WORKSHOPS 2017

Participant-led workshops are an integral part of the GreenerMind Summit experience!  Check out the workshops we've already got in the works for GMS 2017, and join the line-up.

Some topics we would like to learn about if you have the knowledge and skills include: non-violent communication, fundraising strategies including crowdfunding, how to use social media to effect change, volunteer management, etc!

Propose a workshop here and we’ll be in touch!

Negotiation Clinic with Lindley Mease  

Navigating workplace conflict or difficult conversations with loved ones? Come learn your negotiating style and hone your skills for effective negotiation. We will explore the basics of negotiation, how to approach conflict with creativity, and workshop a negotiation you want to tackle in your life.

Tantra 101 - Facilitating Sexy  — with Jim Turner

What is this Tantra — is it about sex, or energy, or about a different and wonderful way of experiencing both intimacy and your relationship with the world? Can it be a tool for ecstasy both in and out of the "bedroom”? The answer is YES. In Sanskrit Tantra means "weaving." Learn how to tap into your life energy and run that energy through your own body's circuits and energy superhighway. Learn about the potential for weaving that energy with that of other beautiful beings for ultimate bliss (and better sex) through safe and intentional touch. Join us for some bliss in the woods learning practices you can take away and use. I am blessed to be able to continue my growth in energy work and group facilitation through my current Tantra teacher training with Caroline Carrington and Julia Tindall. Your participation in this workshop will help me to practice as part of that work. Namaste.

Somatic Experiencing: Unwinding the Body of Stress, Anxiety, and Trauma — WITH Cassi Wright 

Stress, anxiety, and trauma all seem to be an inevitable part of being human. We're going to discuss how our nervous system directly impacts our thoughts, beliefs, and behavior and how to attune to our bodies in a new way. I'll share what I'm learning and applying in my own recent somatic experience journey to manage and heal my stress, anxiety, and trauma. We'll talk about embodying a new narrative that makes the connections between instinct, emotions, and rational - all so that we can have a more mindful and awesome life with less suffering!

Getting to Scale — with Mitra Ardron

What ways are there to take a solution to scale, who has succeeded and what are the biggest pitfalls along the various routes. We'll discuss franchising, leapfrogging to scale, replication, open-source, etc. We'll discuss some positive and negative examples and welcome examples from others at GMS who have scaled, or attempted to.

BioDesign Fashion with Kombucha Fabric — with Christina Cogdell

New BioDesign materials are changing the world of design, from mushroom mycelium in product design to kombucha bacterial cellulose in fashion. This workshop explores the process to make kombucha fabric (and the drink as well), based upon Sacha Laurin's pioneering work: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/05/explore-kombucha-dress/ Sacha and I collaborate at UC Davis, and I will bring some materials I have grown to play with - it will be possible to make jewelry with small amounts of my fabric (BYO jewelry making supplies if you have any): https://www.etsy.com/shop/KombuchaCouture Workshop begins with short introduction to the drink and fabric.

Listening to Racism: I Can Stop it if I Hear It — with Jocelyn Ryder

One of the problems with white supremacy is that it is woven into the fabric of American life. Whether living with "stand your ground " laws (written by ALEC and heavily supported by Walmart and the NRA), native appropriations (e.g., "low man on the totem poll") or speaking with a blackcent (which I have done), racism is with us. So I did an exercise that I'll share with you, and support you to do. I wrote down the racist thoughts I had for about a month. Together, we'll share these surprisingly ingrained beliefs, and learn what to do about them.

Clean Trails Hike — with Annette Poliwka

What if we all picked up just one piece of litter. Imagine how that influences behavior change! I am on the board of Clean Trails, a national non-profit that gets people and organizations outside to pick up litter from trails. I will lead a group of people on a hike and ultimately, we pick up any litter we find. 

Resilience in Times of Complexity and Change — with Josh Van Vliet

In uncertain times, it’s easy to “tune out” or “burn out.” And when we do either of these, we suffer greatly -- and the world misses out on our unique contribution. The purpose of this training is to help you develop skills for resilience in the midst of unpredictability and rapid change.

Minimalism as AN Access to Freedom — with Taylor Whitfield

This workshop will explore the growing fad of minimalism through the lens of sustainability (not hipster design). Pulling from the wisdom of The Minimalists, Marie Kondo, and mindfulness practitioners, we'll discuss how to live a lighter life both inside and out. We'll do exercises to help ourselves identify what's most important to us and look at different areas where we can let go of clutter and excess, while maintaining a mindset of abundance. Join us and take a load off!

