Drawing on more than 25 years of leadership experience, Chris offers a grounded perspective on the gap between how leaders intend to show up and how others actually experience them. He shares how his own leadership journey shifted when he began asking a simple but transformative question:

How do I want to be as a leader?

This conversation moves beyond generic leadership advice and one-size-fits-all practices. Instead, Jeff and Chris examine how leaders can develop their own leadership philosophy, recognize the influence of systems and workplace cultures, and use self-awareness to make more intentional choices in difficult moments.

Together, they unpack the role of curiosity, the importance of acknowledging harm, and why apology and repair can strengthen relationships rather than undermine authority. They also explore how leaders can create environments where people feel safe to make mistakes, speak honestly, and contribute without constantly second-guessing themselves.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why sincere curiosity is essential for healthier relationships and teams
• How leaders can close the gap between their intentions and their impact
• Why individual accountability and systemic responsibility must be held together
• How acknowledging harm and apologizing can repair and strengthen relationships
• Why leaders should model that mistakes can be addressed rather than hidden
• How a leadership charter can clarify how you want to show up
• Why self-care, reflection, and awareness of power are essential to effective leadership

If you’re a leader navigating workplace dysfunction, strained relationships, fear of mistakes, or the gap between your intentions and your impact, this episode offers practical tools and a powerful reframe: effective leadership begins by getting clear on who you want to be, then paying attention to how others experience you.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Drawing on his experience working with leaders and teams, Nic offers a nuanced perspective on team-based decision-making: not as a choice between individual authority and group consensus, but as a practice that can be intentionally designed around purpose, accountability, inclusion, and context.

This conversation moves beyond the assumption that every decision needs either one leader or the entire team. Instead, Jeff and Nic examine the complexity of deciding who decides, how power shapes participation, and why collaboration can sometimes become a substitute for accountability.

Together, they unpack how unclear decision-making processes create resistance, backchannel conversations, perfectionism, and organizational stuckness - and how teams can create more adaptive, equitable, and effective ways to move forward.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why team-based decision-making often swings between over-involvement and under-involvement
• How to clarify who owns a decision and who needs to be involved
• The difference between information gathering, consultation, and decision-making
• Why collaboration should support accountability rather than replace it
• How power dynamics can silence voices and cause people to acquiesce
• Why “good enough for now” and “safe to try” can lead to better decisions
• How consent differs from consensus and helps teams avoid perfectionism
• The value of separating problem framing, input, solutioning, and decision-making
• How safe-to-fail experiments help teams navigate complexity
• Why noticing your team’s decision-making patterns is the first step toward change

If you’re a leader navigating slow decisions, unclear ownership, power dynamics, or team-wide stuckness, this episode offers practical frameworks and a powerful reframe: you may not have a decision-making problem - you may have a decision-design problem.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

And for more learning opportunities with The Ally Co. and our trusted partners (both virtual and in-person), you can head over to this website. Now on with today's show! We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Vinciane de Pape for a deeply practical conversation about creating more equitable and inclusive workplaces through systems-focused DEI work.

Vinciane is a DEI consultant and leader who spent nearly a decade in the tech industry before pivoting to help organizations build genuinely equitable cultures. In this episode, she joins us in exploring the real challenges leaders face when trying to move beyond performative DEI initiatives toward meaningful, lasting change.

Together, we dig into:

👉 Why so many DEI efforts feel performative, checkbox-oriented, or disconnected from real organizational change

👉 How the "DEI industrial complex" created a cottage industry of training solutions that avoid the hard systems-level work

👉 The hidden ways well-intentioned policies (unlimited vacation, open communication norms) can unintentionally harm marginalized employees

👉 How structural issues like DEI being buried in HR departments limit the scope and authority of equity work

👉 The critical role power dynamics play in psychological safety, voice, and whether people feel safe raising concerns

👉 What successful equity work actually requires: time, resources, and leadership buy-in from the top

👉 How middle managers and individual leaders can drive meaningful change within their sphere of influence

👉 Why mentorship and sponsorship aren't the same thing—and how to do both well

👉 The importance of leaders examining their own role in creating cultures where people don't feel safe to voice dissent

👉 Practical strategies for slowing down and creating space for reflection in hustle-driven workplaces

This conversation is an honest look at the gap between DEI intentions and impact, especially in organizations where leadership genuinely wants to do better, but systemic barriers, time constraints, and lack of clarity about what real change looks like get in the way.

