Leading Conversations

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Philo Ikonya of Kenya, a human rights activist, social change motivator, ardent poet, writer and lecturer. Philo holds postgraduate degrees in the Arts and consults on gender, governance and media issues. Philo courageously writes about the injustices of Kenya. In her series, Kenya Is Burning, she reflects on her country's struggles with the devastating violence that has claimed so many lives and turned its people against each other. The women of Kenya have always been aware of injustice in our society...we've always known that the deep inequalities in our country would lead to the destruction of this nation. Philo has decided to wear sacks instead of regular clothes to protest the current violence in Kenya. She has helped organize a campaign urging Kenyan women to wear sacks for clothes for as long as we do not have peace in Kenya; as long as we do not have justice and reform. Join us to hear this extraordinary story of courage and vision for a just world.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Peter Barnes, co-founder of Working Assets, successful journalist, thought leader, and author of Capitalism 3.0: A Guide To Reclaiming The Commons. Capitalism needs an upgrade. Our current economic “operating system” fits the 18th century more than the 21st century. “When capitalism started, nature was abundant and capital was scarce; it thus made sense to reward capital above all else. Today we're awash in capital and literally running out of nature.” Peter points the way to a future in which we can retain capitalism’s virtues while mitigating its vices. All of us -entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, community activists, politicians, et.al- have a role to play in shaping a future for the coming generations. Are you ready? Join Cheryl & Peter for Common Wealth: Leading the Future.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Angeles Arrien, to Leading Conversations for a second time! Angeles is an anthropologist, educator, award-winning author, consultant, and Founder and President of the Angeles Arrien Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research. Her work bridges cultural anthropology, psychology, and mediation skills. Her award winning books include The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer and Visionary; Signs of Life: The Five Universal Shapes and How to Use Them; and The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom. Leadership is undergoing a cultural revolution. How do expertise and mastery figure in this? During our conversation we explore the practice of leadership, the shift in expectations we have of our leaders around the world, and what it requires of us all. Angeles shares practical wisdom of the ages and challenges us to tap our capacity to lead from within. We can bring meaning to our work and our world. Join the conversation!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Stewart Emery, entrepreneur, executive coach & corporate culture consultant; he is considered a father of the Human Potential Movement & served as the first CEO of est. A bestselling author, his books include Success Built to Last: Creating A Life That Matters, and his latest with Robert Brunner: Do You Matter? How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company. If you think design is only what gets created on paper or in the look of a logo or product or service, you’d be wrong according to Stewart Emery. It is so much more than that. Leadership drives a company’s culture which in turn speaks loud and clear to customers: your products and services are talking to people. Are they saying the right thing? What is your brand and who says so? (hint: it’s not you and it doesn’t live at your corporate headquarters…). How do your brand and the client experience intersect? And what does that have to do with design? Join the conversation for that and more!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Jack Canfield, best-selling author, speaker, and a leading expert on developing self-esteem and peak performance. Jack is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul®, a series of inspirational anthologies that has sold more than 100 million books since its inception. Known as “America’s #1 Success Coach,” Jack has authored multiple books, including The Success Principles(tm): How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be. Other best sellers include The Power of Focus; The Aladdin Factor; and Dare to Win. Jack has studied successful leaders for more than 30 years. Success in leadership has evolved from being of a singular mindset to being a team sport. Knowing yourself and your strengths is key to leadership success. Want to make a difference as a leader? Join us as Jack shares success principles that matter!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Craig Neal, co-founder of Heartland Inc., founder of the Conscious Business Alliance, a founding board member of Business for Social Responsibility, and former publisher of Utne magazine. A passionate change leader, Craig creates networks of authenticity and essential conversations with intent to shape societal, organizational, and individual transformations needed in these times. Heartland produced the first Thought Leader Gathering for 40 change leaders in 1998 and he has guided thousands of leaders in the Essential Conversations Process. Craig writes: “We live in a time where the need for understanding is great, where the need to be efficient with our time and resources is equally great…The circle as a form of human gathering is a ‘technology’ borrowed from the past that can produce enduring outcomes… [It] is a social technology that has withstood the test of time.” He is currently writing The Art of Convening: A Field Guide to Essential Conversations.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Wilbert Alix, a contemporary healer and teacher of progressive psychology and neo-shamanic studies. A prominent figure in the emerging science of body-centered psychology, his presentations are accentuated with intellectual depth and unique insight into the relationships between traditional shamanic healing, western science and eastern mysticism. Wilbert Alix is a 7th generation native of New Orleans, born into a culture rich in shamanic tradition, ritual trance, sacred music and ecstatic dance. He is the creator and director of the 'Common Ground Project', a conflict management program that successfully brings together opposing groups through innovative use of transformational therapy, an education in the principles that govern spiritual integrity and training in creative problem solving techniques. Join the conversation!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes John P. Milton, founder of The Way of Nature and Sacred Passage™. John is a pioneering ecologist, author, spiritual teacher, meditation master, vision quest leader, and counsel to leaders around the world. His most recent book, Sky Above, Earth Below: Spiritual Practice in Nature is a guide to cultivation of connection to pure source for purpose and creativity. John's work teaches that one makes leadership stands from a place of pristine clarity. Inner-knowing and initiating new ideas emerge from pure creative potential. Aligning with the majesty and power of Nature catalyzes transformation at every level. Tune in as John reveals how deep inner communion with the Earth and Universal Source provide the foundation for grounded and centered leadership.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes W. Brian Arthur, PhD, an economist and thought leader in technology, the economy, and the science of complexity. His new book, The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves provides an elegant and powerful theory of technology's origins and evolution. Brian says, I began to realize that our wealth and our well-being all emerge out of technologies…More than any thing else technology creates our world...it creates our wealth, our economy, our very way of being.” How is it we know so little about the evolution of technology, something that is creating our world? In Brian’s words “we are missing an ‘-ology’ of technology. Why does this matter? Join the conversation as Brian challenges us to explore how nature and technology intersect and why it matters to you.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Nina Simons, a social entrepreneur, and co-founder of Bioneers, writer and thought leader in women’s leadership. Her previous roles include President of Seeds of Change and Director of Strategic Marketing for Odwalla. Nina says that we are operating with an inherited definition of leadership that does not serve us in the 21st century. It carries with it assumptions that play out in actions, structures of organizations, implicit as well as explicit agreements of societal norms. Nina implores us to develop a new practice of leadership: “It is the correlations between inner awareness and outer work, and celebrating the interconnectedness of environment, health, social justice and the sacred” that are key to this evolution in leadership. What are the unspoken assumptions in your own leadership? Join the conversation to explore your own shift in consciousness!