A free, 12-week learning community for nonprofit humans reimagining how we work, lead, and
care together.
Winter is the season of deep roots.
When the world goes quiet, there’s space to listen — to ourselves and to each other. Time to pause, absorb, mull.
Winter invites reflection. The kind that doesn’t rush to an answer.
It’s the perfect time to make space, take a good look at our personal habits, and reconnect with the purpose behind our work.
This winter, we’re creating that space together.
Winter Roots is a three-month virtual series for anyone doing or exploring the work of nonprofits: from staff to board members to volunteers to consultants.
Every week from mid-January through the end of March 2026, we’ll gather as a community to explore how we can work with more intention, inclusion, and depth, aided by the support of incredible experts and facilitators
This isn’t about doing more with less. In fact, it’s not about doing more at all.
It’s about rethinking how we show up in our work. How the ecosystems of our organizations can center humanity and our well being.
It’s about doing it better, together.
Why We Need Spaces Like This
Nonprofits have been stretched thin for too long. The pace, the pressure, the constant juggling; it’s a lot. And when capacity feels scarce, genuine learning and connection are often the first things to go.
I built this series as a gentle antidote to that squeeze. Because everyone deserves time and space to think, grow, and replenish themselves, so they can bring that energy back to their teams
This series is a kind of third space; not home, not work, but a place where nonprofit people can show up as they are. A place where we can drop our titles, set down the to-do list, and be in community with each other.
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Past participants said:
“That was so, so lovely. Thank you for organizing!”
“Thank you so much for hosting this amazing get together. I needed this type of connection with like-minded non-profit leaders”
That’s the energy we’re building on this winter. Over these three months, we’ll learn from practitioners doing powerful, human-centered work — and from each other. You’ll leave replenished, rejuvenated, and ready for spring.
This Is for You If…
You work in or alongside a nonprofit — as staff, board, volunteer, or consultant — and are ready to ponder big ideas that will carry you through 2026 and beyond.
You are exploring nonprofit work and want to learn more.
You crave honest, reflective conversations that go beyond “best practices.”
You’re tired of rushing from one fire to the next and want to build something more sustainable.
You value inclusion, collaboration, and community over competition.
You’ve been looking for a professional space that feels both useful and human.
What You’ll Carry Forward
This isn’t a course or a checklist. It’s making time to think differently about work and to feel supported while you do it.
Over the winter, you can expect to:
Reimagine the systems and stories shaping your work
Learn practical tools for more inclusive, human-centered leadership
Build a network of peers who get what you’re navigating
Leave each session with clarity, not overwhelm
Rediscover the part of you that got into this work in the first place
These conversations will help you slow down, notice patterns, and find your footing for the year ahead.
How It Works
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Each session runs about 60 minutes, combining expert insight and real conversation.
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Speaker-led sessions on a range of big-picture, human-centered topics. More details on that below!
Jan 13
Jan 27
Feb 10
Feb 24
Mar 10
Mar 24
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Facilitated conversations centering on a theme, led by Abbey.
These are part coworking, part conversation; a place to share experiences and tools, make meaning, and to build collective wisdom.
Jan 20
Feb 3
Feb 17
Mar 3
Mar 17
Mar 31
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Register by December 15 and submit questions for our podcast interview series, focused on the nuts and bolts. of nonprofit work.
Topics will include:
-Design & branding
-Recruiting & hiring
-Databases/CRMs
-Planned giving
-Programming
-Grants
Our Speakers
Anna Adachi-Mejia
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What to expect from this session:
What do you need to stay Human in this era of Artificial Intelligence in the workplace? In this interactive experience, we will explore ways to harness what makes us uniquely Human. Let’s figure out how we want to best show up for ourselves, our colleagues, and our nonprofits in the face of many things that challenge our day-to-day experiences. Let’s build a community of human-centered nonprofit leaders, together!