Interested in joining a community of impact-conscious leaders, levelling up their power awareness, communication and leadership skills? Check out The Co. here.

Daniel is the co-author of You Can Manage: A Practical Guide to Becoming the Manager Everyone Wants and a leadership consultant with a deep passion for helping organizations become places where people can thrive. In this episode, we explore why work so often falls short of its potential - and what managers can do to close the gap.

Together, we dig into;

👉 Why so many people feel disengaged at work (and why that matters for individuals, teams, and organizations)

👉 The surprising influence managers have on employee wellbeing, engagement, and performance

👉 Why most managers are promoted without training, and the challenges that creates

👉 The five essential practices of effective management: Start with You, Invest in People, Build the Team, Advance the Work, and Strengthen the Organization

👉 How managers can move beyond individual leadership and unlock the power of teams

👉 Why clarity, alignment, and accountability are foundational to healthy team culture

👉 Practical approaches to improving decision-making and reducing organizational bottlenecks

👉 How silos form, and what leaders can do to build stronger cross-functional relationships

👉 The difference between managing performance and enabling performance

👉 Why self-care isn't optional for leaders, and how your wellbeing directly impacts the people around you

This conversation is an honest exploration of what it takes to be an effective manager in today's workplaces. Daniel brings together research, real-world experience, and practical tools that managers can immediately apply to build stronger teams, healthier organizations, and more meaningful work experiences.

If you're a manager, aspiring leader, or someone responsible for helping teams perform at their best, this episode offers actionable insights, fresh perspectives, and a compelling reminder that great management is a skill that can be learned.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development community for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Monica is the Chair of the Department of Child Studies and Social Work and an Associate Professor at Mount Royal University. In this episode, she joins us (along with Nic Etheridge Calder) in real-time to workshop an upcoming full-day team meeting, exploring the very real challenges leaders face when trying to create meetings that are engaging, productive, and genuinely meaningful.

Together, we dig into; 👉 Why so many team meetings feel overloaded, unfocused, or performative 👉 How unclear purpose creates confusion, disengagement, and “meetings after the meeting.” 👉 The hidden role power dynamics play in participation, decision-making, and silence 👉 How leaders can design meetings that create both efficiency and authentic engagement 👉 The importance of balancing process, pace, and presence in group facilitation 👉 Practical strategies for increasing participation without forcing consensus 👉 Why designing for human connection is just as important as designing for outcomes 👉 How small, intentional shifts can dramatically improve team meetings over time

This conversation is an honest behind-the-scenes look at the complexity of leading collaborative spaces - especially in environments where relationships are strong, but underlying tensions or disengagement may still exist beneath the surface.

If you lead teams, facilitate meetings, or are trying to create spaces where people feel genuinely included, heard, and invested, this episode offers practical tools, thoughtful reflection, and a powerful reminder that great meetings rarely happen by accident. Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

In this episode of The Leaderful Podcast, we sit down with Christian Ortiz, an Afro-Indigenous decolonial social scientist, technologist, and founder of Justice AI GPT, the first decolonial AI framework designed to confront systemic bias at its roots. Drawing on decades of experience in digital transformation, systems thinking, and decolonial research, Christian explores how bias operates not just at an individual level, but as part of the invisible operating systems that shape our workplaces, relationships, leadership, and society.

This conversation dives into the intersections of power, language, bias, leadership, and AI - and what becomes possible when leaders begin questioning the systems they’ve inherited rather than simply adapting to them.

Together, Jeff and Christian unpack how implicit conditioning shapes the way we lead, communicate, and make decisions, and why meaningful organizational change requires more than surface-level diversity initiatives or individual bias training.

