I believe this course provided valuable insights that could benefit both my personal growth and my professional development.

I'm a huge, huge fan of this program. Thank you for the opportunity to participate!

This was the best investment in self that I have ever made. So grateful for being able to participate in this and have access to the resources provided.

This training was the peace I needed and the understanding I lacked. I don't have to be angry that someone else isn't giving me what I need to be great, I am enough and I can be enough when I give my energy to others.

I used to think I was anti-racist, now I think I need to make much more of an effort to be more anti-racist and less white moderate.

I've really enjoyed the opportunity to reflect and create my own action plan.

So interesting to learn more about traits of white supremacy culture and how pervasive these are throughout our work and personal lives.

I really liked the recommended next steps and want to put that into practice with my teams.

I loved thinking through the characteristics of white supremacy and the antidotes to those ways of being at a team level...and perhaps also at an org level.

This felt like a nice step on my practice of supporting a better, healthier, and more liberatory workplace. It was really great to hear concrete examples and shared problems from both speakers and classmates.

In this profession, I deal with a lot of emotional issues and at times it gets the best of me. This course has taught me to ground myself whenever I feel uneasy and to put my emotional needs first so I can better serve my clients.

Practicing radical self-acceptance and magical thinking have made me more optimistic, with less self-doubt. I feel more grounded being able to either succeed or learn (not fail) in my work. Removing constraints of what I think/ thought a leader "should" be allows me to develop into my potential. Better understanding myself as a person and leader means I can be more present in my work and mindful of my purpose.

Before this training I felt so alone and burnt out. This training helped me see that there is a community of supportive people out there and that many are feeling the same way. In just 5 weeks, I grew and I honestly think it was because of the training and everyone in the training.

This was a phenomenal way for me to contextualize what I value about the work as a newer staff member.

“Kelli Poole epitomizes the spirit of liberatory leadership: self-aware, community-minded, and unafraid of the work required to make positive change. She has forever changed the way I show up for work.”

“These transformative programs empower individuals to challenge systemic inequalities and drive meaningful change. The focus on liberation, inclusive learning environment, and mentorship provided by Kelli Poole and her team are truly invaluable. Their commitment to social justice inspires us to become active advocates in our communities. Thank you, SJPLA, for your exceptional work in fostering Liberatory Leadership.”

In my 5 years of working in this field, I have never felt so whole heartedly invested in a training/class. I truly appreciate the work and dedication to wellness that is taken at SJPLA.

“I come back every year curious about who applies again and very hopeful to see that people are continuing to do this work. I get to see an evolution of this process and see year over year what changes are being made in a more justice-oriented way.”

“Being an evaluator helps me do my job better. I get to be on the other side, be involved in these discussions, and hear how evaluators talk about the applications. It helps me decide what I’m including in my applications and anticipate what evaluators want to know about our work.”

My participation in Fast Pitch helped our organization move to expand our work beyond our primary programming and allowed us to better handle disruptions created by the pandemic. We developed new programming related to our systems change impact and that has helped anchor our overall fundraising efforts.