About the Institute for Collective Wellbeing

Freshly churned through the humdrum cycle of working life, we were done. Done with the nonstop grind of leadership while parenting, activism without rest, and equity without attunement. Done. Contrary to what we were told, we believed that it was possible to attend to the wellbeing of people within organizations while in pursuit of wellbeing for all. 

We’re on a journey to be a microcosm of the world we aspire to see. It is the most simple - and the hardest! -  vision all at the same time. It is the most simple because it is our nature to be unconditionally loving and authentic. Yet so many of us have forgotten. We have fundamentally lost sight of innate interconnection, compassion, and sense of being enough. 

It is our pleasure to steward opportunities to deepen and strengthen collective wellbeing as the foundation for the world we desire to see.

What is Collective Wellbeing?

Collective wellbeing draws from and amplifies aligned movements including racial equity, social and visual arts, new economy, democracy, the environment, and health. While wellbeing is often interpreted as individual wellness, collective wellbeing speaks to interconnection and our shared capacity to flourish together. For us, collective wellbeing is a paradigm for an emerging future. It is activated in groups that heal a sense of separation, encourage authenticity, and embrace a sense of possibility amid uncertainty.

Why Collective Wellbeing?

By reframing our work around collective wellbeing, we begin to change systems, cultures, and mindsets toward possibility rather than inevitability. When we see the purpose of organizations as spaces to co-create wellbeing for employees and those they serve, we shift how we see each other, what is valued, what is measured, and how decisions are made. When we agree that the purpose of our cities, states, and countries is to co-create wellbeing for all residents, we reimagine how to be in community with one another in a way that feels generative. 

Meet Our Team of Co-Creators

  • Rebecca Paradiso de Sayu

    CO-FOUNDER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    When it comes to creating a more just and beautiful future for all, Rebecca thrives at weaving together multiple ways of knowing. Her devotion to authenticity and radical transparency has served her well in navigating everything from partnerships across academic, nonprofit, private, and government sectors, to parenting her children in a bi-cultural and bi-racial home. Indeed, they are all connected.

  • Mildred Oetzel-Passaro

    DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
    DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIVE WELLBEING STORIES

    Mildred first learned about ICW through her marketing and web design business. The more she learned about the collective wellbeing movement, the more she connected with it. The Institute’s work felt like the missing puzzle piece of ideas that Mildred had been having for a while, which is why she decided to switch paths and join the ICW team.

  • Linda Vakunta

    SPECIAL PROJECTS CONSULTANT

    Dr. Linda Vakunta is a governmental and Non-governmental leader with more than a decade of experience in grassroots community engagement and program development, monitoring and evaluation work. Her work has included serving as executive director for a 501c3 non-profit organization that focused on positive youth development, education and social determinants of health.

  • Kerry Zaleski

    SPECIAL PROJECTS CONSULTANT

    Kerry is a community advocate, wellness specialist and thought partner who views the world through an equity lens. With a background in international health and development, participatory evaluation methods and continuous quality improvement, she is passionate about collective learning and action towards deep and innovative systems change.

  • Warren Nilsson

    ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING SPECIALIST

    Warren (Ren) has over 30 years of experience in community development and engaged academia. His work explores the relationship between organizational learning, wellbeing, and social change. In addition to his work with ICW, he is an Associate Professor of Social Innovation at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Ren's commitment to collective wellbeing springs from growing up in a multiracial, adoptive family of 20 siblings and hundreds of foster siblings.

  • Ryan Erisman

    VETERAN WELLBEING FELLOW

    Ryan is a Marine veteran whose work explores how other veterans’ experiences can be understood through a wellbeing lens and integrated into their current lives. Ryan is also the founder of Odyssey Collaborations where he helps leaders cultivate high-impact change and create wellbeing for themselves, their organization, and their community. He lives with his partner and children on Odyssey Farm, which was recognized as a Dane County Climate Champion.

  • Stephan Hiroshi Gilchrist

    CO-FOUNDER

    Stephan grew up in a bi-cultural, biracial home where he was exposed early on to racial and cultural bias from the broader community. This led him to find ways to bring people from diverse backgrounds together to deepen understanding and relationships. His professional career spans international business, cross-sector sustainability initiatives, conflict resolution, civic engagement, and higher education.