In this episode, we explore: • Why bias is a systemic issue, not simply an individual problem • The difference between “implicit bias” and “implicit conditioning” • How language functions as power (and how it shapes organizational culture and policy) • Why AI tools can either reinforce systemic harm or help uncover it • How Justice AI GPT helps leaders identify hidden bias in communication, policies, and decision-making • The relationship between power, responsibility, and leadership • Why duality, nuance, and deep listening are essential leadership skills • How leaders can create more human-centred organizations without relying on shame or blame • The role of curiosity, self-awareness, and powerful questions in creating meaningful change

If you’re a leader navigating complexity, culture, equity, or organizational change - and you’re curious about how power and bias shape the systems around you - this episode offers a thoughtful, challenging, and deeply human conversation about what it means to lead with greater awareness and responsibility.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

This conversation moves beyond surface-level leadership advice and into the inner world of leaders: the parts of ourselves that drive behaviour, the emotions we avoid, and the patterns that quietly shape our teams.

Together, we explore how developing emotional intelligence isn’t a solo pursuit, but a collective, relational practice - and how leaders can create the conditions for more honest, human, and effective collaboration.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why emotional intelligence is a foundational (and learnable) leadership skill
• How Internal Family Systems (IFS) can help leaders understand their inner “parts” and patterns
• The impact of culture and history on leadership styles and assumptions
• Why self-awareness is a team sport, not an individual exercise
• How leaders can shift from “expert” to facilitator to unlock team intelligence
• Creative approaches to team development, including role play, somatic awareness, and even music

If you’re a leader navigating complexity, culture, or change - and are ready to look inward as a path to leading outward more effectively - this episode offers both practical insight and a powerful reframe of what leadership really requires.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Learn more here (spring and fall 2026 dates available).

In this episode of The Leaderful Podcast, we sit down with Nic Etheridge Calder and Laura Istead to explore one of the most critical (and often overlooked) dynamics in the social impact sector: the relationship between boards and executive teams.

Drawing on their lived experience as board members, executive leaders, and advisors, Nic and Laura unpack what gets in the way of alignment, why even well-intentioned boards struggle, and what it takes to build trust, clarity, and shared purpose at the top of an organization.

This conversation moves beyond governance models and into the real, human dynamics that shape board effectiveness - power, communication, expectations, and culture. From disengaging meetings and unclear roles to overfunctioning board members and under-supported executive directors, we explore the patterns that quietly undermine impact, and the practical ways leaders can begin to shift them.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why boards must be treated as teams (and what happens when they aren’t)
• The hidden power dynamics that shape board-executive relationships
• Common patterns that lead to misalignment, disengagement, and tension
• How to build trust through curiosity, vulnerability, and shared expectations
• The real organizational cost of a disconnected or ineffective board
• Simple practices that create stronger meetings, better decisions, and deeper alignment

If you’re a board member, executive director, or leader navigating complexity in the nonprofit sector, this episode offers grounded insights and practical tools to help you build a more aligned, effective, and human-centred leadership system.

Learn more about The Co. -> a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Check out The Aligned Board -> a workshop for nonprofit board members to align their good intentions with their impact on the organization and team they support.

Together, we unpack the “6 P’s of High-Impact Meetings” - a simple but powerful framework for transforming meetings from routine, mediocre time-fillers into intentional, engaging, and outcome-driven spaces. This conversation goes beyond agendas and logistics, diving into the deeper dynamics that shape how teams gather, make decisions, and collaborate.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why most meetings fail (and how lack of clarity around purpose quietly derails outcomes)

• How to rethink inclusion and ensure the right people (not just more people) are in the room

• The hidden influence of power dynamics - and how they shape who speaks, who stays silent, and what decisions get made

• Why facilitation is a critical leadership skill, not an optional add-on

• How presence, energy, and pace can make or break a meeting’s effectiveness

• Practical ways to redesign your meetings so they lead to real clarity, ownership, and action

If you’ve ever left a meeting wondering what was accomplished - or sensed that your team is capable of more than what shows up in the room - this episode offers a clear, actionable framework to rethink how you gather and lead.

