Our Program Guides

BEVERLY WINTERSCHEID, PH.D.

Beverly is a mentor and motivator for women who want to change the world through passionate commitment to their ideas, families, organizations, and communities.

After 20 years of a successful business and academic career that included a Ph.D. in Business Strategy, a post-doc at the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management,  positions as VP, Strategy and Organization for Manco-Henkel, Inc. and Director of Strategic Initiatives for Stratton Corporation. she had a profound awakening.   After investing two decades in change management with a large systems focus, she came to the conclusion that change happens one person at a time.

Acting on her discovery, she began training in ecopsychology and nature-based guiding with the Animas Valley Institute.  In 2008, she joined Marlboro College’s Sustainability MBA, launching a 2-year nature-based leadership development course, where she stayed for the next seven years.

Also in 2008, she founded the Center for Nature and Leadership (CNL) to blend traditional leadership development with scientific findings on the beneficial effects of Nature on humans.  The Generative Council is CNL’s keystone program, designed to provide diverse women leaders the time & space to develop their personal impact, meeting  in places of wild magnificence three times/year, and supported by an ongoing community of previous participants.

Creating and achieving bottom-lines of all sorts, and helping others see the wisdom of Nature at work in their own lives is what she loves to do.  Cultivating fearless leaders, those who stand firmly on authenticity and truth, who strive to bring new visions into reality in concert with others is her passion and expertise.

And, when she’s not working with members of the Center for Nature and Leadership community, you’ll find her in the backcountry of her home in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, or sailing in the Bahamas.

BEVERLY WINTERSCHEID, PH.D.

Beverly is a mentor and motivator for women who want to change the world through passionate commitment to their ideas, families, organizations, and communities.

After 20 years of a successful business and academic career that included a Ph.D. in Business Strategy, a post-doc at the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management,  positions as VP, Strategy and Organization for Manco-Henkel, Inc. and Director of Strategic Initiatives for Stratton Corporation. she had a profound awakening.   After investing two decades in change management with a large systems focus, she came to the conclusion that change happens one person at a time.

Acting on her discovery, she began training in ecopsychology and nature-based guiding with the Animas Valley Institute.  In 2008, she joined Marlboro College’s Sustainability MBA, launching a 2-year nature-based leadership development course, where she stayed for the next seven years.

Also in 2008, she founded the Center for Nature and Leadership (CNL) to blend traditional leadership development with scientific findings on the beneficial effects of Nature on humans.  The Generative Council is CNL’s keystone program, designed to provide diverse women leaders the time & space to develop their personal impact, meeting  in places of wild magnificence three times/year, and supported by an ongoing community of previous participants.

Creating and achieving bottom-lines of all sorts, and helping others see the wisdom of Nature at work in their own lives is what she loves to do.  Cultivating fearless leaders, those who stand firmly on authenticity and truth, who strive to bring new visions into reality in concert with others is her passion and expertise.

And, when she’s not working with members of the Center for Nature and Leadership community, you’ll find her in the backcountry of her home in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, or sailing in the Bahamas.

NICKI DAVEY

Nicki’s purpose is to help to make the world a better place through working with individuals, teams and organizations so that they lead with courage, wisdom, compassion and vision; recognise, value and harness diversity; and respect and value each other and the planet in all their activities and interactions. Nicki is founder of Saltbox Training & Events and believes that learning should be a joy and an adventure. She creates transformative learning experiences by enabling people to learn in, with, and from nature, and she draws inspiration from the creative arts, ancient wisdoms, neuroscience and psychology. Nicki is the author of the Holistic Learning Handbook and is passionate about creating deep, meaningful learning experiences by engaging the whole learner – body, mind, heart, and spirit.

NICKI DAVEY

Nicki’s purpose is to help to make the world a better place through working with individuals, teams and organizations so that they lead with courage, wisdom, compassion and vision; recognise, value and harness diversity; and respect and value each other and the planet in all their activities and interactions. Nicki is founder of Saltbox Training & Events and believes that learning should be a joy and an adventure. She creates transformative learning experiences by enabling people to learn in, with, and from nature, and she draws inspiration from the creative arts, ancient wisdoms, neuroscience and psychology. Nicki is the author of the Holistic Learning Handbook and is passionate about creating deep, meaningful learning experiences by engaging the whole learner – body, mind, heart, and spirit.

