"This experience was a great mix of learning, processing with a small group, and planning for action. I loved the articles, podcasts, and videos we interacted with, and especially the opportunity to really carve out the time and focus on this content for myself. It felt like a gift!"
— Education Consultant
WHAT participants SAY
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Is this course right for me?This series is designed as a learning experience for white and white presenting leaders who seek to deepen their lived commitment to antiracism in community with others. We engage in the internal work of rigorously reflecting on our impact as well as the external work of engaging responsibly and thoughtfully on issues of race and equity. What if I haven’t engaged in learning/training on antiracism before? There are no prerequisites in terms of learning experiences or training for this series. However, our work together is rooted in an understanding that white supremacy and systemic racism shape our history and our lived experience and that practicing antiracism as white leaders requires both rigorous self-examination and informed action. What if I’ve engaged in learning/training on antiracism before? Many participants who have engaged in previous trainings have found this course to be invaluable in their ongoing antiracism journeys. Specifically, they have appreciated the opportunity to deepen their awareness and skills while building relationships through accountability practice groups, as well as learning new tools while reinforcing familiar concepts.
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Why do this with other white and white presenting leaders?Increasingly, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) leaders are encouraging white and white presenting colleagues to do their own work (before or in addition to) engaging in multi-racial dialogues. White affinity spaces provide spaces to learn, self-reflect and be lovingly challenged to live in greater alignment with our beliefs - without doing harm to our BIPOC colleagues in the process.
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What will we cover?As a member of this learning community you will: Build knowledge about the role that white supremacy has played in our history and our lived experience Understand and begin to examine how white supremacy functions in your leadership so that you can disrupt it Lean into the challenge and discomfort of engaging in antiracist work as a white leader Build skills in openly receiving feedback and lovingly challenging others Consider what responsible and sustained antiracist action looks like in your context Build capacity and community to sustain your practice
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What will be expected of me?WLWA is a collective learning experience. During the series you will be engaging with a large whole group (65+ people), in sections (14-16 people), in small practice partner groups (3-4 people), and in pairs. The practice partner groups will remain the same, to the extent possible given shifts in attendance session to session, so that you have an opportunity to build community with a small group throughout the entirety of the course. Since your participation in the course each week impacts the groups' collective experience, we ask that you attend a minimum of three sessions live and to watch the recording of any session that you miss. We also ask that you give us at least 48 hours notice if you cannot attend a session. To make the most of our time together, we ask participants to complete prework and reflections in advance each week. We know you have limited time, so we strive to make this a meaningful investment. We ask that you set aside two hours for prework prior to the first session and one hour for prework for each of the following weeks. We see this as a commitment to your own learning and the learning of our community and we appreciate your preparation and engagement. For more information about our expectations, we invite you to read our Community Agreement here.
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Who helped create the course materials?We give special thanks to our partner Lesley Brown Rawlings at Beloved Community for providing advisory support to ensure that our programming is centered in the perspectives of BIPOC experts in equity work.
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How much does this course cost?Our base participation fee is $250 or pay what you can afford.
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Who benefits from my participation fee?50% of the course proceeds will be dedicated to Black thought leaders who inform this work, to Beloved Community (a Black-led organization) for advising us on the work, and toward the development of offerings for BIPOC leaders. The other 50% covers the operational program costs and stipends to volunteer facilitators and coordinators.
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What if I can't afford the participation fee?Our base participation fee is $250 or pay what you can afford. If $250 is above your budget, please contact community.support@leadingelephants.com for further support. Note: Our “pay what you can afford” policy is designed for individuals paying out of pocket. For organizations in need of financial accommodation, please contact community.support@leadingelephants.com and we will set up a time to discuss your needs.
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Is my participation fee refundable?Program registration is non-transferable. You can cancel your registration up to 2 weeks before the registration deadline. There is a $50 cancelation fee. Cancelations after the 2 week period are non-refundable.
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I want to sign up 5+ people from my organization. Is this possible?Groups of 5+ people from the same organization take special care given the personal nature of Antiracism work. We're happy to work with you to make these accomodations and to give you a clear picture of what the experience will be like for people in your group. Please contact community.support@leadingelephants.com to start the registration process.