Learn more about The Co. -> a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Drawing on decades of experience, Amanda shares a deeply nuanced perspective on power - not as something we possess, but as a dynamic present in every interaction - and how this shift can fundamentally change the way we lead and relate.

This conversation moves beyond simplified, binary thinking and into the complexity of real leadership: the tensions between vulnerability and responsibility, the impact of power differentials, and the importance of cultivating what Amanda calls “right relationship.”

Together, we unpack how our assumptions about power shape our behaviour, our organizations, and ultimately, our ability to build trust and navigate conflict in meaningful ways.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why understanding power as a dynamic (not a possession) changes everything

• The concept of “right relationship” and why it’s never a fixed state

• How leaders can balance vulnerability with responsibility (and why both matter)

• The hidden ways power shows up through roles, status, and systems

• Practical ways to distribute power more equitably without losing accountability

• The importance of slowing down to examine mental models and assumptions

• Why doing this work in a community, not alone, is essential

If you’re a leader navigating complexity, power dynamics, or cultural change, this episode offers a powerful reframe and practical insights to support more conscious, human-centred leadership.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Drawing on his experience guiding rapidly growing municipalities, Mike shares candid insights about leadership under pressure - where competing stakeholder expectations, rapid growth, and public accountability collide. From navigating the tension between collaboration and decisiveness to building cultures of accountability in human-centred organizations, this conversation explores what it really takes to lead when the work is messy, political, and deeply consequential.

Together, we unpack the subtle dynamics that shape leadership teams: the discomfort of using power responsibly, the risks of consensus-driven decision-making, and the importance of creating clear expectations for behaviour and performance.

This conversation moves beyond leadership theory and into the practical realities of building mature, high-performing teams in complex systems.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why consensus-based decision making can quietly erode accountability

• The hidden risks of prioritizing process over outcomes in public organizations

• How leaders can balance collaboration with decisive action

• Why effective teams must develop a tolerance for “messiness” and discomfort

• The difference between welcoming people and accepting all behaviours

• Why accountability is one of the greatest forms of respect a leader can offer

If you lead in government, nonprofits, or any mission-driven organization, this episode offers grounded wisdom about building cultures that are both human-centred and high-performing.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development community for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Drawing on decades of experience leading in complex, high-risk environments, James shares grounded insights on decision-making, trust, accountability, and culture - and what leaders in any sector can learn from emergency services.

This conversation moves beyond theory and into the lived realities of leadership: the moments that test us, the habits that shape culture, and the responsibilities that come with authority.

In this episode, we explore:

• How leaders can balance decisiveness with humanity and care

• Why feedback must be normalized long before problems arise

• The hidden leadership failures behind many performance issues

• How culture change really happens — and why it can’t be forced

• The role of humility, awareness, and presence in building trust

If you’re a leader navigating complexity, growth, or change, this episode offers practical wisdom you can apply immediately.

Learn more about The Co. -> a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Virginia and Denise share Hull’s evolution from a primarily campus-based care model to a broad continuum focused on early intervention, prevention, and building resilience within families, communities, and systems. Rather than positioning Hull as the answer to every challenge, they articulate a clear commitment to building capacity across the sector, so fewer families require intensive interventions.

The conversation also explores Hull’s leadership and culture work with The Ally Co., which began as a search for leadership training and quickly became something deeper. They reflect on the importance of slowing down, co-creating leadership development that truly fits the organization, and having honest conversations about power, intention, and impact. Shared language, reflective practice, and relationship-centred leadership emerge as critical levers for culture change.

Zooming out, the episode tackles persistent nonprofit sector challenges - burnout, retention, system overload, and competing demands - and offers a hopeful, practical case for more intentional, collaborative, and power-conscious leadership.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders working in trauma-exposed, mission-driven environments who want their leadership to reflect the care, dignity, and outcomes they’re striving to create.

🔍 Also covered in this episode:

• Translating evidence-based and clinical models into everyday practice

• Why intention vs. impact is a core leadership skill

• How shared language shapes culture and accountability

• The role of leadership development in reducing burnout and supporting retention

• Why early intervention and prevention matter for long-term impact

Learn more about The Co. -> a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders. 