CARY GAUNT, Ph.D.

Two great loves comprise the heart of who I am and the work I do in the world. One is a profound connection with the earth forged by my childhood on a small farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and honed through a lifetime of listening to the land, exploring and living in natural places. The other is a deep spirituality comprised of contemplative and nature-based practices, Soulcraft™, spiritual discernment, and wilderness rites of passage. I bring these two great loves together in my work as a sustainability leader and contemplative practitioner and teacher. My commitment is to support organizations and individuals in moving beyond sustainability to restoration and flourishing.

CARY GAUNT, Ph.D.

Two great loves comprise the heart of who I am and the work I do in the world. One is a profound connection with the earth forged by my childhood on a small farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and honed through a lifetime of listening to the land, exploring and living in natural places. The other is a deep spirituality comprised of contemplative and nature-based practices, Soulcraft™, spiritual discernment, and wilderness rites of passage. I bring these two great loves together in my work as a sustainability leader and contemplative practitioner and teacher. My commitment is to support organizations and individuals in moving beyond sustainability to restoration and flourishing.

Kelli Bettenhausen

My passion is people, plain and simple. I love to listen to the stories people share and what makes them ‘tick’. In my current work as a consultant, I find opportunities to blend my passion for people with leadership. Being a part of Growing Your Best Self and the Center for Nature and Leadership has expanded my love of nature and my growth in myself.

Kelli Bettenhausen

My passion is people, plain and simple. I love to listen to the stories people share and what makes them ‘tick’. In my current work as a consultant, I find opportunities to blend my passion for people with leadership. Being a part of Growing Your Best Self and the Center for Nature and Leadership has expanded my love of nature and my growth in myself.

KIM SLACK

I am an engineer-turned-science educator and nature-based leadership guide. My 12 years of water resources and remediation work as a civil/environmental engineer in the U.S., Kenya, and Haiti bring a practical and culturally responsive lens to my work as an educator, guide, and servant leader. I am wholeheartedly committed to nurturing healthy relationships between humans and nature through immersive, nature-based, experiential education that is accessible to all learners. I believe in amplifying marginalized voices through education, and I believe that Paolo Friere was right when he said, “education is radically about love”.

I am most alive when I’m wandering wild spaces of all sorts, from glorious expanses of wilderness to the overgrown back alleyway behind my house. I am humbled and honored to serve this community of visionary, radical, and powerful women.

KIM SLACK

I am an engineer-turned-science educator and nature-based leadership guide. My 12 years of water resources and remediation work as a civil/environmental engineer in the U.S., Kenya, and Haiti bring a practical and culturally responsive lens to my work as an educator, guide, and servant leader. I am wholeheartedly committed to nurturing healthy relationships between humans and nature through immersive, nature-based, experiential education that is accessible to all learners. I believe in amplifying marginalized voices through education, and I believe that Paolo Friere was right when he said, “education is radically about love”.

I am most alive when I’m wandering wild spaces of all sorts, from glorious expanses of wilderness to the overgrown back alleyway behind my house. I am humbled and honored to serve this community of visionary, radical, and powerful women.

Alix Lefler

I am a life coach, project manager, and certified scrum master. At the heart of my work is a passion for deeply listening to where people are, where they want to go, and what’s standing in their way. My connection to nature came later in life. Feeling trapped in a relationship and lifestyle that no longer served me, I took to the trails and let the wisdom of animals, plants, rain, and sun remind me how to stay flexible and thrive. I believe we find the loudest answers to our deepest questions when we immerse ourselves in the natural world. We supercharge those questions and answers when we get vulnerable with a community of like minded humans that show up as mirrors and soft places to land when the going gets tough. I can’t wait to show up with you.

