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Our Founding Team

We are storytellers, educators, and facilitators. We work with teams large and small to help re-imagine their role in society and become leaders of an inclusive and collaborative future.

 
 
 

Chief energy officer

Katya Stepanov

Katya is a Belarusian-Jewish-American facilitator, speaker, writer, director, actor, and immersive experience designer who trains and works with leaders, individuals, and organizations to build understanding across cultural divides and guide authentic social change. Katya received her BFA from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama and is passionate about empowerment through storytelling.

 

Chief strategy officer

Mallory Combemale

A Chinese-Singaporean-French-American raised in London, Mallory is fascinated by identity and cross-cultural understanding. In her 10+ years of consulting experience, she’s worked with diverse groups ranging from Fortune 100 executives to non-profits, government officials, and entrepreneurs. Her toolkit includes ethnography, Sustained Dialogue, the Creative Problem Solving Process, and transformative coaching.

 

Chief experience officer

Ariel Figueroa

Ariel is a Puerto Rican-Jewish-American educator, experience designer, and health and wellness consultant, who creates spaces for self-inquiry and healing. Ariel received his Master’s of Education from Hunter College. After 6 years as a teacher in public and private schools, Ariel created a company to design nature-based retreats and programming for individual and team development.

 

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Co-FOUNDER FEATURE - ORATO

Family flees Belarus, years later woman launches Inheritance Project

Waves of Russian friends left Instagram and Telegram. We stepped through a door to a new reality. Russia entered the dawn of renewed oppressive authoritarianism, and my Russian friends became paranoid. I felt it. 

DISMANTLING INHERITED SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION

In her book, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, Pema Chodron wisely teaches us, “Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved.

 
 

DIALOGUE IS THE ANTIDOTE TO CANCEL CULTURE

If we really want to build a more equitable future for all living beings — regardless of their color, class, country, creed or culture — then we need to learn how to have dialogue with people whose views or experiences contradict our own, trigger us, or that we disagree with.

each bead binds together
a different person
making a universe
hidden inside
each bead holds together
a piece of thought, minds
as we picture the world
one bracelet
full

By Katya Stepanov

 
 
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There is no single definition of “ethical storytelling” or easy 5-step process to follow. Whether or not a story is told ethically depends on how the process of receiving, translating and sharing the story is facilitated by the storytell
Self-awareness is the number one skill that will serve you as a leader. ⁠ ⁠ In the course of your career, it’s likely that the technology and technical skills needed in your industry will change dramatically. It’s possible that the busine
Does your organization prepare your managers to lead effectively in an uncertain, unstable world? ⁠ ⁠ In today’s workplace, leaders face unprecedented challenges such as creating inclusive, connected team cultures, navigating conversations abou
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“I loved the session. It was different and strangely in a short time, we were able to go deep.⁠ ⁠ I am a very reflective leader and self-aware, yet I discovered so many new aspects of myself and areas where I would like to go deeper.⁠ ⁠ I loved
Here is what participants are saying about last month’s Unpack Your Inheritance workshop. Seeing the impact of our programs on participants and learning how they apply the tools and concepts in their work and life keeps us going! ⁠ ⁠ If you are
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“Do not judge a book by its cover” has been my overarching experience when interacting with people as they reflect on their inheritance during our workshops. Listening to people’s stories about how the 5Cs (country, culture, creed,

 

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