May 2026

​Recently, I came across a post by Torie Weiston-Serdan (we've never met, but the internet is still good for a thing or two). In it, she's speaking what I've been feeling for a while now. About the changing sameness (thanks, James Baldwin, for that phrase), about the lack of shock at what should be unprecedented, about the numbness that comes from not being shocked.

Hope is less hero, more trickster in this moment. What if business wasn't predicated on a problem to solve, but remembering how to be in times of grief? I'd like to think that we aren't building for what was, but what can be. There is no perfect past to return to.

Applying the macro to the micro: As people and leaders, we will make mistakes. It's normal and natural. Our experience of existence is becoming. We may never fully arrive at our vision, but we effort in the direction.

Confluence is in it's own becoming, but it's always been about bridging where you're at to where you want to go. Standing in the liminal space. Ritualizing the small shifts, the ripples. Offering an active ear, some frameworks that are the bones of the worlds we desire and deserve, another pair of hands to get into the messy middle and experiment with thought, leadership, structure, decision-making, conflict, relationship.

One the best pieces of (unsolicited) advice I can give folks working for change- we cannot change what we cannot see (thank, multiple systems think teachers, for that phrase). Helping folks see the systems- the relationships, the power imbalances, the mindsets and values that are the bedrock upon which all things are built- that is leaderful work in this moment.

We cannot see what we are unwilling to acknowledge. If privilege is getting in the way, make sure you have folks in your orbit who don't experience what you do, so they can illuminate the blind spots. And if you've been conditioned by culture to feel shame when you make a mistake, start with the deep, soulful inner work. (Need help? Call me! Let's Wisdom Partnership together!)

The worlds I am building live inside me, on the altar of my heart. I nurture them there first before I reveal them to the world. Maybe you're the same? The real magic is when we're safe enough to trust one another with our visions, our dreams, our North Stars. What I know to be real? Our collective, human dream is way more rooted in love and beauty than the American one ever was.

Confluence is here, if you need a doula for your change process. Read on for what I'm up to and all about right now.

And if you missed April's breathwork/somatic series, I'm offering it again in October. In the meantime, join the New Leaders Network for weekly mindfulness sessions with Ptery and monthly tarot sessions with Delmetrius.

Looking forward,

What Confluence is up to & offering

What does it actually take to lead networks that build both internal culture and external impact? This session brings together three practitioners whose work sits at the intersection of network leadership, relational practice, and liberatory frameworks to explore that very question.
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Rather than a panel or lecture, this session is designed to be the answer by grounding participants in some of the relational practices that make networks thrive. Through storytelling, small-group connection, and a touch of play, participants will experience firsthand how trust is built, how culture is shaped, and how those dynamics translate into more powerful collaborative work.
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This session is for network leaders, facilitators, and change-makers who believe that how we work together is just as important as what we're working toward.

Registration for this event is required for everyone, including New Leaders Network member. Register at this link.

Wisdom partnership is a 1:1 leadership collaboration journey shared over 8 sessions. We'll explore where you are and where you want to go, weaving connections, building living bridges and planning for change. If you are ready to explore a leadership style for liberatory change, this is the container for you! BECOME a Wisdom Partner

Building Collaborative Coalitions is a six-week transformative leadership development cohort to improve your skills as a coalition or network leader. Cohort participants share story, explore frameworks, learn and share practices, and see the power of relational trust in real time. Registration for spring cohorts is closed. If you'd like to offer this to your group, virtually or in-person, reach out to Jess: jesslimbird@gmail.com.

I recently joined Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee & The Village as a consultant, offering strategic support to Black-led nonprofits and initiatives. I've had the incredible pleasure of getting to know and work with Candance and Demeitric Gaddes, founders of Safe Harbor Haven. Safe Harbor is a place-based nonprofit providing stable housing and supportive services to neighbors in Nashville. Consider donating to support their work!​

And, as a reminder, Confluence provides freelance project management to nonprofits. With over fifteen years in the nonprofit sector, I've learned a few things about the how and the what of it all. If you have a niche need, particularly in the facilitation and project management space, reach out! I've supported nonprofits getting started, getting grounded, and getting funded, and I'd love to help you.

Partner offerings & collabs

Confluence is one node is a network of movement builders, change-makers, and influential work happening across our country and world. Check out what our friends are up to.

A Confluence of Practice is a shared threshold into Resonance Network's living practices. It is a two-hour reflective gathering for creatives, thinkers, organizers, and anyone longing for a space to slow down, reconnect, and reimagine. Registration page HERE

Lithia: A Summer Solstice Retreat Verdant Center is offering a retreat in June to celebrate the return of summer and commune with summer's abundance. Participants can expect yoga, journaling, crafting and connection. Registration page HERE

The Cauldron The Cauldron, offered by Candis Fox, is a new online ritual space for people who are ready to do their money work with the full force of ceremony, community, and the Celtic Wheel of the Year behind them. Workshop sign up HERE

Mutual aid: where to give your coins

Generosity flows from our inherent understanding that abundance exists. Money is a tool. In the hands of these great initiatives, it will be used to mend, tend, and support us.

• ​Support for Donald Ilaak's Family After His Passing. Funds will support Ilaak's family lay their beloved to rest and support his family, who will be waiting for a while for his estate to go through probate.
• ​Help Andy Stay in His Home. Funds will be used to help keep Donelson, TN local housed after his rent has doubled and he's experiencing some health issues.
• ​Help a Family Prevent Eviction and Secure Stable Housing. Funds will be used to cover rent to prevent eviction, move if relocation becomes necessary, secure stable housing and fund startup costs for a small bookkeeping biz so the family can work toward long-term stability.
• ​Stand with Kali Akuno: Help a Movement Builder Heal. These funds will support Kali as he accesses life-saving medical care and heals in community. All funds go directly to Kali and are managed by him.
• ​Help Folks on the Frontlines of Unsheltered Anchorage. Trusted Connections is an Alaska-Native led nonprofit facilitating Indigenous-centered trauma healing circles, providing culturally responsive social services for unsheltered neighbors in Anchorage, and acting as safe liaisons for visitors from the village.

These will be updated monthly. If you have a need that folks can help with virtually, email them to me (with links!) by the first Friday of each month.