Alix Lefler

I am a life coach, project manager, and certified scrum master. At the heart of my work is a passion for deeply listening to where people are, where they want to go, and what’s standing in their way. My connection to nature came later in life. Feeling trapped in a relationship and lifestyle that no longer served me, I took to the trails and let the wisdom of animals, plants, rain, and sun remind me how to stay flexible and thrive. I believe we find the loudest answers to our deepest questions when we immerse ourselves in the natural world. We supercharge those questions and answers when we get vulnerable with a community of like minded humans that show up as mirrors and soft places to land when the going gets tough. I can’t wait to show up with you.

CHRIS SCHNEIDER

I am a passionate nature connector, creating deep and meaningful experiences between humans of all ages and the natural world. I bring 25+ years of corporate leadership and coaching experience at a Fortune 50 company. This includes leading corporate nature-based workshops for the last 10 years. In 2017, I founded and am President of the Outdoor Enthusiast Club in my company which has grown into a thriving community of 500+ members. We have recently launched our Equity in the Outdoors Series and are honored to partner with the Arizona Sustainability Alliance on community impact projects.

I am a founding member of the Generative Council and have been a nature-based leadership guide for the Center for Nature & Leadership for the last four years. I thrive creating opportunities for women to learn about their bio-region and providing space for their self-empowerment to be galvanized and flourish. Incorporating whole heart practices with intentional actions, I journey with others as they give their impactful purpose work to the world.

I call the land of the giant saguaro cacti my home in Phoenix, Arizona. I am beginning my next chapter of legacy work with the National Parks in the summer of 2021.

CHRIS SCHNEIDER

I am a passionate nature connector, creating deep and meaningful experiences between humans of all ages and the natural world. I bring 25+ years of corporate leadership and coaching experience at a Fortune 50 company. This includes leading corporate nature-based workshops for the last 10 years. In 2017, I founded and am President of the Outdoor Enthusiast Club in my company which has grown into a thriving community of 500+ members. We have recently launched our Equity in the Outdoors Series and are honored to partner with the Arizona Sustainability Alliance on community impact projects.

I am a founding member of the Generative Council and have been a nature-based leadership guide for the Center for Nature & Leadership for the last four years. I thrive creating opportunities for women to learn about their bio-region and providing space for their self-empowerment to be galvanized and flourish. Incorporating whole heart practices with intentional actions, I journey with others as they give their impactful purpose work to the world.

I call the land of the giant saguaro cacti my home in Phoenix, Arizona. I am beginning my next chapter of legacy work with the National Parks in the summer of 2021.

HOLLY BRAUN

Ten years ago I shifted my professional orientation from advancing profit to fulfilling purpose and have spent the last decade helping redirect and align my organization’s existing mission of delivering safe and reliable energy to the societal charge of solving for climate change and reducing carbon emissions. I now work to advance the largest component of my organizations “low carbon pathway” through robust policy, customer-facing energy efficiency and technology, and organizational innovation.

Generative Council came midway through this journey and provided the necessary spiritual expansion to fulfill my quest. Retreating from the clutter, obligation, and pace of city-life into the quiet, reflective and harmonious non-judgment of nature was both humbling and emboldening. I found direction, clarity, and conviction that nourished and guided me to a place of sustained richness. I’m inspired how accessible this gift is and yet, it can be veiled and mysterious without models. While always a student, I am grateful to serve as a guide in this journey for future generations of council women.

HOLLY BRAUN

Ten years ago I shifted my professional orientation from advancing profit to fulfilling purpose and have spent the last decade helping redirect and align my organization’s existing mission of delivering safe and reliable energy to the societal charge of solving for climate change and reducing carbon emissions. I now work to advance the largest component of my organizations “low carbon pathway” through robust policy, customer-facing energy efficiency and technology, and organizational innovation.

Generative Council came midway through this journey and provided the necessary spiritual expansion to fulfill my quest. Retreating from the clutter, obligation, and pace of city-life into the quiet, reflective and harmonious non-judgment of nature was both humbling and emboldening. I found direction, clarity, and conviction that nourished and guided me to a place of sustained richness. I’m inspired how accessible this gift is and yet, it can be veiled and mysterious without models. While always a student, I am grateful to serve as a guide in this journey for future generations of council women.

