Blue Sky Leaders will learn from and connect with world-renowned experts in such fields as evolutionary and archetypal cosmology; cognitive neuroscience; meditation and positive psychology; ecopsychology; complexity science; wisdom traditions; Western religious and esoteric traditions; and the evolution of consciousness.
Facilitators, Scholars, and Distinguished Guests
Bruce Alderman
Bruce Alderman is an integral psychologist, a professor of consciousness studies, and the Associate Director for the Blue Sky Leaders Certificate Program. He is the primary administrative liaison for the program and will facilitate the holistic integration of the program experience.
Rich Blundell
Dr. Rich Blundell is an ecologist and founder of Oika, where his work explores transformation through the convergence of science, art, nature and culture.
Nichol Bradford
Nichol Bradford, a CIIS Board member and the co-founder of the Transformative Technology Lab, is a pioneer, innovator, investor, and thought leader at the intersection of technology and human transformation.
Alex Burger
Alex Burger is an award-winning American playwright, screenwriter, and author, and a faculty at CIIS. He will facilitate the narrative process for participants in the Blue Sky Leaders program and the creation of the capstone projects.
Carolyn Cooke
Carolyn Cooke, a faculty member and co-director of the Center for Transformative Media at CIIS, is an acclaimed writer, known for her literary contributions to contemporary fiction and non-fiction.
Jude Currivan
Dr. Jude Currivan is a cosmologist, futurist, planetary healer, author, member of the Evolutionary Leaders Circle, previously one of the most senior international business women in the UK and co-founder of WholeWorld-View. She has a Master’s degree in physics from Oxford University specializing in quantum physics and cosmology and a Ph.D. from the University of Reading, UK in archaeology researching ancient cosmologies. She is the international author of 7 nonfiction books, latterly and both award-winning and best-selling The Cosmic Hologram (2017) and The Story of Gaia (2022).
Michele DeMarco
Reverend Michele DeMarco is an award-winning writer and published author in the fields of psychology, trauma, health, and spirituality. She is also a professionally trained therapist, clinical ethicist, and researcher, specializing in moral injury and resilience. Her upcoming book Holding Onto Air: The Art and Science of Building a Resilient Spirit (Berret-Koehler) was published in Fall 2023.
Angelo Dillulo
Angelo Dilullo is a spiritual, teacher, and the author of Awake, a book of practical tools and inquiries for awakening to the undivided ground of consciousness.
Stefanie Dunning
Stefanie Dunning is the director of the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; the author of Black to Nature: Pastoral Return and African American Culture; and the developer of the Unprovoked Happiness contemplative method.
Michael Eller
Since childhood, Michael has explored and cherished the wonders of, and our shared interconnections with the natural world. Under the tutelage of his Navajo teacher he has honed the craft of ceremony, incorporating the teachings into his decades-long profession as a wilderness guide and mentor.
Jonathan Erickson
Jonathan Erickson is the author of the book Imagination in the Western Psyche: From Ancient Greece to Modern Neuroscience, as well as a variety of published papers on the topics of creativity, spirituality, and ecopsychology. He is core faculty in the Integral Transpersonal Psychology program at CIIS, adjunct faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute, and a professional certified coach.
Alex Gomez-Marin
Alex Gomez-Marin is a theoretical physicist turned neuroscientist. He is professor at the Instituto de Neurociencias in Alicante, Spain, and director of the Pari Center, Italy. Exploring intersections of neuroscience, philosophy, and biology, his current scientific research concentrates on human consciousness in the real world.
Christina Guimond
Christina Guimond is a spiritual teacher, renowned speaker and facilitator, known for her innovative approaches to personal and professional development.
Geneen Haugen
A faculty member at Esalen and a champion of the imagination, Geneen Haugen explores the power of stories and myths in understanding the human psyche.
Meg Jordan
Meg Jordan is a professor of Integrative Health Studies at CIIS, a clinical medical anthropologist, an author and award-winning international health journalist, and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, known for her contributions to behavioral change using interpersonal neurobiology.
Sean Kelly
Sean Kelly, Ph.D., is a professor in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program CIIS. He is the author of Becoming Gaia: On the Threshold of Planetary Initiation and of Coming Home: The Birth and Transformation of the Planetary Era. With a focus on transdisciplinary approaches to the evolution of consciousness, Sean's work is inspired by the call to participate actively in the awakening of Gaia, our planet-home, guided by the twin virtues of wisdom and compassion in service of the entire Earth community.
Alexander Laszlo
Alexander Laszlo, PhD, is President of the Board of Directors of the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (BCSSS), Research Director at the Laszlo Institute of New Paradigm Research (LINPR), Founding Board Member of the Social Systems Foundation, and Co-Founder and Global Collaborator of Global Education Futures (GEF). His research and teaching focus on evolutionary leadership, collaboration, and systems thinking, and he is author of over 100 journal, book and encyclopedia publications, and 6th Degree Black Belt in traditional Taekwon-do.
Donnie Maclurcan
A social entrepreneur, organizational consultant, and somatic economist, Donnie Maclurcan is passionate about slow, embodied living, business and global finance. Originally from Australia, he lives on unceded Tuehelche lands in Argentina, from where he co-leads the Post Growth Institute - an international, not-for-profit organization working to enable collective wellbeing within ecological limits.
Sanjay Manchanda
Sanjay Manchanda is a psychotherapist, educator, and a senior research scientist for Transformative Technology Lab. He will facilitate the trauma-sensitive integration of Blue Sky Leaders' contemplative experience and development.
