As 2025 approaches, I share the power of Octavia E. Butler’s works, and I explore five key lessons from Butler’s work on  liberation and survival—offering tools for individuals and teams to navigate uncertainty with courage and purpose.

We've seen an increased need for organizations to refresh their strategic plans. Many are still navigating the volatile political context and social challenges from COVID-19. They are unsure about how to proceed with a commitment to their staff, community impact, and justice. Strategic plans help you navigate these challenges purposefully and effectively. Nonprofit Quarterly (NPQ) has invited me to be on a webinar panel, Setting Bold Strategy: Relevant Approaches to Strategy and Strategic Planning. I hope you can join!

When I look back, the word that most represents my time building and being part of Colibrí is “transition”. To me, transition is a state of being that gives us the power and grace to move from one place to another. Sometimes we are choosing it and moving with intention, taking actions that make us feel all superhero-ish. Other times, it can feel like transition is happening to us, and that we are being pulled and stretched, unsure of why.

We rarely take the time to pause and tap into our imagination. In an uncertain and changing world, it may feel safer to focus on the constraints instead of what we can create together. Especially now in an “in-between time,” when we are carrying forward what we learned from 2020-2022 and figuring out how we navigate the future. We are tired and recovering from the uncertainty we faced, the changes we made, and the change we hoped for but haven’t seen. Remaining committed to social change can feel like fighting against an insurmountable tide.

I recently read a friend’s reflection on coaching white people to do anti-racist work and my first reaction was frustration and tightness in my chest. I thought to myself damnnnn, doing so much unlearning of our conditioning just takes a lot. I thought, is this even worth it? This old familiar feeling was taking over; pessimism and hopelessness about our ability to make the change needed to combat white supremacist culture. Honestly, there’s a lot going on in our world these days that can give that feeling; never-ending pandemic, violence in our communities, a feeling of continued disconnection, and uncertainty about the future of our planet. Underneath that sense of pessimism is shame and fear, that I am not doing enough, and even deeper, that I am not enough.

When people work together, an inevitable tension surfaces: How do we make decisions and who makes them? Colibrí has realized that many teams don’t have explicit or transparent decision-making protocols or tools. Some teams create a new and different decision-making process every time they have to decide something. Others avoid making decisions or taking action for fear of excluding team members. And others defer decision-making to the people in the room when decisions are discussed. These methods of decision-making are not transparent, leaving teams feeling confused and disempowered. Additionally, they default power to those with privilege or positional authority in the organization and not necessarily those who have the expertise or are impacted by the decision.

We have grown tremendously this past year, deepening our understanding because of your partnership. We are taking what we have learned and are developing a framework that will help teams increase their awareness and take action on their commitment to equity and justice. This framework will identify trends and patterns related to decolonization and anti-racism. One key component the framework will include is acknowledgment.

This past year, we at Colibri have seen our partners stretch themselves into the unknown and oftentimes the uncomfortable to move closer to justice and liberation. We have learned alongside you.

Every community has a way of being, a set of behaviors that are acceptable or not--the culture of the community. These ways of being are their “community agreements.” Whether explicit or implicit, they are either enforced through coercion and dominance or affinity and collaboration. At Colibri, we think that a team’s agreements about how you meet or work together can tell us a lot about their dynamics. Agreements are also a powerful tool in creating a space for being together that can either feel liberating or oppressive.

We are excited and humbled to share four new collaborators to the Colibri Collaborative: Dr. Renato Almanzor, Neha Bangar, Laila Jenkins Perez, and Eric McDonnell. We have learned so much from them and they have shaped Colibri in many ways. Today we announce and celebrate our kinship.

Early November was intense. And at the moment the race was called, I felt relief from the feelings of anger and despair that had engulfed me in the days leading into and the days after the election.

The Colibri Collaborative and Peacock Partnerships recently joined forces to support leaders by developing a framework for Fostering Resilience: Adaptation for Liberation. We hosted two cafe conversations for leaders to reflect on how they’ve been occupying their time and to discuss the essential question: How can we respond and lead with resilience and adaptability?

“In times of crisis, seemingly impossible ideas suddenly become possible. But whose ideas?….

Creating connection and collaboration in a time where people are worried about the health of their family and “social isolation” is encouraged can be hard. Good facilitation can give people another experience. Here are some resources and tips for a facilitator. They are by no means exhaustive and I welcome additions.

I write this on the day after the March 2020 election. At moments of despair, I find comfort and growth in touching the past.

California, a state of influence and power, full of innovative ideas and people to drive them forward. I love living here. We are often at the forefront of progressive social policy, and I feel surrounded by people who have the courage to try to live differently and advocate to make our community better. That being said, I also know people who fight just to get by in this well-resourced state. And while many believe that all of us Californians should live in dignity, we are clearly not providing that opportunity for everyone.

If you are like me, you are heartbroken about where we are as a society. Police brutality continues to go unchecked despite video evidence that proves officers are not in clear danger and the federal government is separating refugees fleeing violence and putting them in cages. On a global scale, the rate of environmental destruction has accelerated.