VISIONS, Inc

⁉️What comes after DEI? A question that’s rippling across sectors—and one that this The New Yorker piece explores with depth and nuance. ✨ AND for many of us doing the work, it’s not just about what comes next. It’s about how we move forward with integrity, impact, and sustainability. 💡 This recent piece gets at a tension many of us have been feeling: the language may be shifting, but the need for real, inclusive change hasn’t gone anywhere. 🌎 It names something we at VISIONS, Inc have long understood: the future of this work lies in a pluralist paradigm shift—one that honors multiple truths, builds cultural fluency, and transforms not just policies, but people. 🌍 At VISIONS, Inc., we’ve been doing this work for 40+ years—long before DEI was a buzzword, and we’ll continue long after the acronym fades. Why? Because we focus on behavioral, affective, and cognitive change—not just checkboxes or labels. We help equip leaders and teams to not only understand difference, but to live and lead differently because of it. 💡DEI may be evolving, but inclusion, healing, and equity aren’t going away. If anything, they’re becoming more essential to navigating today’s uncertainty and tomorrow’s complexity. ❓The article asks: “What does it look like to build cultures that work for everyone?” 🗣️Our answer: You start by teaching people how to have real conversations across difference. You help them recognize what’s happening within themselves, not just out there in the system. And you equip them with tools for belonging that don’t depend on job titles or political winds. 💡The future of this work is relational, resilient, and rooted in transformation—not trend cycles. That’s what we do. And we’re here to partner with organizations ready to go deeper. We’re here to help. Let’s build what comes next—together. 🙏🏽Let’s talk. 🔗 link to the article below in comments: #Equity #highered #Inclusion #CultureChange #BeyondDEI #OrganizationalDevelopment #VISIONSInc #Leadership #FutureofWork #RelationalChange Peter O'Neill

Curious about VISIONS? Come to one of our public programs! Guidelines is once a month for an hour and a half and walks you through our guidelines that have been taught for 40 years. You'll learn to develop practical communication skills and cultivate the ability to navigate disagreements constructively, and more! PACE I is our foundational workshop where we help you dig deep and identify unconsciously held misinformation in yourself and others, communicate more effectively across differences and more! Go to https://lnkd.in/gA6SYYWs to sign up for PACE I or https://lnkd.in/gCssx9vg to sign up for Guidelines! #justice #learnwithVISIONS #antioppression #antioppressionforall #moregood #betterworld #liberationwork #communication #alwayslearning

Honored to be featured in Newsweek’s recent article on adolescent mental health. 📰 In the piece, I mention the importance of understanding the multifaceted challenges today's youth, especially boys, face, emphasizing that their struggles are not just individual but deeply rooted in #systemicissues. At VISIONS, Inc, we recognize that adolescents navigate a complex web of societal pressures, #historicaltraumas, and #identitychallenges. Our work is dedicated to addressing these layers by fostering environments of #inclusion, #equity, and #healing. We believe that supporting youth means more than addressing symptoms—it requires a #holisticapproach that considers the broader context of their experiences. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eYPv_DAN #MentalHealth #YouthEmpowerment #Equity #Inclusion #VISIONSInc

🎉 Introducing the Online Conference! Tickets are now available for our Online Conference this June. If you join us online, you'll get the livestreamed keynotes from George Kohlrieser and Heather Mason. And you'll be invited to join our online workshops. Meet our morning workshop host for the Online Conference, Dr. Valerie Batts, Founder of VISIONS, Inc., who will be running a session on cultural trauma and its implications for coaching ... Culturally imposed trauma impacts all of us. Dr. Valerie's workshop will explore the impacts of racial/ethnic trauma on those historically and/or currently seen as “less than” as well as on those seen as “better than.” Using a four-level analysis, participants will hear examples of how coachees enhanced their leadership skills by identifying and challenging the cultural, racial, or ethnic "scripts" they caught and/or were taught growing up. Participants will explore how they can continue their growth, using real-life examples they may be facing. Tools for creating healing spaces that allow creativity, and new beginnings, will be illustrated and practised. Anyone joining the In-Person conference is welcome to join this workshop (subject to availability) from their own computer at Ashridge. More information and tickets https://lnkd.in/eKP3uqnG

Ready to deepen your skills in communication, connection, and creating belonging? Join us for our virtual foundational workshop—now registering for 2025–2026! Build awareness, facilitate change, and connect across difference. Register today at visions-inc.org/pace-i Let’s build a more connected, courageous future—together. #VISIONSInc #PACETraining #PACELevelI #VirtualWorkshops #Belonging #FacilitationSkills #DiversityandInclusion

