Hi, I’m Corita. I have over two decades of experience supporting organizational development and community change efforts in every region in the country where I have worked as a nonprofit director, board member, social entrepreneur, coach, consultant, researcher and writer. I also lived and worked outside of the United States for seven years. I have robust experience with organizational development and learning, participatory research, design thinking, leadership development, and team building. I am nationally recognized for my expertise supporting teams, organizations, networks and community groups to navigate generational differences. I also have extensive experience helping leaders and change makers explore how different issues and identities intersect and inform each other, which can help break down the silos that divide and separate us. My work is grounded by a 25-year yoga practice, and deeply informed by my experience in the natural world and the three generations before me that taught me about social justice.
My educational background includes a Masters in Organizational Psychology and Adult Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a PhD in Urban Studies from Temple University. I hold a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University. I am also a certified professional coach through ICF certified coaching school Leadership That Works.
Based in Philadelphia, I work around the country and globally in both English and Spanish, in-person and online.
To see my full CV click here
* top photo credit: S. Smith Patrick 2018
My Values
My values embody both a vision and practice for my work, which ground and shape my engagement with clients.
Racial equity and justice
Racial equity and justice are a guiding compass for my work. I understand the work of racial equity and justice as a continuous process. I walk alongside client-partners and continually seek to push my edge of learning and growth, challenge my own assumptions and interrogate my own biases. My clients and I work together to address the ongoing legacy of racism, to shift inequitable power structures, and to implement key practices for advancing racial equity and justice.
Learning and reflection
I seek out wisdom and insight from those closest to the problems we are trying to solve, and honor many ways of knowing. I value lived experience, and embodied knowledge as well as research and data. I incorporate kinesthetic awareness, creativity, movement and mindfulness-based approaches, in addition to traditional coaching and organizational models and theories. I support organizations and leaders in developing strategies to share their learning.
Interconnectedness
I support leaders and change makers to understand and influence the complex and interconnected systems in which we work. I work to move beyond silos that divide people, places, issues, and identities in order to understand and explore how they all are related to each other.
Radical hospitality
I am deeply committed to making people feel welcome and cultivating a sense of belonging. I seek to develop spaces and places where people can bring their full selves, have their identities affirmed, and feel appreciated. This includes addressing structural barriers that prevent the engagement and participation of members from marginalized communities.
Let’s talk
I offer a free preliminary consultation for all potential clients