perspectives of those most impacted by systemic racism.
Some of the consulting services we offer include:
Culture transformation: Creating a culture of equity
Strategic planning, including culturally appropriate stakeholder engagement
Customized communications strategies
Audits of organizational communications, policies, and practices
Development of systems and processes
Change management and equitable decision-making
Executive Coaching for Inclusive Leadership
We support inclusive leaders in defining their own success and creating a plan to get there, while providing accountability and partnership along the way. Additionally, we equip emerging and executive leaders to facilitate culturally appropriate honest and productive dialogue on equity, diversity, and inclusion that fosters relationships and helps everyone be seen and heard.
Some of the executive coaching services we offer include:
Leading with equity at the center
Global, regional, and local cultural competencies
Leading through change, conflict, or crisis
Spiritual and emotional support for social justice leaders
Inner peace and self-knowledge practices
Executive action and learning plans
BridgePeople’s Theory of Change proposes that:
In order to create social change and advance justice in the world, we have an urgent need for reimagining justice-centered leadership models in all sectors and at every level of an organization, in every country where we work. We exist not only to change the “face” of leadership, but also to change how leaders operate: in integrity with our shared values and in relationship with and accountability to those whom we serve.
Organizations that consistently live their values internally are best positioned to expand their impact externally. Organizations where staff from all cultural backgrounds, abilities, and identities feel a sense of contribution and belonging are much more impactful and effective at delivering on their vision and mission.
Indigenous, African, Eastern, and other non-Western cultural and leadership approaches are necessary and helpful in dismantling white supremacy culture, power imbalances, and cultures of domination in the workplace (in the office and in the field) to create environments of equity, belonging, representation, and self-agency for all.
Leaders that deeply understand and adequately represent the communities they serve are more effective, impactful, and committed to persevering against systems and structures that perpetuate harm, and to going beyond superficial symptoms to eradicate the root causes of poverty and injustice.
We believe we can transform prevalent leadership models FROM homogenous, profit-maximizing, planet-devastating, toxic, hierarchical models TO diverse, embodied, emergent, fluid, life-honoring, and trauma-informed strategies, in tandem with healing-centered models that prioritize people and planet over profits. We reject the lie that prioritizing people or the planet is in opposition to profits or impact. On the contrary, we intend to demonstrate that protecting and prioritizing marginalized staff and communities is the smartest investment an organization committed to positive social change can make.
We would be delighted to partner with you on your journey towards equity, belonging, and justice. For an introductory consultation with BridgePeople, please contact us through our website, or via email at operations@bridgepeople.us. And check out our new look on our website! :-)