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decolonizing leadership: begins april 22, 2026

A cohort for leaders who are ready to lead from deeper values—rooted in relationship, well-being, and the courage to do things differently.

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Calling all leaders, practitioners, and change-makers who know there is a better way.

We’re inviting leaders, change-makers, HR and Reconciliation professionals, and small business owners to join our Decolonizing Leadership Cohort, beginning April 22, 2026.

If you are responsible for the growth, well-being, or culture of others—whether you hold a formal title, run your own practice, or show up as a leader in your community—this cohort was created with you in mind.

This is a space to pause, reflect, and reimagine what leadership can look like when it is grounded in values, relationships, and the well-being of all our relations.

Many of us learned to lead within systems that were never designed with relationship or accountability at their centre. We've inherited frameworks rooted in extraction, hierarchy, and scarcity—and we feel it. In our teams, in our bodies, in the dissonance between our values and our daily work.

This cohort exists to offer something different. Through a decolonial and Two-Eyed Seeing approach—where Indigenous ways of knowing and Western frameworks are held together—you will cultivate the skills, awareness, and grounding to lead in a way that truly reflects who you are and what you stand for.

This is for you if you are:

  • A manager or team lead navigating the complexity of leading people

  • An HR, DEI, or Reconciliation professional holding responsibility within systems that weren't built for our shared humanity

  • A consultant, coach, facilitator, or entrepreneur in a people-facing role who wants to lead with more depth and integrity

  • Someone who carries the responsibility of leadership even if it’s not a formal title you hold

  • Someone who feels the gap between their values and the systems they operate within—and wants to close it

  • A leader who wants to move beyond performative inclusion toward real, relational accountability

  • Ready to explore what it means to lead with emotional intelligence, relational accountability, and care

  • Ready to disrupt the status quo from the inside out

Two women smiling and standing behind a table with books, a laptop, and sticky notes, inside a room with a large window, brick wall, and white curtains.

what you’ll receive

  • 1️⃣ Four Virtual Circles

    Four live, facilitated three-hour virtual circles hosted by Ariana and Vanessa with recordings available.

  • 2️⃣ Reflection worksheets and learning resources

    Between-session worksheets to deepen your learning and integrate what's arising, plus curated resources to support your journey.

  • 3️⃣ Practical and Tangible Tools

    Tangible tools and frameworks you can bring directly into your leadership practice and organization.

  • 4️⃣ Judgment-Free Space

    You have full permission to show up as your perfectly imperfect self.

  • 5️⃣ Community Connection

    Build relationships with like-hearted change-makers and learn through one anothers’ journeys.

  • 6️⃣ Certificate of Appreciation

    A meaningful acknowledgement of your commitment to the Reconciliation journey.

our journey together

Over the course of eight weeks, we’ll meet bi-weekly for three hours for learning, reflection, and connection. Our circles are built to reflect our R.I.Z.E Framework. Each week builds upon the last, allowing you to add more tools to your bundle as you walk the path.

  • Before we can lead others, we must learn to lead ourselves. This circle opens with the foundation of decolonial leadership: your nervous system. We explore what it means to respond rather than react — developing the resilience, regulation, and trauma-informed awareness that allows you to show up with presence and care, even in the most complex moments.

    Topics: Resilience & Emotional Regulation | Trauma-Informed Leadership

  • Where are you being called to ascend beyond the colonial status quo? This circle invites you to think critically about the systems you operate within and the assumptions you carry. We explore how to slow down, challenge inherited narratives, and lead change through the lens of kinship and wahkohtowin—the interconnectedness between all things.

    Topics: Change & Systems Thinking | Critical Thinking & Bias Awareness

  • What becomes possible when we replace fear and scarcity with love and trust? This circle explores the relational heart of leadership—how we create the conditions for others to feel safe, seen, and valued. We explore coaching as a decolonial practice, the art of giving and receiving feedback as a gift, and what it truly means to cultivate spaces where people can bring their whole selves.

    Topics: Coaching | Psychological Safety | Cultivating Safe Spaces | Feedback

  • Leadership is more than just something we do; it’s how we move through the world. This final circle turns the focus inward, inviting you to integrate everything you've explored and commit to being the leader you’re choosing to be. We close with emotional intelligence, collective well-being, and the creation of your personal leadership vision—a living commitment to walking your talk.

    Topics: Emotional Intelligence & Self-Awareness | Workplace Well-Being | Leadership Vision & Commitment

Logistics

We meet bi-weekly beginning April 22, 2026 for 3 hours. Session dates are as follows:

  • April 22: 10am-1pm PST | 12pm-3pm CST | 1pm-4pm EST

  • May 6: 10am-1pm PST | 12pm-3pm CST | 1pm-4pm EST

  • May 20: 10am-1pm PST | 12pm-3pm CST | 1pm-4pm EST

  • June 3: 10am-1pm PST | 12pm-3pm CST | 1pm-4pm EST

All sessions will be recorded and sent out within 24 hours for participants who are unable to attend live. *Please note breakout room discussions will not be recorded.