Ready to strengthen your communication across differences? Join us for our signature one-hour workshop: Guidelines for Effective Cross-Cultural Dialogue Wednesday, April 30 | 4–5:15 p.m. ET Whether you're navigating tough conversations at work or building deeper relationships in your community, this interactive session offers practical tools for meaningful, respectful dialogue—across cultures, identities, and perspectives. Led by experienced VISIONS facilitators, you'll leave with actionable strategies to: -Build trust across lines of difference -Navigate conflict with curiosity and care -Communicate with clarity, empathy, and intention -Spots are limited—register today and take the first step toward better dialogue. https://lnkd.in/eG9zmDrR

At VISIONS, Inc, we’ve always known this to be true: meaningful human connection changes everything. Now, science backs it up. A new study published in Nature Scientific Reports confirms that feeling connected to others significantly boosts mental well-being—even more than money, education, or career success. This aligns with what we’ve seen for decades in our work across communities, corporations, and classrooms: when people feel seen, heard, and valued, they thrive. Healing begins. Innovation grows. Systems shift. We believe that #bridgingdifferences isn’t just the “right” thing to do—it’s essential to our collective well-being. Let’s keep doing the work that helps us see the humanity in one another. 🔗 Link to article in comments below #Belonging #Leadership #OrganizationalHealth #VISIONSInc #HumanConnection #MentalHealth

💡Honored to be quoted in this important piece by TheStreet examining how political rhetoric—especially from leaders like J.D. Vance—is shaping the future of U.S. AI policy. 🤖 At VISIONS, Inc., we’ve seen how emerging technologies like generative AI are not neutral. They reflect the values, power dynamics, and systemic inequities of the people designing and deploying them. When politicians call AI “a good replacement for jobs,” especially those held by vulnerable workers, it signals a dangerous disregard for human dignity. 🟰The idea that we can accept a world where certain people are ‘replaceable’ for efficiency is a betrayal of our collective responsibility to each other. The real innovation we need is in equity, not just algorithms. 🧑🧑🧒🧒 AI policy is not just about tech—it’s about people. And we must ask: Who’s shaping it? Who benefits? Who’s left behind? At VISIONS, Inc, we’re committed to helping organizations and communities navigate this moment with humanity, systems awareness, and care. We don’t just prepare people for the future of work—we advocate for a future that centers belonging, justice, and relationship. 🙏🏽Grateful to be part of this timely conversation. Read the full article below: #AI #FutureOfWork #Equity #DEI #Leadership #VISIONSInc #SystemsChange #Policy #GenerativeAI #HumanDignity

Over the past year, our team has been working with a creative agency to refine our brand. Today, we are excited to share this work with you! The Foundation of our New Visual Identity Over the course of our lives, our perspectives are shaped by our experiences, beliefs, and learned behaviors. No two people are exactly alike, and creating true community requires navigating our different edges to create how we fit more effectively together. The wonder of a mosaic is the careful effort to arrange unique pieces into something cohesive and beautiful. Our new brand highlights how VISIONS’ process takes people’s individual foundations—and the external context that informs them—and fits them together to capture and appreciate the beauty of difference. #learnwithVISIONS #antioppressionforall #moregood #betterworld #liberationwork

“You care too much.” “You’re too empathetic, too trusting, not tough enough.” I hear this a lot. And you know what? That’s my secret sauce. Sure, it might sound hokey. However, caring deeply—about our mission, my team, and the people we serve—isn’t a weakness. It’s the foundation of our impact. I’ve been told I should micromanage more, control more. No, thanks. I intentionally hired people I trust. I trust their skills, their alignment with our mission, and their ability to tell me when something isn’t working. I don’t want a team that fears me—I want a team that thrives together. At VISIONS, Inc we: ✔️ Have over 50 consultants facilitating, coaching, and training others in equity-based leadership ✔️ Have an incredible board of directors who believe in our mission ✔️ Operate with 7 staff (not all full time) ✔️ Respect different working and learning styles ✔️ Embrace emotions in the workplace—because we are whole people, not just workers So no, I won’t put on fake armor to be the kind of leader who rules with an iron fist. I lead with authenticity and care—and that’s exactly why, when I became Executive Director 5 years ago, we implemented: ✨ Meetingless Mondays ✨ Unlimited PTO ✨ 4 weeks of all-staff vacation every year Nonprofit work is hard, and at the very least, I want my team to feel seen, valued, and supported. 💡 Want to do this work with us? Connect with our VISIONS, Inc Leadership Institute and be part of the change. We have a info session coming up soon! Stay tuned and ask us to keep you on the mailing list! #Leadership #WorkCulture #EmpathyInAction #changemakers