Creativity & collective wisdom in service of strategic clarity
We help leaders and groups identify and implement clear, powerful, and durable change strategies at the intersection of ecology and social justice.
Why Water Bear?
Water bears are tiny but mighty animals known to be the most resilient critters on Earth. Resilience speaks to our capacity to anticipate and respond to crisis and change in ways that enable us to learn, innovate, and thrive. Water bears are astoundingly robust, endlessly surprising, and work a lot of magic behind the scenes.
In this spirit, Water Bear Collaborative brings thoughtful expertise in strategy, process, and systems thinking in support of powerful efforts to foster a more equitable, sane, and hopeful future.
Services
We work with our clients to design and implement custom offerings that best meet the leadership, strategic, or program challenges at hand.
Strategy
Thoughtful, collaborative, and impactful social
change strategy with a specialization in food & farming, water, and climate.
Trainings
Tailored interactive trainings and workshops to support effective groups
and social change strategy.
Collaboration & Facilitation
Design and facilitation of collaborations to navigate complex issues and power dynamics, and foster inclusive and participatory decision-making.
Program Design & Implementation
Support building, leading, and evaluating powerful change initiatives with a systems lens.
Featured Projects
Building healthy, just and resilient water futures
We co-designed and facilitated a multi-perspective systems strategy process to explore how leaders in California's Central Coast region could transform water challenges in the region to support greater health and resilience for local communities and landscapes.
Weaving connected and impactful international networks
We advised on network design and governance for the global Social Gastronomy Movement, and created a multi-view network map to increase the visibility and impact of the work, connect leaders and projects using food for social change, and facilitate learning and collaboration among similar projects locally and internationally.
Training philanthropic leaders to navigate difficult conversations about equity
We led a day-long training in skillful collaboration for the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy L.A. to support excellence and equity in the practice of philanthropy.
Testimonials
“There was space to discuss intersectionality of power dynamics with race, gender, age, etc. in a group setting and how it impacts one’s role as a facilitator... I honestly think it was one of the best workshops I’ve been to. ”
“What worked well? Facilitation! Brilliant pace, framing, depth, connection, balance of head and heart, willingness to show up as we are in our learning.”
“I went to work the next day and immediately started implementing what I had learned. It made a huge difference.”