PERSONALIZED SUPPORTS
TO EMBED COURSE LEARNINGS IN YOUR LEADERSHIP
Individual Coaching
We believe we all must take action for anything to change. But it will look different for everyone.
“What is the biggest small action I can take today to interrupt inequity?” (Elena Aguilar)
Some leaders we find leave the course still germinating on the implications for their leadership. If you could use a thought partner to refine your thinking and articulate next steps for your leadership, our coaching package provides five (5) hours of individualized support.
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Before the Course Starts - Explore your work context, what challenges face you in leading for equity and what you hope to get out of the series (1 hour)
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Alongside the WLWA Series - Debrief the concepts / conversations from the sessions that are motivating and stretching you, and explore early ideas about implications for your leadership (two calls; 1 hour each)
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Post-Series Action Planning - Define what antiracism will look like in your personal leadership, and how you will continue to grow and reflect in your journey (2 hours)
Team Reflection & Application
We believe that we can move mountains working together.
”Leaders at every level must use their power, platforms and resources to overcome these challenges and build a better world for us all.” (HBR, Laura Morgan Roberts and Ella F. Washington)
WLWA is designed as a peer learning community where participants are motivated, challenged and opened up by conversations with colleagues from other organizations. Our application support provides six (6) hours of support with a team / the team leader to translate their reflections into action.
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Before the Course Starts - Explore your team’s context, hear what team members hope to get out of the series, and preview the arc of the sessions (30-60 minutes; team or team leader)
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Alongside the WLWA Series - Two debrief calls after Sessions 2 and 4 to share with one another concepts / conversations that motivated and stretched you, and explore early ideas about implications for your leadership and team (two calls; 1 hour each)
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Post-Series Action Planning - Two follow up conversations to articulate how antiracism can be embedded in your individual and collective actions (3 hours)
For teams that send participants across multiple cohorts, reach out at community.support@leadingelephants.com for us to tailor conversations for your WLWA participants.
Meet the Designers and facilitators
We give special thanks to our partner Lesley Brown Rawlings at Beloved Community for providing advisory support to ensure that our programming is centered in the perspective of BIPOC experts in equity work.
Marion Biglan
Marion is a Co-founder of Illuminate Collective and is passionate about developing racially conscious leaders and workplaces that bring about a just and equitable world. Marion brings to her practice over two decades of experience in education, human capital, and nonprofit leadership.
A certified coach through Coach Diversity Institute, Marion is the co-founder of a network of women who come together to build deeper relationships across race called Women in Community. Marion presented at the 2018 White Privilege Conference on “Whiteness at Work - How is Whiteness at Work in Your Leadership?” and is a guest lecturer on whiteness at Arcadia University.
Miwa Kamras
Miwa is a Co-founder of Illuminate Collective and works with leaders in the education and non-profit sectors.
Miwa is a certified coach through CoachDiversity Institute and brings experience as a classroom teacher, non-profit leader, and human capital partner to her work. She is passionate about building relationships, cultivating community, and developing leaders to maximize their impact. Throughout her career, she has partnered with a range of mission driven leaders and organizations to build more diverse and inclusive teams and to ensure that equity is the foundation of the work.
Amber Mackay
Amber is the Managing Director at Leading Elephants, and she is passionate about helping leaders thrive. She was first exposed to the transformative work at Leading Elephants as a coachee, and she loves to share how her ongoing journey toward greater human-centered leadership enriches her life.
Prior to working at Leading Elephants, Amber served as a leader in a fast-paced charter management organization working in K-12 education. She has led teams, served as a chief of staff in multiple capacities, and acted as a coach and advisor to leaders across the nation.
Michelle moore hernandez
Michelle is the CEO and Founder of Leading Elephants, a consulting coaching and training organization focused on building dynamic and impactful leadership, infusing inclusive change in organizations and creating thriving cultures that help people be their best together.
Prior to founding Leading Elephants, Michelle led leadership development for The Broad Center, advised schools in Africa and served as a partner in a global consulting firm across multiple geographies.