Kitty Margolis
Kitty Margolis is a renowned jazz vocalist and educator, known for her unique and expressive performances.
Jeffery Martin
Jeffery Martin is a CIIS alum, cofounder of Transformative Tech, and a researcher on personal transformation. He has conducted the largest international study on persistent non-symbolic experience (PNSE), commonly known as enlightenment and nonduality, and its relationship to Fundamental Wellbeing.
Robert McDermott
Robert McDermott, President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus at CIIS, is a distinguished philosopher and scholar noted for his contributions to the understanding of the world's spiritual traditions.
Iain McGilchrist
A distinguished philosopher, Iain McGilchrist is best known for his books, The Master and His Emissary and The Matter with Things, both of which explore the hemispheric hypothesis and the intersections of cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and spirituality.
Alfonso Montuori
Alfonso Montuori is an author, musician, and a faculty member in the Transformative Leadership and Transformative Studies programs at CIIS. His work delves into the intersection of creativity, complexity, and leadership.
Josh Putnam
Josh Putnam is a spiritual teacher and has been teaching in professional settings for over 25 years. He currently works closely with people in a non-dual context.
Richard Sclove
Richard Sclove is an interdisciplinary researcher, writer, social activist, and long-time spiritual practitioner, and the author of Escaping Maya's Palace: Decoding an Ancient Myth to Heal the Hidden Madness of Modern Civilization.
Matt Segall
Matt Segall, a faculty member at CIIS, explores the intersection of process philosophy, religion, and ecology in his work. His most recent book is Crossing the Threshold: Etheric Imagination in the Post-Kantian Process Philosophy of Schelling and Whitehead.
Sloat Shaw
Sloat Shaw is a painter, printmaker, and teacher, who explores the connection between neurobiology, creativity and art. She, raises the question, how can the viewer activate their own creativity? In her teaching she reveals how to use sight, touch, sound, smell, taste, and internal energy to allow a brain shift into creativity.
Greg Thomas
Greg Thomas, a cultural critic, writer, and business and social entrepreneur, is Co-Director of the Omni-American Future Project and CEO of the Jazz Leadership Project. His work draws upon the wisdom of the blues and the collaborative and improvisational aspects of jazz as a model for effective leadership and group flow in organizations.
Turquoise Sound
Turquoise Sound is a transdisciplinary leadership specialist with expertise in cultural strategy and organizational ecosystem cultivation. As the co-founder and co-steward of Dyer Global Solutions (DGS), she builds wise innovation curricula in the fields of civic technology, new economies, regenerative finance, and the future of governance. She also sits on the board of the Transdisciplinary Leadership Review, a 20+ year academic leadership journal.
Jenny Stefanotti
Jenny Stefanotti is the Founder and Steward of Denizen, a media platform and co-learning community dedicated to systemic change. Denizen produces content and organizes events exploring capitalism, democracy, culture, spirituality, and systemic oppression. Jenny also serves on the board of directors of Ushahidi, a leading crowdsourcing platform for human rights, disaster response, and elections monitoring, and as an advisor to The Buckminster Fuller Institute, Momentum, The Consilience Project, and Canvas.
Brian Swimme
Brian Swimme is a cosmologist and professor emeritus at CIIS. His research interests include the evolutionary dynamics of the universe, the function of humans within the cosmos, and the ecological and social implications of a contemporary cosmological understanding. He is the author of several books including The Universe Story and Cosmogenesis.
John Vervaeke
John Vervaeke, a cognitive scientist and philosopher, explores the nature of cognition, the intersections of cognitive neuroscience and ancient philosophy, and the current "meaning crisis" impacting our understanding of ourselves and the world.
Nick Walker
Nick Walker is an author, futurist, and CIIS faculty member whose work explores the intersections of somatic psychology, transpersonal psychology, neurodiversity, and creativity. Dr. Walker holds a 7th degree black belt in aikido and is co-founder and senior instructor of the Aiki Arts Center in Berkeley.
Roger Walsh
Roger Walsh holds degrees in psychology, physiology, neuroscience, and medicine, and is professor of psychiatry, philosophy, and anthropology, as well as a professor in the religious studies program, at the University of California at Irvine. Roger’s research and writings span multiple topics, including the nature of psychological health and wellbeing, meditation and contemplative practices, religion and spirituality, wisdom and other virtues, integral studies, and the psychological roots of our current global crises.
Alan Watkins
Alan is recognized as an international expert on leadership and human performance. Over the past 24 years he has been a coach to many top business leaders and worked with the GB Olympic squad, coaches and athletes. Originally a medical doctor at Imperial College in London, he worked for 11 years in the UK’s National Health Service, in primary care in Australia and for a year in academic medical research in the USA. He ended up in neuroscience research before leaving medicine to work with global business leaders. He is also the author of seven books on topics from leadership to solving the world’s toughest problems.
Ginny Whitelaw
Ginny Whitelaw, a Zen Roshi and founder of the Institute for Zen Leadership, has taught and coached leaders globally for more than 25 years. She has a background in physics and biophysics, and was a senior leader at NASA in charge of integrating the Space Station Program. She is an expert on Zen leadership, integrating Zen practice with embodied leadership skills to develop leaders who can navigate today's complex challenges. She is the author of 4 books, including The Zen Leader and Resonate: Zen and the Way of Making a Difference.
Butterfly Williams
Dr. Butterfly, a faculty member at CIIS, is a thought leader who has presented papers, lectures, workshops and symposia on creativity, culture and spirituality in academic, professional and community settings. A cultural alchemist whose work manifests in performance art, community organizing, and transformative education, he is an expert on the decolonization of culture through the arts.
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