A YEARLONG PROGRAM FOR REGENERATIVE LEADERSHIP

WHAT IS THE LEADERSHIP COHORT?

The AVF Leadership Cohort is a yearlong leadership journey grounded in circle practice, bioregional belonging, and inner transformation. It brings together a diverse group of people—nonprofit leaders, educators, artists, activists, entrepreneurs, healers, and civic stewards—who are each committed to building a more viable future from the inside out.

At its core, the cohort is about:

• Cultivating authentic relationships across sectors, identities, and generations

• Slowing down enough to listen deeply to yourself, your community, and the earth

• Reclaiming purpose in the face of burnout, urgency, and systemic overwhelm

• Embodying a new leadership paradigm—one that is relational, regenerative, and rooted

We meet seasonally in person and monthly online, aligned with the rhythms of nature. From winter’s self-care and inward listening to summer’s outward action and fall’s harvest, the journey flows with the cycles of the land we live on.

This is not a lecture series. It’s not a training in best practices. It’s a space of belonging and emergence—where the intelligence of the group, the wisdom of the land, and the inner voice of each participant weave together into a living field of transformation.

Over the course of the year, participants develop their own Breakthrough Project—an action or initiative that embodies their personal vision and contributes to regenerative change in their community, organization, or field. These projects are supported by peer circles, coaching, and deep dialogue.

What begins as a cohort becomes a network of allies—a mycelial system of people committed to walking a different path, together.

WHY IS THIS WORK NEEDED?

We are living in a time of overlapping crises—climate, social fragmentation, ecological loss, spiritual disconnection. It's tempting to try to fix everything at once. But we believe the most powerful change doesn't begin with frantic problem-solving. It begins in relationship.

Our theory of change is simple, but radical:

Change flows through relationships at the speed of trust.

We are not just facing a climate crisis—we are facing a crisis of separation. Separation from one another. Separation from the earth. Separation from our own inner wisdom.

The AVF Leadership Cohort is designed to interrupt that pattern.

Through circles, retreats, and ongoing dialogue, we build a relational field strong enough to hold difference, complexity, and vision. We work from the inside out and the ground up.

We move through a seasonal arc that aligns with natural rhythms:

• Winter: Listening inward, establishing a foundation of self-care

• Spring: Cultivating relationships and partnerships

• Summer: Launching grounded action through breakthrough projects

• Fall: Integrating lessons and strengthening a regional network

This rhythm isn't arbitrary—it’s bioregional leadership in practice. We draw from the land’s wisdom to re-pattern how we lead, relate, and respond.

This isn’t just about individual growth. It’s about seeding a mycelial network of circles—leaders, teams, organizations, and communities—across the Northeast and beyond, all grounded in a shared culture of partnership and regeneration.

WHO IT’S FOR

A Circle for Leaders, Teams, and Changemakers Across Sectors

This journey is for people who feel the call to lead from a deeper place—beyond burnout, beyond business-as-usual, beyond the limitations of isolated effort.

It is for you if…

• You work in a mission-driven organization or business and want to lead with integrity, clarity, and care

• You long to move from overwhelm or disconnection into community and purpose

• You’re tired of professional spaces that feel performative or transactional

• You want to integrate your inner development with your outer impact

• You know the work ahead is bigger than you—but not beyond us

The cohort includes people from across the social landscape—nonprofits, cooperatives, schools, farms, healing centers, spiritual communities, and local government. We value diversity of thought,
background, identity, and experience. What unites us is a shared commitment to healing our systems by healing our relationships.

This program is open to both:

• Individuals applying on their own

• Organizations nominating a team member to represent their mission

Organizations that send a representative benefit from:

• Greater leadership capacity within their team

• Access to a regional peer network

• Visibility as part of a growing movement for bioregional regeneration

• Alignment with values that matter to their community and stakeholders

Whether you're a teacher, entrepreneur, executive director, land steward, or parent—you are welcome in this circle.

“If the question of what the future will look like for your children keeps you up at night sometimes, then this leadership journey is a place for you to move from fear and anxiety to becoming a willing participant in solutions.” — Lev Natan