BIO: Anna Adachi-Mejia, PhD, CPCC is a is a creative coach, innovative facilitator, & detail-oriented consultant for individuals and groups who think differently and are ready to bring their unique perspectives into the world. She has spent over two decades working with nonprofits. She has served as a: Trustee of multiple nonprofit boards in New England; former Associate Professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth; and a former nonprofit Executive Director. As the Principal of Adachi Labs, LLC she provides a range of services, including: meeting facilitation, leadership coaching, and keynotes. Her advice column about optimizing workplace culture is called, Ask Anna Banana™. Her undergraduate, Masters, and PhD degrees are all from Dartmouth College. She is also a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), and she has studied improvisation and laughter yoga.
Maria Bryan
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What to expect from this session:
Nonprofit storytelling has the profound capacity to move your mission. Yet, traditional storytelling can inadvertently reinforce the very systems of harm we seek to dismantle.
This groundbreaking session reimagines storytelling through a trauma-informed lens, offering tools that center agency and safety.
Through real-world examples, we'll delve into the delicate ecosystem of storytelling—examining the intricate relationships between story owners, receivers, and witnesses. Participants will move beyond traditional approaches to discover how to gather, craft, and share stories in ways that honor both the story owner and the broader communities they represent.
Ideal for various nonprofit roles, including fundraisers, marketers, communicators, grant writers, researchers, consultants, and videographers.
BIO: Maria Bryan is a trauma-informed storytelling trainer. She is the host of the When Bearing Witness® podcast and facilitates the When Bearing Witness® Trauma-Informed Storytelling Certification Program.
Maria’s work helps nonprofit leaders tell powerful and impactful stories that resist harm. Over the past 15+ years in the nonprofit and public sector, Maria has trained thousands globally in person and virtually—focusing on trauma-informed storytelling and purpose-driven marketing.
Charlene Holmes
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What to expect from this session:
In an era where performative gestures can no longer pass for progress, Transforming Boardrooms offers a strategic shift from symbolic inclusion to structural change. Designed for board members, executives, and governance influencers, this session explores how today’s most effective boards are not simply diversifying who is at the table, but redefining how power is shared.
Using our signature guide, the Diversity in Governance: A DEI Playbook, participants will learn how to redesign board culture, update decision-making practices, and build systems where accountability, belonging, and diverse representation are integrated—not optional.
This transformative workshop invites participants to reimagine board leadership through a lens of justice, equity, and organizational sustainability. You’ll leave not only informed — but equipped, inspired, and ready to operationalize the kind of governance that shifts outcomes across sectors, communities, and generations.
This isn’t reform — it’s leadership reborn.
BIO: Charlene Holmes, MPS, is the CEO and Founder of Imana Borena, Inc., a faith-based innovation incubator dedicated to advancing equity and dismantling systemic unrighteousness. A powerful truth teller, captivating speaker, influential podcaster, and dedicated executive coach, Charlene is on a mission to ignite change and inspire individuals and organizations to create a more equitable world. Through her visionary leadership and righteousness frameworks, she equips communities and leaders to embrace transformative, biblically rooted approaches to justice and belonging.
Dr. Mel Houser
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What to expect from this session:
What neurodiversity actually means
Common ways brains work differently
How this shows up in employment settings
What employers can do to create neuroinclusive workplaces
BIO: Dr. Mel Houser (she/they) is a family physician, and Founder and Executive Director of All Brains Belong VT, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to support the health and belonging of people with all types of brains. All Brains Belong has pioneered an innovative model that integrates medical care with social connection, employment support, and community education. Dr. Houser provides neurodiversity training to organizations around the country about how to create healthcare and workplace environments where all employees can get their needs met and thrive.
Lorna Jane Norris
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What to expect from this session:
For so long we talked about how ‘change is hard’. More recently, we have expanded our thinking to understand that most of what we think of as ‘change’ is actually ‘transition’. We talk about transition A LOT, but what do we actually mean by that? William Bridges, an early pioneer of organizational development, created an incredibly simple but profoundly powerful framework to give us both a structure and language to talk about the psychological process of adapting to change. LJN will share the model and then facilitate opportunities to individually and collectively reflect on how this model resonates and plays out in our personal, interpersonal, and professional lives, as well of course, in our organizations.