Ian describes how the initial engagement with The Ally Co. was intended to solve for communication and power dynamics within the team. However, the work quickly revealed a more fundamental problem: an artificial alignment and misalignment in the company's direction and people's roles. This revelation forced Ian to confront the brutal facts and make a difficult, but necessary, decision for the good of the organization.

Drawing on his philosophy that success hinges on getting the "human bit right" , Ian unpacks the difference between a team that is merely surviving versus one that is truly thriving. He passionately argues against the term "soft skills," noting that they are, in fact, the hardest skills to master and are the fundamental ingredients for business success. This conviction is the driving force behind his new venture, Forge Works Advisory, which helps founders and owners build enduring strength and high-performing human systems.

You'll hear a mature perspective on how difficult outcomes—like moving on from a company you love—can often be the right outcomes. This conversation is a must-listen for any founder, CEO, or leader who feels their company isn't "clicking," even with a clear strategy and vision.

🔍 Also covered in this episode:

• The signs of organizational dysfunction like pre-meetings, water cooler chat, and venting.

   

• The difference between a "playbook" consulting approach and a more consultative, human-centric engagement.

   

• How to create a "safe space" for team members to share without fear of retribution.

   

• The crucial importance of hiring for fit over being 100% technical acumen.

   

• Why Ian calls for a new term to replace "soft skills".

   

• How Forge Works Advisory helps companies define their needs before making huge investments in full-time roles like a COO.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Drawing on decades of combined experience, Tina and Pablo explore what keeps founders from scaling effectively, and why bringing in a fractional COO can be a game-changer. You'll hear real stories of founders hitting their limits, the importance of reconnecting to values, and why “being nice” can sometimes be a leadership liability.

They also share how fractional roles—when done right—can bring clarity, structure, and renewed focus to growing teams, and how trusted advisors can serve as the mirror founders often need to move forward.

🔍 Also covered in this episode:

• What ego and fear have to do with founder burnout
• The value of trusted advisors vs. tactical consultants
• How misaligned values create friction—and how to fix it
• What it really means to “fall back in love” with your business
• The difference between people-pleasing and service-oriented leadership
• Signs it might be time to bring in a fractional COO

Whether you’re running a fast-growing startup or supporting one from the inside, this episode is filled with hard truths and compassionate strategies to help you grow—without losing yourself along the way.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

Nogol shares her journey from engineering to exploring what makes teams thrive, and how a pivotal moment sparked her obsession with inclusion, team dynamics, and performance. Together, she and Jeff explore what psychological safety really is (and what it’s not), how it impacts learning and innovation, and how leaders can create conditions for candor, trust, and contribution.

You’ll hear practical tips for fostering psychological safety in meetings, rituals to open space for team voices, and the subtle habits that either build or erode trust on teams. Plus, Nogol shares why human skills are more important than ever in the age of AI—and how leaders can embrace intentional, human-centred transformation.

🔍 Also covered in this episode:

• Common myths about psychological safety

• What to look for in teams with low safety

• Simple meeting rituals that boost trust

• The connection between inclusion and innovation

• Why culture work is all about daily behaviors, not big pronouncements

Whether you're a CEO, a people manager, or just curious about creating better team environments, this episode offers real-world strategies to bring psychological safety from theory to practice.

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

They discuss some of the reasons people struggle to request and receive meaningful feedback through typical performance review processes and present an opportunity to approach this important growth process differently.  

Along the way, Pablo and Jeff take us through TACO’s Leadership Impact 360° client journey, exploring how intentional design and facilitation can help participants: 

• Engage in feedback discussions that (truly) help 

• Identify alignments and gaps that currently exist in different relationships  

• Focus in on what’s most important to them 

• Take action to make measurable progress 

• Deepen connection and trust in their relationships 

The Leaderful Podcast explores the use of power within teams and organizations, through the stories and perspectives of impact-conscious leaders who are disrupting outdated thinking, systems, and ways of working. 

