Ford Foundation (BUILD)

Design and implementation of a 1-year wellbeing program in English and Spanish for 350 social justice organizations around the world.

Approach

With a team of global collaborators:

• Conducted 3 co-design sessions with over 60 participants (see summary of findings / resumen de hallazagos)

• Delivered 8 experiential workshops and 8 practice labs to nearly 900 participants on: burnout; embedding wellbeing policies and practices; hope, joy & play– honoring different wellbeing traditions and practices

• Facilitated 2 wellbeing cohorts over 3 months

• Provided 100,1-on-1 coaching sessions

• Developed a 6-week-long wellbeing challenge

• Offered 500 free subscriptions to the Calm app

Impact

The program offered great models for fostering connection, care, and practices to address wellbeing. Participants shared that they valued every level of engagement, thought, care, and skill that went into creating healing spaces. Many expressed that they were able to integrate wellbeing into their lives in meaningful ways. Our learning report offers greater insight into participants’ experience, along with barriers we continue to see at a systemic level. Read our 1-pager of funder recs and visit our Wellbeing Hub page for resources developed.

“I enjoyed being in community and practice with Ford BUILD grantees from around the world, it added a depth of learning and care that I didn't anticipate at the start. I'm grateful for the connections and the broadening of perspective this provided throughout the offerings."

"The facilitators were amazing! The quality of each workshop I attended was very high and I took away new learning that I could easily implement after. I'm grateful for these offerings."

"This cohort experience helped deepen my wellbeing practice and experiment with various healing modalities, such as movement and meditation, herbalism and food, and creative self-expression. I have never done so much for my self-care before. Most importantly, it gave me structure for a regular practice and a community of peers to journey with. It's been incredible."

—Various Program Participants

Stars Foundation / With and For Girls

Coaching of 15 nonprofit Executive Directors and award winners of With and For Girls across 15 countries in English and Spanish.

Approach

• Provided 9, 1-on-1 coaching sessions over 9 months to each Executive Director

• Coached on leadership, wellbeing, and activist burnout:

  • Clarified vision

  • Identified goals and blockers 

  • Provided homework and practices 

  • Custom-tailored an actionable Full Spectrum Life Vision

  • Grew skills in areas of greatest need 

Impact

Increased: self-awareness, calm, clarity, happiness, wellbeing, delegation, and communication skills

Decreased: judgment, guilt, stress, anxiety, overwhelm, control, and negativity

Executives shared that they felt more conscious, balanced, and effective as leaders. They expressed improvements in health, work, and personal relationships— which led to more sustainable activism. Overall, they shared that felt like better human beings. See Star’s article to promote the initiative and share results: The Importance of Funding Wellness.
 

“I feel more positive and assertive. I followed all the suggestions made by Carmen. I gave more time for self care and it helped me in critical thinking, making clear decisions and most importantly to look on the fun side of what we do. I organized life spectrum, wellness session with our colleagues and they loved it. Now, we all have our personal and professional plan and we are more open and supportive with each other. Furthermore, we listen to each other and look forward to introducing programming for mental well-being.”

“I feel I got a chance to talk to someone outside of my work circle about my state of health and stress which helped me offload. The changes were not much in my work or daily routine, but more in how I managed the stress of work and how I balanced self-care with work. I was able to manage anxiety and be less worried about challenges.”

—Various Executives

Tory Burch Foundation

Support of 50 women entrepreneurs during Kickoff week of their Fellowship Program.

APPROACH

• Created a safe container for sharing and learning

• Provided moments of mindfulness and reflection to enable women to absorb the energy and content of the intense week

• Opened and closed the week with inspirational sessions. Provided daily moments of mindfulness, movement, breathing, and visioning

• Small-group sessions on:

  • Vulnerability and courage

  • Self-care practices

  • Compassionate leadership

• Each Fellow was offered one coaching session to address any major challenge in her business or life

IMPACT

Women greatly appreciated and valued the moments of mindfulness. Some decided to engage in longer-term coaching since they found it so helpful. Many shared that they continue to implement the practices they learned during Kickoff week and have even shared with their families. 

“Carmen is delightful to work with and the daily mindfulness practices she customized to engage our Tory Burch Foundation Fellows resonated beyond measure. She is thoughtful and creative, and as an expert she takes the time to understand the client’s objectives which then produces measurable-and-energy-shifting results. I would recommend Carmen to anyone looking to integrate mindfulness coaching particularly in professional environments to heighten consciousness, connectivity, and presence. She knows how to design the right ingredients to align head and heart spaces. I will most likely hire Carmen to work with me again because her methodologies are applicable for one-on-one coaching or groups. She is magnetic because of her authenticity, and that really sets her apart from many experts.”

—Désirée Younge, VP Tory Burch Foundation

Exponential Medicine, Singularity University

Unique conference to explore the convergence of fast-moving technologies in the reinvention of health and medicine with 800+ attendees.

Talk called, “Exponentially Human,” to 800+ world-class faculty, innovators, and organizations from across the biomedical and technology spectrum.

Approach

• Shared how the process to become exponentially human is not about what we become, it’s about what we unbecome 

• Covered:

  • Top 3 sources of stress in the US

  • Cost of chronic disease— related to lifestyle, stress, diet— and its effect on individuals, corporations, and the economy

  • Linked these to social determinants of health— huge predictors of health

  • Provided 3 concrete strategies to uncover your Exponential Self

Impact

Audience was inspired by what this all means for them on a daily basis. They learned how to apply this to their lives as visionaries solving some of the world’s most complex problems. Many people shared how important it was to have such a “human-centered” talk at a medical technology conference.

“I fell in love with your lecture. One dot of humanity in the middle of all that technology.” 

—Attendee