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outcomes and impact

By the end of this cohort, participants will walk away with:

  • A decolonial lens through which to understand and evolve their leadership practice

  • Greater emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and capacity to regulate under pressure

  • Skills to lead change through a relational, systems-thinking lens (wahkohtowin)

  • Tools for navigating bias, critical thinking, and equitable decision-making

  • Confidence in coaching conversations, feedback, and building psychological safety on their teams

  • A personal leadership vision grounded in their own values and ways of knowing

  • Renewed connection to purpose, integrity, and collective well-being

  • A community of leaders walking this path alongside them

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Here’s what others have to say

  • “The information was deep, impactful and meaningful, on all things decolonization and reconciliation. I really appreciated the group discussions both in small breakout rooms and in the larger group settings as a way to help integrate what we learned and discussed. Vanessa and Ariana are excellent guides and teachers with wisdom, knowledge and lived experience they shared.

    I'm looking forward to implementing what i've learned and further do my part in spreading this work in my life and with my community and the world beyond!”

  • “The best about this course is to understand how leadership can be understood in a different way (decolonized one). I believe that we need to consider other ways to perform our task-oriented work with different tools to measure achievements.”

  • “Vanessa and Ariana, this was such a valuable experience that I will be taking with me and drawing from in the future. Thank you so much for offering this safe and inclusive space, you're both wonderful facilitators and your compassion and intention really came through in each session. I'm so appreciative of our time together.”

  • “This has been such an important support at a time of personal and professional challenge. Thank you.”

  • “The variety of learning activities (lectures, small group work, individual work, discussions). Gave me a new appreciation and understanding of Indigenous ways of being/knowing/leading”

  • “A heartfelt thank you to Ariana Fotinakis and Vanessa Lesperance at Decolonize and Rize for sharing your invaluable insights on the topic of Decolonizing Business. Your perspectives have sparked important conversations and inspired new ways of thinking about how we can better align our organizational practices with Indigenous values and worldviews.”

Investment

$499CAD + GST

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For as little as $125 per circle, you’ll have the opportunity to learn, reflect, and connect with like-hearted change-makers committed to co-creating a world where we can all thrive.

Refund Policy:

  • 50% refund if requested between March 27-April 12, or credit toward a future cohort

Scholarships may be available for Indigenous kin who are self-employed, unemployed, students, or working at small not-for-profits.

We also offer groups rates for 5 or more team members joining from the same organization. Please email us to inquire.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Not to worry. All of our circles are recorded, so you can catch up if you miss a session or revisit topics later on.

    Some participants attend every circle live, while others never join live at all—both are completely welcome. We’ve intentionally designed this cohort to fit into real life, not add more pressure to already full schedules.

  • We’ve intentionally designed each circle to be three hours to allow for meaningful learning, reflection, and both small and large group discussion, without rushing the content or the process.

    In true decolonizing fashion, we prioritize depth over speed. That said, we know three hours on screen can feel like a lot. We build in breaks, and you are always welcome to turn your camera off, stretch, or step away as needed.

  • Absolutely. While this cohort welcomes leaders of all backgrounds, it holds particular resonance for Indigenous leaders who have long been asked to shrink, adapt, or set aside their traditional values in order to fit into organizational structures that were never built with them in mind.

    This cohort is a space where Indigenous ways of knowing and being are not an add-on; they are the foundation. Our hope is that it offers you a place to reconnect with the leadership wisdom you already carry, be in community with others who are navigating similar tensions, and experience your values reflected back to you rather than asking you to leave them at the door.

    We also know that Indigenous leaders are often doing this work on multiple fronts—within their organizations, their communities, and themselves. You deserve a space that replenishes as much as it teaches.

  • At Decolonize and Rize, we believe that leadership is who you are—it’s not simply a role or a title. If you carry the responsibility of leading others, whether within your workplace, your community, or your home, you and your leadership vision are welcome here.

  • Yes. We offer group discounts for organizations registering five or more participants.

    We also offer partial and full scholarships for Indigenous kin who are self-employed, currently unemployed, students, or working within small not-for-profits.

    Please email us to inquire. And don’t forget to check with your employer; many organizations are able to cover professional development costs.

  • Participation is always an invitation, not a requirement. There will be opportunities for discussion, reflection, and small group conversations, but you are welcome to engage at a pace that feels right for you. We offer a gentle reminder that everyone brings medicine into the circle, regardless of who they are, where they come from, and how long they’ve been walking the path of Reconciliation.

    Listening is a valid and valuable form of participation.

We are too.

This cohort is an invitation to invest in yourself, your leadership, and your legacy, so the way you lead becomes a reflection of your deepest values, not the systems you inherited.

We meet bi-weekly across four three-hour circles, beginning April 22, 2026. Come as you are. Leave transformed.

are you ready to lead differently?

join decolonizing leadership