The Hella Intensive
Social Venture Cohort
October 12-November 16, 2021
The Hella Intensive: Social Venture Cohort
October 12-November 16, 2021
The Hella Intensive is a 6-week action cohort for organizations that recognize they must show up authentically and impactfully for racial justice but don’t quite know how to move forward.
“Until we really fundamentally challenge that notion of “doing well by doing good”—what that actually means—who’s benefitting and who’s not benefitting, I don’t think our markets are going to be successful.”
-Nina Robinson of The Runway Project for SOCAP Global
You are a social entrepreneur, an impact investor, or innovator working hard to find the solutions to our most pressing problems.
You work in philanthropy, run a non-profit, and wake up everyday with hope and commitment to doing your part to make a positive impact on people and our planet.
But you notice that something is not quite right in your organization. The leadership team and/or board of directors don’t reflect the communities you serve. Your team doesn’t quite have the skills to talk about the role that systemic racism plays in the impact area your organization is committed to. You aren’t seeing the kinds of dramatic results that are needed in these very challenging times.
So, where do you go from here?
This next cohort of The Hella Intensive is exclusively for Social Ventures—both for-profits and non-profits/NGOs—with the desire and courage to show up authentically and impactfully for racial justice. Because we know that this is hard work, we don’t want you to do it alone. The Hella Intensive is designed as a community of peers for learning, accountability & connection.
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Lynn Johnson
“Best for the World” Entrepreneur, Producer, Speaker, Marketer, Theater Artist, DEI Expert, Transformational Facilitator.
A lifelong theater artist and transformational facilitator, Lynn’s work as an organizational development consultant, lies at the intersection of arts, media, culture, and social change.
A serial entrepreneur since 2006, Lynn is the co-founder of several successful social ventures dedicated to gender and racial justice. Most recently, she is the Founder + CEO of Hella Social Impact - a Black and non-Black women of color-owned consultancy that lies at the intersection of diversity/equity/inclusion and marketing communications. Hella works with brands and organizations to show up authentically and impactfully for racial justice.
Based in Oakland, CA since 2006, Lynn and her wife Allison Kenny now reside in Albuquerque, NM where they and their tween, neurodivergent daughter are receiving the rest and healing they deserve. When not working, Lynn enjoys living room karaoke, mixing up new cocktail recipes, and walking along the Rio Grande.
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Dean Bardouka
Entrepreneur, Activist/Community Organizer, Pathfinder in Ethical and Equitable Marketing Communications, Artist, Educator and Facilitator.
Dean has more than 30 years of experience in branding and marketing in a diverse range of applications and organizations, from Fortune 500 brands to social enterprises to radical social justice organizations. He is obsessed with how he can leverage his skills, experience and technology to support radical movements for social justice and to dismantle oppressive systems wherever they exist.
In 2009, he founded his side hustle, Element Five, a branding and strategy agency that would become full time by 2011. An activist and community organizer for most of his adult life, he decided to break down the walls between his activist life and professional life in 2016, by disengaging his traditional corporate clients to exclusively serve nonprofits and social enterprises and then take Element Five through the process to become a certified B Corp.
When he isn’t tinkering on Element Five, you can find him tinkering with his vintage Italian scooters, digging for rare soul and reggae records or out on a dance floor. Most of his home life is spent engaged in stimulating conversation with his brilliant partner or trying to match wits with his very spirited twelve year old daughter – which rarely works out in his favor.
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Julie Fahnestock
A Soul-Forward Creative Director, CEO & Hype Woman Committed to Building a Love Economy.
Julie is the proud Founder and CEO of B Storytelling, a brand strategy & creative agency, committed to supporting other anti-racist B Corps and social enterprises in their journeys through branding, storytelling, content production, and digital marketing. Julie is also the Co-Founder of The Love Economy Movement, a community of artists, entrepreneurs, and everyday leaders who gather to reimagine an equitable, love-driven society. She holds an MBA in Sustainability from Marlboro College Graduate School in Vermont and is proud to be a co-founder of B Local NYC. Julie lives in Brooklyn, New York.
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Edita Rodriguez
Entrepreneur, Communicator, Contributor, Author, Maximizer, Appreciator.
Edita has worked in the communications industry for more than 15 years, with experience in TV-news, Public Relations and Influencer Marketing. She has watched, followed and forged the evolution of modern-day communications, with a focus on content and client services. Edita has worked with and for companies that span across non-profit to Fortune 500 brands with a focus on CPGs.
Edita is Founder and Chief Communications Officer of Hella Social Impact. In her role she helps companies show up for racial justice while centering and uplifting the voices and stories of Black and NBPOC.
Edita is Bay Area born and raised, and just recently moved to Southern California with her husband, (2) young children and (2) dachshunds. Although she now lives in SoCal, she continues to use the word “hella.”
The Commitment.
Dates:
The Hella Intensive: B Corp Cohort runs from October 12-November 16 2021.
Schedule:
Participants are required to attend 5 virtual sessions via Zoom throughout the 6 weeks:
Session 1: The Kick-Off - Tuesday October 12, 12-2 PST / 3-5 EST
Session 2: Notice - Tuesday October 26, 12-1:30 PST / 3-4:30 EST
Session 3: Name - Tuesday November 2, 12-1:30 PST / 3-4:30 EST
Session 4: Dismantle - Tuesday November 9, 12-1:30 PST / 3-4:30 EST
Session 5: Closing + Celebration - Tuesday November 16, 12-2 PST / 3-5 EST
Who Should Come:
We encourage you to send at least two members of your team to best integrate the learning into the culture of your organization. We recommend that at least one of those team members have a significant leadership/decision making role at the organization.
Prior to the first session, we will invite your participating team members to attend an optional, 30-minute “get to know you meeting,” where we can learn more about your organization’s strengths, challenges, and goals for the cohort.
Homework:
The sessions are designed to come together for connection, creativity, practice, and celebration. But that is not where the work ends. In between sessions, you will be given assignments designed to help you turn the learning into action, approximately 3-4 hours per week.
Connect with Folks:
You will be encouraged to regularly interact with other cohort members throughout the process via Slack for the purpose of relationship building and a deeper learning experience.
Required Tech:
Participants should have access to and the ability to use Slack, Google Apps, and Zoom.
The Investment.
The cost to participate in The Hella Intensive is $7,000 for up to 2* participants from each organization to attend.
When you enroll now, we will collect all of your information and then invoice you for your total amount. Once payment is collected, you will get access to all the course materials.
*If you would like to send additional folks from your company, you may enroll up to 5 participants at the cost of $3500 for each participant.