Leadership for Collective Liberation
Where BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Leaders embrace their most authentic self (even when self-doubt enters the chat)
The struggle is being able to speak up in a room when you’re the only one who looks like you
You’re someone that has no problem sharing your perspective around your chosen family and friends. They totally understand where you’re coming or at least they’re willing to hear you out.
The issue comes in when you’re in spaces that don’t look like you.
Maybe you’re the only Black non-binary person in a predominantly White, cis space.
Or maybe the difference is not all that obvious.
Feeling different might show up when others start talking about their vacations or family gatherings and you feel outta place because you can’t afford to take a vacation right now or you’re not on speaking terms with your family.
Feeling out of place makes you hesitant to share your ideas and experiences.
Y’know, I used to feel that same way too before I started embracing my most authentic self.
And honestly, the work isn’t easy but at least you ain’t gotta do it on your own.
Bring more of your authentic self into your leadership
Explore
Explore the playground of possibilities (where you’ll find a service of support that meets you where you’re at and where you want to go)
Choose
Choose the offer that works best for your leadership goals and investment capacity (or click the chat box and I can help you find what you’re looking for)
Play
It’s time to play your way through leading with authenticity and reclaiming your voice! (here’s where you’ll learn the skills, supports and spirit of self-trust so that you can finally speak up confidently in the moment)
Hiyyaaa! My name's Petra and
I’ve learned to speak even when my voice quivers
I work with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ nonprofit leaders who want to speak up during crucial moments and meetings without self-doubt keeping them silent and stagnant.
I bring over a decade of community organizing, facilitation, capacity building and program management experience in majority impoverished, LGBTQ+ and Black and Brown communities.
Along the way, I’ve picked up some fancy letters and licenses like:
- BA, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies + Black Studies
(where I first learned the names to the systems of oppression and started organizing around gender-based violence on campus)
- MSW, Master’s of Social Work
(specializing in community organizing and where I learned the power of base-building, coaching as a tool for transformation and facilitating change)
- LMSW, Licensed Master Social Worker
(which is really fucking hard to get nowadays cause that licensing exam is racist AF)
- SIFI, Seminar in Field Instruction
(which gives me the chance to mentor and train the next generation of radical social workers)
- GS, Generative Somatics Embodied Leadership Training
(where I learned how change happens in the body and how we can engage the body so the changes stick)
- TRACC Movement Trauma Healer Training
(that inspired more ancestral, witchy and somatic practices into my change-making)
All of this education and experience has led me to redefine WHO gets to lead and HOW we get to lead so that my leadership gets to mean I bring my whole self wherever I go.
Liberatory Leadership is where the quote “People don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses” goes to die with experiences like this…
I never knew such a different feeling was possible
“I am feeling really supported, and a bit overwhelmed with gratitude. An activity like this in my last job would have meant the world to me, and I just never knew such a different kind of feeling at work was possible. ”
~ E, Former Team Member
Our lived experience holds so much wisdom and value
My intersectional identities are a big part of who I am and how I show up as a leader, so it’s important for me to name those social identities upfront.
I’m a Queer, Black Puerto Rican Cis-Woman. I live on on the stolen land of the Munsee Lenape, currently known as Pelham Bay, NY.
I’m light-skinned, mostly able-bodied, Autistic with social anxiety, texture and noise sensitivity (like many others, this last pair of identities has been a later-in-life kinda realization).
I’m a spoonie with mostly stable mental health (I attribute this to my work around resisting internalized ableism/ capitalism and maintaining rituals of self-care and community care).
I’m fat (and happy about it!) and very anti-diet culture (I’ve got a tattoo that says riots not diets and I mean that shit).
I’m a first generation college and graduate student (which has given me some financial access that is unfamiliar to me since I was raised in a poor, but always fed and housed, kinda family).
I’m a U.S. Citizen but do not at all find pride in that (IYKYK) and I’m also bilingual since I learned Spanish at home and English in school.
I’m also a Splenic Manifestor in Human Design with a Gemini Sun, Scorpio Rising and Libra Moon.
Liberation is a process and a practice guided by a vision and mission
Vision
Let’s make our work* a place for healing, not harming
*as in the thing we do for money and the thing we dedicate our lives to
MISSION
Encourage individuals to reclaim their voice as a source of power, by guiding them to confidently express themselves and spark meaningful change.
What folks like you think about my workshops and playshops
Ample time and space to process
“Petra was an incredible facilitator who brought so much heart and passion to this content. At first I felt like the content might be a bit over my head, but she helped us work through the different concepts and gave everyone ample time and space to process in their own way!”
~Kristy, Strategic Brand Designer & Coach, Kristy Black Creative
Hold the heaviness of the world with play
“I appreciate how you hold the heaviness of the world with the lightheartedness of play in your facilitation. It was so good. You are giving us a gift.”
~Ashley, Attention Advocate + Emotional Support Marketer
Shared values are a must
Solidarity
(as in collective over competition)
We agree that supremacy and oppression of all types including White Supremacy, Hetero(cis)normativity, Capitalism, Patriarchy, Ableism and Anti-Fatness makes us mad as hell and we are committed to uprooting these poisons in any way shape or form.
Alternatively, we crave a body positive space where our worth does not need to be proven, policed or persuaded— it is inherent.
We understand that the transformation we seek is only possible within the relationships we cultivate with each other. We live into this value by buying and learning from Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), supporting mutual aid efforts, speaking out against inequity, unlearning harmful beliefs and behaviors, and seeking ways to be in right relationship with people and the planet.
Rigor
(as in progress over perfection)
We agree that making change, at any level, is rigorous work. We value staying curious and believe that what we don’t know, we can learn.
And in a world that overwhelms our senses, we come back to the power of presence so that we can be grounded and intentional in our choices.
We celebrate the things we are doing well and seek to improve the things we are not doing so well because we are striving for alignment, not perfection.
We live into this value by making amends when we fuck up, accepting that no one knows everything, leaning into vulnerability, being transparent in our communication, asking questions and learning from our missteps.
Care
(as in quality over quantity)
We agree that knowing how to fill our individual and relational cups is fundamental to what we do and how we live.
We reject the hustle culture that normalizes a sense of urgency and working yourself until there’s nothing left.
We give ourselves grace during difficult moments and extend compassion like we would do for a small child or our best friend.
We know we are not meant to do this life thing alone so we gravitate towards like-minded people to share the load.
We live into this value by making adjustments to timelines that are not fit for a human’s pace, asking how are you forreal, reminding ourselves that there is nothing wrong with us, being mindful of the language we use and keeping up with our care practices.
Wanna work on how you show up as a leader for yourself and others?
Fun facts about me
Remember how I told you we were adding playful possibility into our leadership over here?
What do people often get wrong about you?
People think because I’m normally one of the first ones to speak up or speak on something that that means I’m an outgoing extrovert. Nah, I just put myself in places where I can talk about my special interests – liberation, leadership, people, power.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
I don’t feel guilty about my pleasures. I like talking shit, sour candy, dating shows, eating ice cream from the container, napping a lot and not wearing pants as much as I can. Should I feel guilty about that?
What was your first job out of college?
I was a community organizing intern at a transit justice organization where I learned the basics of campaigning, political advocacy and grassroots outreach. It’s very ironic that I got this job because I’m geographically-challenged.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
It will forever be Tupac’s “Brenda’s Got a Baby”. Maybe it’s the social worker in me? Maybe it’s Tupac’s flow that’s just too damn good? Maybe it’s the dope music video? I’m here for it all!