Rethinking Waste in a Single-Use/Throw-Away Society — with Steffen Kuehr

Americans produce 30% of the world's garbage but we only make up 5% of the world's population - we have to figure out how we can change the way we think about waste and treat used materials on a large scale - from recycling, upcycling and repurposing to reducing future waste by changing consumer behavior and manufacturing practices (Demand based & purchase activated manufacturing vs. mass inventory production).

Pain Sucks. Life Shouldn’t. Key principles and movements to beat pain and move with confidence — WITH MATT HSU

Learn how new perspectives can revolutionize how you deal with back, knee, hip, and shoulder pain. Simple strategies and targeted exercises can save you from wasted doctor visits, pills, and surgeries!

Starting a Social Enterprise: The Journey from Idea to ScalE — with Katy Ashe

 I love to bring people together who are at various points of their social enterprise journey (even just at the very start with the seed of an idea) to facilitate knowledge transfer & resource sharing between us. I co-founded a startup currently scaling across India/about to scale internationally. We've been through SEAD Accelerator at Stanford, YC accelerator, FFWD accelerator, GSBI accelerator, Echoing Green Fellowship, DRK Fellowship, Mulago Fellowship et al - so I want to be generous with these resources and connect with others around how we can collaborate/ help/support each other. The session can be about whatever the current, past or potential social entrepreneurs want it to be about.

What is Your Soul's Purpose?
— with Brandon Peele

We will do two powerful exercises, one that will reveal some new insights about your soul's purpose, and another that will reveal what is in the way — the obstacles — of you living it. You'll walk away with greater clarity and the very next step you need to take you on your path.

The 3 Fundamentals for a Thriving Business that Makes a DifferencE — with Stephanie Staidle

In this interactive presentation for the socially-conscious individual, participants discover the three fundamental elements required to build a successful business they love AND make a difference for the planet. Discover what they don’t tell you in business school and what skills are necessary to master for success. Audiences learn new tools, based in creative psychology and the neuroscience of performance, to match a business with their passions, identify and remove obstacles entrepreneurs commonly face, and find the confidence to make their business vision a reality.

Light up Your Intention for the World — with Nicole Sroka 

We're offering a meaningful art and soul project to celebrate this year's theme of bridging worlds. Grab some local, sustainable beeswax and create a personalized candle that we will light in a collective ceremony at the bridge. Each person will set an intention when lighting their candle and together the candles' light will make a statement for the positive change we wish to see in the world.

AND...
Accelerate Change / How to Mobilize People to Deliver Results - with Nicole Sroka

This workshop provides an introduction to Organizational Change Management - the behavioral science and growing discipline that catalyzes the people side of change in the workplace. Learn new approaches and practical tools to effectively manage change in a dynamic and competitive marketplace. Participants will collaborate in breakout groups to apply new learnings and determine best-fit strategies for minimizing resistance and maximizing buy-in. "

Golden Tools of Green Design: What drives sustainability, innovation, and value in green design methods? — with Jeremy Faludi

What do design teams value in sustainable design methods? Specifically, what kinds of activities and mindsets comprise different design methods, and which ones do design teams believe drive sustainability, innovation, and other value? 14 design practices were deconstructed to categorize their component activities and mindsets, and hypothesize what designers, engineers, and managers would find most useful. Then 3 sustainable design methods were tested by performing 29 workshops for 580+ people (roughly 1/2 UC Berkeley students, 1/2 professionals from over 30 different companies). This lecture summarizes my dissertation research, I would love feedback from designers!

Design Your Life with — Weston McBride     

What will you do with your one wild and precious life? The dirty secret is that no one really knows. But at least we can think about it differently. Learn how to think like a designer about your own life - personal and professional, work and play, love and friendship. We'll do a shortened version of the workshops found in the NYT bestselling Design Your Life book (and the Stanford course that it originated from). Brainstorm different career paths, identify and work through wicked personal problems, plan a future with someone else - we'll approach these problems using the design thinking toolkit. I hope you'll come out of the workshop with a bit more clarity moving forward.
 

Men Against Male Supremacy — with Weston McBride & Adam Menter

This is a workshop for men and by men to talk about being a man within an imbalanced patriarchal society. How can we authentically and powerfully "be the change" for gender, racial, and economic justice? As we look at these issues more deeply, we may find that the status quo is also wounding us and our families. This is both a collective and intensely personal conversation that we often shy away from. We'll get together to embrace the conversation together. A special thank-you to Jocelyn Ryder, the Catalyst Project, and the STAND men's group in Oakland for introducing us to this work. We are looking forward to helping carry the torchlight.