NANCY HENJUM

With 30 years of organizational leadership, executive coaching and team facilitation experience, I seek to serve as a catalyst for positive engagement in and with the world. Two years ago I found the Center for Nature and Leadership. By bringing the wisdom of nature into my method and incorporating the practices I have learned with the women of the Generative Council, I have expanded my awareness, perspective and skillset.

Having lived the first quarter of my life in 14 different places as an Air Force “brat”, I determined to plant my roots and since 1990 Colorado is the place I have grown my branches. The light in Colorado’s crisp blue skies and the strength from its’ magnificent Rocky Mountains have become my sustenance. In addition to the importance of place, my deepest connection is to the people in it. Giving to and receiving from community is one of my highest values. Generative Council is a precious part of my community.

NANCY HENJUM

With 30 years of organizational leadership, executive coaching and team facilitation experience, I seek to serve as a catalyst for positive engagement in and with the world. Two years ago I found the Center for Nature and Leadership. By bringing the wisdom of nature into my method and incorporating the practices I have learned with the women of the Generative Council, I have expanded my awareness, perspective and skillset.

Having lived the first quarter of my life in 14 different places as an Air Force “brat”, I determined to plant my roots and since 1990 Colorado is the place I have grown my branches. The light in Colorado’s crisp blue skies and the strength from its’ magnificent Rocky Mountains have become my sustenance. In addition to the importance of place, my deepest connection is to the people in it. Giving to and receiving from community is one of my highest values. Generative Council is a precious part of my community.

Jennifer Simpson, Ph.D.

Jennifer has dedicated her life and career to improving lives, strengthening communities, and adding value to organizations by helping people amplify their impact by being more human, together. Her varied background includes more than twenty-five years of experience working in and with organizations across the private, public, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors to create more meaningful and effective ways of living and working together across differences; more than a decade of teaching university courses in communication, organizational diversity, and leadership disciplines; and a lifetime of bridging worlds in a way that capitalizes on the best in organizations to enhance creativity and stimulate whole system learning.

Jennifer Simpson, Ph.D.

Jennifer has dedicated her life and career to improving lives, strengthening communities, and adding value to organizations by helping people amplify their impact by being more human, together. Her varied background includes more than twenty-five years of experience working in and with organizations across the private, public, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors to create more meaningful and effective ways of living and working together across differences; more than a decade of teaching university courses in communication, organizational diversity, and leadership disciplines; and a lifetime of bridging worlds in a way that capitalizes on the best in organizations to enhance creativity and stimulate whole system learning.

Darcy Winslow

Darcy Winslow is the Founding President (2010-2020) and co-founder of the Academy for Systems Change, an organization focused on advancing the field of awareness-based systemic change in order to achieve economic, social, and ecological wellbeing.

Darcy also founded the recently launched Magnolia Moonshot 2030 (MM2030), a collaborative under the Academy, a new narrative for women’s leadership, creating the conditions to activate our collective power to address the greatest challenges we face today. By convening networks of women leaders urgently addressing the climate crisis, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, deep equity, conscious leadership and the divine feminine, MM2030 amplifies our collective ability for positive impact.

Darcy worked at Nike, Inc. for 21 years. She led large scale systems change efforts within Nike, and held several senior management positions, most notably starting the Sustainable Business Strategies in 1999, Global Director for Research Design and Development, General Manager/VP for Nike!s Global Women’s Footwear, Apparel and Equipment division, and Senior Advisor to the Nike Foundation.

In addition to her time at Nike and with the Academy for Systems Change, she was a Senior Lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, co-founder of the Generative Council (Center for Nature and Leadership), and Director of the Sustainable Enterprise program at Willamette University’s Executive Education.

Darcy participates as a Board Member for The Carbon Underground, The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education, Our Climate, and Regenerative Earth. She is an avid athlete and draws inspiration from her time in nature.

Darcy Winslow