BIO: Lorna Jane is a British born singer, teaching artist, coach, and consultant. After 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit arts education sector in MA and NYC, she launched LJN Advisory in 2020, a consulting firm that partners with individuals and non-profit organizations to manage and embrace transition. Working at the intersection of coaching and consulting, her work includes individual and group coaching, meeting facilitation, strategic and leadership transition planning, and leadership search. Personal and professional experience has grounded her in the belief that the often uncomfortable space between ‘what is’ and ‘what could be’ is fertile ground for creativity, learning, and growth. A process based practitioner, Lorna Jane’s work is rooted in Gestalt principles, William Bridges’ Transitions model, and the RUMI quote, “Be like a tree: stay grounded, keep growing, and know when to let go”. LJN attended the Gestalt International Study Center for her coaching training, and is working towards the next level of coaching accreditation (Professional Coaching Credential - PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) in 2025. Lorna Jane lives with her partner in Vermont. She endeavors to live and work with the values of curiosity, transparency, loyalty, compassion, and humor.
Our Podcast Guests
Robin Allen Laplante
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Principal, Strange Bird Consulting
BIO: A musical theatre nerd who loved rehearsing more than performing…Strange Bird founder Robin Allen LaPlante leans into the spirit of collaboration and storytelling to help those who help others. The art of storytelling is crucial to demonstrating impact and engaging audiences to join in the journey. Her company Strange Birds Consulting takes the bird-eye view – helping to sort out both the big picture and the fine details. As a consultant, she empowers non-profits with data-informed communications and fundraising strategies, leading operations in fundraising, digital performance production, integrated marketing communications, development operations, content creation, ticket sales, event management, and more.
Over the last two decades in nonprofit administration, Robin has worked with young musicians, visual artists, circus performers, puppeteers, theater artists and more in Pittsburgh, Boston, and across the state of Vermont. After launching her consulting practice in 2020 she has helped develop strategic communications plans; advise and execute marketing tactics to increase reach and engagement; fundraise through appeals, grants, events, and sponsorships; manage and report on data; and produce and execute online events.
Clients include Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Circus Smirkus, Vermont Youth Orchestra, Philadelphia Free Library Foundation, Atlantic Symphony, Upper Valley Humane Society, White River Ballet Academy, Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra, Theater in the Open, Puppet Showplace Theater, and Friends of Mascoma, among others. She lives in a cabin in the woods in Central Vermont with her family and a large dog that sometimes accompanies her on Zoom meetings.
Tess Conrad
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CFRE, Principal Consultant, Full Potential Fundraising
BIO: Tess is a seasoned fundraising professional with over 10 years of experience and has held her CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) since 2021. She also holds a Certificate in Fundraising Management from BCIT, and a BFA in Theatre Performance from SFU. While she has delved into many streams of fundraising – from major gifts to grants – her passion is Planned Giving. It's the type of fundraising she believes drives the most meaningful relationships between nonprofits and their supporters. She’s the Founder & Principal Consultant of Full Potential Fundraising, where she specializes in helping mid-sized charities create & grow their Planned Giving programs.
Justin Jankus
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Founder, Justin Jankus Creative Services
BIO: Justin is a Vermont-based photographer, graphic designer, and website designer living in central Vermont with his wife, Abbey, their dog, and their two children: a precocious daughter, Lucy, and a delightfully joyous son, Michael.
He and Abbey moved to Vermont in 2015 in search of a different kind of life than the one they were living in Boston—a life that prioritized time with each other, community, and the natural beauty of this state. The creative path Justin is on today is a continuation of those values: an opportunity to help others share their stories while continuing to refine his own.
Justin brings flexibility and curiosity to all his projects. He especially loves working closely with clients to capture the singular essence of their business and show them how to stand out.
In his spare time, Justin enjoys growing vegetables, jaunting, building things, riding his motorcycle, and learning far too much about cars.