Have an idea for other topics you think we should be exploring? We’d love to hear it! Here’s where you can find us:  

Website 

Email 

LinkedIn 

In this episode, Saphina and Erin sit down with Co.CEOs Jeff and Pablo to talk about how they’re working to help people operationalize their power within the workplace to create individual and systemic change.  

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Power dynamics 

• The CLEAR coaching model 

• For the Love of Men by Liz Plank (book)  

• Pay Up by Reshma Saujani (book) 

• Daily Stoic (newsletter) 

• Diary of a CEO (podcast) 

The Leaderful Podcast explores the use of power within teams and organizations, through the stories and perspectives of impact-conscious leaders who are disrupting outdated thinking, systems, and ways of working. 

Have an idea for other topics you think we should be exploring? We’d love to hear it! Here’s where you can find us:  

Website 

Email 

LinkedIn 

• Why change can be so hard for individuals, teams and organizations. 

• What leaders can do differently to operationalize their leadership and their power. 

• How neuroscience can help us build capacity for engaging in crucial conversations that lead to better outcomes.  

Also mentioned in this episode: 

• Impact assessments (our version of true 360° feedback reviews) 

• Trusted advising 

• Find Tammy on LinkedIn and learn more about Cortical Consulting and Coaching

The Leaderful Podcast explores human-centred, systems-conscious approaches to leadership and building high-functioning teams. We focus on the core problems of burnout, disconnection, conflict, misuses of power, unethical leadership and stuckness on teams and within organizations. 

Got an idea for other topics you think we should be exploring? We’d love to hear it! Here’s where you can find us:  

Website 

Email 

LinkedIn 

Lindsay Sheldrake is a wife, a mother, a project manager, a purpose-driven leader—and a trusted advisor at The Ally Co. 

Be sure to connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn!

The Leaderful Podcast explores human-centred, systems-conscious approaches to leadership and building high-functioning teams. We focus on the core problems of burnout, disconnection, conflict, misuses of power, unethical leadership and stuckness on teams and within organizations. 

Also mentioned in this episode: 

• Leadership support 

• The power dynamic (up-power and down-power) 

• Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) 

• The Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) framework 

Have suggestions for topics we should be exploring? We’d love to hear them!

Here’s where you can find us:  

Website 

Email (team@theallyco.world)

LinkedIn 

Some highlights from the conversation: 

⚡ Foundational Alignment & Leaderfulness -- Any meaningful change (e.g. developing adaptive capacity) requires power-based and systems-conscious leadership. The cultivation of awareness, skill, and alignment across organizational levels starts at the top.  

🔄 Purposeful Direction & Ways of Working -- Leaders must clearly communicate how values will be (and not be) operationalized, and what expectations they have of themselves and others in aligning organizational intention and impact. How a team works together - decision-making, feedback, meetings, etc. - should reflect its core values, priorities, and intended impact.  

🌟 Trusted Advising for Impact-Conscious Leaders -- TACO is focused on supporting leaders and teams who want to use their power to positively disrupt outdated thinking, systems, and ways of working. Our two core leadership archetypes are known as Courageous Activists and Supporting Sponsors.  

🧩 Getting Unstuck & Achieving Clarity -- TACO's Trusted Advisor work helps leaders and their teams to get unstuck by helping them to cultivate new levels of awareness, skill, and capacity. This involves exploring behavioral patterns, redesigning workflows and processes, and fostering deeper levels of connection and performance. 

----more----

Learn more about our work with impact-conscious leaders by visiting our website, joining the conversation on LinkedIn or dropping us a note at team@theallyco.world.

Listen in as they explore: 

• Co.CEO origins stories => Giving us insight into how Emily and Jessica's personal backgrounds and experiences helped shape their leadership and operational philosophies at Learning for Action. 
• Equity-Grounded Leadership => Integrating attention to power, privilege, and identity to better serve our diverse communities. 
• Data-Informed Decision-Making => Staying conscious of an over-reliance on quantitative methods, and valuing participatory and qualitative data. 
• Relational Integrity => Working from the inside-out to develop alignment through equitable practices that foster healthy tension and debate and inform purposeful direction. 
• The Direction of Social Sector Consulting => Sharing thoughts on how consulting practices can evolve to better support learning, effectiveness, and equity in the social sector. 

