u-lab: Leading From the Emerging Future
An introduction to leading profound social, environmental and personal transformation
u-lab: Leading From the Emerging Future
An introduction to leading profound social, environmental and personal transformation
Many of us feel that we want to be part of a different story - we just don’t know how. u-lab is all about the ‘how.’ - Otto Scharmer
What you'll learn
- Self-knowledge: The leadership that matters most
- Capacities of deep listening, precise observation, and dialogue
- Practices for creating innovations that generate wellbeing in society
Prerequisites
None
Meet your instructors
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Senior Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology -
Pam and Pierre Omidyar Dean of the Tisch College of Civic Life Tufts University -
Creative Designer at Presencing Institute -
Director, Social Presencing Theater at Presencing Institute -
Research Lead at Presencing Institute -
Vice President, Eileen Fisher Foundation
Otto Scharmer
Otto Scharmer
Senior Lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Otto Scharmer, a Senior Lecturer at MIT and Founding Chair of the Presencing Institute, has spent two decades fostering cross-sector systems transformation. Author of bestselling books including “Theory U” and “Presence,” he introduced the concept of “presencing.” He co-founded the MITx u-lab, impacting over 260,000 users globally. Born near Hamburg, his vision was shaped by regenerative farming, inspiring his philosophy on social fields as the basis for visible transformation. Otto emphasizes the shift from extractive to regenerative economic systems, connecting mindsets from ego to eco. Building that infrastructure is the purpose of the u-school for Transformation. He earned his PhD in economics and has received numerous awards, including the Elevating Humanity Award in 2021.
Dayna Cunningham
Dayna Cunningham
Pam and Pierre Omidyar Dean of the Tisch College of Civic Life Tufts University
Dayna is Pam and Pierre Omidyar Dean of the Tisch College of Civic Life Tufts University and Executive Director of the Community Innovators Lab (CoLab) at MIT. Dayna was previously an Associate Director at the Rockefeller Foundation and has also worked as a voting rights lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Kelvy Bird
Kelvy Bird
Creative Designer at Presencing Institute
Kelvy is a graphic facilitator specializing in systemic mapping of content within collaborative and multi-stakeholder environments.
Arawana Hayashi
Arawana Hayashi
Director, Social Presencing Theater at Presencing Institute
Arawana’s pioneering work as a choreographer, performer and educator is deeply sourced in collaborative improvisation. She currently heads the creation of Social Presencing Theater (SPT) for the Presencing Institute. Working with Otto Scharmer and colleagues at the Presencing Institute, she brings her background in the arts, meditation and social justice to creating “social presencing” that makes visible both current reality and emerging future possibilities.
Eva Pomeroy
Eva Pomeroy
Research Lead at Presencing Institute
As Research Lead and Senior Faculty at the Presencing Institute, Eva’s work centers on supporting the burgeoning field of awareness-based systems change through capacity-building, research, and publication. She is Co-Founder and Managing Editor of the Journal of Awareness-Based Systems Change and her own research focuses on investigating dynamics and properties of the social field - the less visible dimension of collective experience key to transformative systems change.
Antoinette Klatzky
Antoinette Klatzky
Vice President, Eileen Fisher Foundation
Antoinette Klatzky is a partner in strategy and operations for the Eileen Fisher Community Foundation, which works to bring transformational change for the betterment of society and the planet. She has been a member of the Presencing Institute community since 2010. She continues to build personal growth and mindfulness based curriculum for Eileen Fisher's newest initiative, Lifework. Antoinette has served on multiple local non-profit boards. She currently serves on the board of the Westcheter Community Foundation and as the Co-Chair of the Westchester Women’s Agenda.