Sarah McGowen Audet
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Principal, Hedgehog & Fox Collaborative
BIO: Sarah McGowen Audet is an award-winning nonprofit consultant and the founder of Hedgehog + Fox Collaborative, where she supports Vermont’s mission-driven organizations through strategic planning, communications, leadership development, and executive search. With years of experience in nonprofit leadership and a deep commitment to community-centered work, Sarah partners with food shelves, land trusts, housing organizations, museums, environmental coalitions, recovery programs, and more throughout the state. Outside of her consulting work, Sarah is deeply rooted in her Addison County community. She’s a mom to two amazing kids, an avid runner and skier, and a lover of Vermont’s arts, food, and outdoor culture.
Sara Powell
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Program Director, Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship
BIO: Sara Powell works at the intersection of rural entrepreneurship, land-based livelihoods, and inclusive economic development.
At the Hannah Grimes Center, Sara leads programs that help rural entrepreneurs—farmers, food producers, nonprofit leaders, and Main Street businesses—start and grow ventures that reflect the values and potential of their communities. She believes deeply in the power of place and brings a personal understanding of rural life rooted in her own upbringing in the Catskills.
Her background includes:
Designing and scaling programs that support rural resilience and equity
Building trust-based, cross-sector partnerships across New England and beyond
Managing multi-year grants with a focus on impact and accountability
Facilitating peer learning and ecosystem building through convenings like Radically Rural
Whether Sara is working one-on-one or shaping big-picture strategy, she brings curiosity, humility, and a deep respect for local wisdom.
Tiffany Thibodeau
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Principal Consultant, Tiffany Thibodeau Consulting
BIO: Tiffany Thibodeau, GPC (she/her) is a MA-based grant consultant, specializing in helping education and youth development nonprofit organizations secure grants to fund their programs. She brings 20+ years experience spanning education, the arts, healthcare, community libraries, and environmental conservation. A former preK-8 educator, educational leader, and nonprofit development professional, she founded Tiffany Thibodeau Consulting to help organizations focused on educational access and equity get the resources needed to support young people. As a consultant, Tiffany has partnered with dozens of nonprofits and community based organizations, providing grant strategy and technical assistance.
Open to All, Sustained by Community Care
This series is free because professional development and capacity building should be for everyone, no matter the size of your budget or your team. No questions asked, no gatekeeping.
If you’re able, we invite you to contribute in the spirit of reciprocity and community support — helping cover speaker honoraria, tech costs, and future programming.
No matter what, you belong here, and this space is for you.
Partners in This Work
This series is made possible through the generosity and collaboration of our community partners: local businesses, mission-driven companies, and organizations that believe in strengthening the humans behind nonprofit work.
Each partner brings their own story and expertise to the table, whether through financial sponsorship, shared resources, or creative contributions that help make this space more accessible for everyone.
We’re deeply grateful for their support in keeping these conversations free and open.
Interested in becoming a partner?
We’d love to feature your business or organization in ways that go beyond a logo. Learn more about partnership opportunities
FAQs
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Yup! Things come up and you don’t need to attend every session, but registration includes the entire three-month experience.
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That’s okay. For the most part, practitioner sessions will be recorded, and you’ll get access to all replays for a week after. Collective learning sessions won’t be recorded — they’re designed to be live, reflective spaces.
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Absolutely. Just have each person register individually so we can manage group size and share materials directly.
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It’s a guided discussion where participants shape the conversation. Think of it as collaborative problem solving meets group wisdom.
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No prep required. Come as you are: messy notes, lunch in hand, children scampering around, camera on or off.
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Because access matters more than exclusivity. Our community partners and voluntary contributions make it possible to offer this series without a paywall.
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Perfect. This is for learners at every level, from first-year staffers to long-time leaders who still want to ask better questions. Whatever your experience, you’re welcome here!
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I love to hear them! Send me an email at abbey@harlownonprofitconsulting.com.
A Note from Abbey
I’ve spent nearly two decades helping small nonprofits build stronger systems, and I’ve seen how easily the people behind the work get lost in the process.
This series is one small way to change that; a space to pause, connect, and remember that we can build thriving organizations that do good work without burning out the humans inside them.