About Jessica and Emily

Jessica Xiomara García is a dedicated advocate for racial equity and social justice with over fifteen years of experience at LFA. She excels in directing research projects, facilitating engagements, and providing diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting. Jessica brings a deep expertise in youth development, women’s empowerment, and environmental education. 

Emily Boer Drake brings twenty years of nonprofit and philanthropic sector experience, specializing in learning systems, capacity building, and evaluation frameworks. Emily's expertise lies in understanding organizational dynamics, implementing learning questions, and customizing learning systems to match organizational culture and resources. 

Thank you for tuning in!

• Find us on LinkedIn
• Explore our model for leaderful workplace cultures
• Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero  

Consultant, designer and strategist in the field of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Denyelle Fraser, joins our Co.CEO Jeff Couillard to discuss the opportunities and challenges of leading sustainable and systems-conscious change and transformation projects with an EDI focus.

Listen in as they explore:

• The importance of moving beyond EDI check-box initiatives
• The value of centering the voices and perspectives of the people being served
• Denyelle's experience helping teams design and deliver more equitable and just services
• The Onion Tool from Community Wise Resource Centre

About Denyelle

As an equity-based designer, Denyelle brings a unique perspective to the table, focusing not only on driving systems change using innovative approaches, but also on designing for equity and social impact. She has a deep understanding of the ways in which design can be used as a tool for creating positive social change and is committed to using her skills to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion into all aspects of an organization. Outside of her work, Denyelle is a textbook introvert that values family time with her husband and 2 yr old. A true Torontonian at heart, still adjusting to "Yahoo" since her move to Calgary in 2021. And a lover of "mockumentary" style tv sitcoms. 

Connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Listen in as they explore:

• The importance of 'challenger safety' 
• How coaching is for everyone - not just neurodivergent employees
• How to make sense of common terminology
• Dave's experience helping teams foster more meaningful connection and neuro-friendly workplaces

About Dave

As Director of Strategic Programs for Potentia, Dave supports companies in becoming more neuroinclusive through training on best practices, as well as recruiting and providing ongoing support to neurodistinct professionals. His work is fed by a desire to see the world of work continue to evolve through increased opportunity, flexibility, empathy, acceptance, and support for neurodistinct professionals. He believes that diversity, including neurodiversity, makes the world of work a better, more productive, innovative and understanding place. Outside of his work, Dave is a proud father, husband and punk rocker. 🎸

Find him on LinkedIn here.

• Find us on LinkedIn
• Explore our upcoming Transformational Leadership workshops
• Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero

• Find us on LinkedIn
• Explore our upcoming Transformational Leadership workshops
• Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero

• Find us on LinkedIn
• Explore our upcoming Transformational Leadership workshops
• Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero

• Find us on LinkedIn
• Explore our model for leaderful workplace cultures
• Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero  

• Find us on LinkedIn
• Learn more about our Transformational Impact model
• Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero  

• Find us on LinkedIn
• Learn more about our Transformational Impact model
• Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero

Learn more about The Co. → a leadership development opportunity for impact-conscious and power-curious leaders.

A bit more about Jennifer - she currently leads Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Forever 21 where she drives organizational growth and development through the organization's most valuable resource - people. She is committed to expanding equity and access by directly supporting historically marginalized communities. Jennifer has experience building DEI strategies, assessing culture, standing up Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and creating wellness programs to increase employee engagement, psychological safety, and satisfaction.

Jennifer is committed to growing organizations to be better tomorrow than they were today. Additionally, she has lived, worked, and conducted research in six countries! Jennifer currently resides in Los Angeles and is a single mom to a child with multiple disabilities.

• Chronic burnout
• Deep stuckness
• Cultural disconnection
• Unhealthy conflict
• Unsafe environments
• Shitty communication

Learn more about The Ally Co. and the work we do do to help teams overcome these challenges at our website.