Leading for Equity in Complex Systems | Oct 29-30, 2025

Schedule

Wed, 29 Oct, 2025 at 08:00 am to Thu, 30 Oct, 2025 at 04:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

Oakstop | Oakland, CA

Advertisement
A 2-day in person institute that offers a complexity lens to equity leadership and change work
About this Event

Institute Schedule

Wednesday, October 29 – Thursday, October 30, 2025 | 8:00 am – 4:00 pm PST. Breakfast will be served at 8:00 am – Content will begin promptly at 8:45 am and Lunch will be served during a 1-hour break.


Institute Description

Why do so many well intentioned equity efforts have such limited success—and even produce unintended negative consequences? Leaders often assume that building equity awareness and commitment in their organizations will naturally lead to strategies that bring progress. Though necessary, such equity awareness work is not sufficient to bring about these desired changes - because it doesn’t account for the critical reality of complexity. We work in complex systems (where change is perpetual and uncertainty is a given) with complex problems where “solutions” abound but success is elusive.

Equity challenges are particularly complex, with many entangled factors at play (including the deep-seated effects of systemic oppression) without a singular root cause. Traditional approaches to change and leadership - e.g. that attempt to specify outcomes and timelines, enumerate solutions, and then focus on implementation - are insufficient. Rather, emergent paths forward must be discovered through dynamic interactions of diverse people learning more about the challenge and taking many small actions that inform how they find their way forward together.

In this institute, you will:

  • Learn about what complexity really means and its implications for equity work;
  • Reflect on your own leadership through a complexity lens; and
  • Learn frameworks and methods that can expand your approach to leadership and change work.

As with all work toward equity, understanding complexity requires both a “window” lens (how we see complexity in our systems and situations) and a “mirror” lens (how complexity can both challenge us emotionally and transform our own ways of working). Accordingly, leaders of complex equity work must be skilled in balancing technical and relational / cultural work. Understanding more about complexity itself, and its implications for leadership, can open up whole new possibilities for approaching change efforts for equity. This course draws on an extensive body of theory, research and practice around complexity-informed systems change, as well as the National Equity Project’s 28+ years of experience in coaching and leading in complex systems.


Accessibility

We provide an advance draft of our slide deck 24 hours before the institute. Breakfast and lunch will be provided on both in-person institute days.

We are intensely focused on humanizing our spaces. We focus on interactivity and connection by providing frequent body breaks, and attending to learning, practice, and healing in community.

In an effort to create accessible spaces for everyone, we ask that participants refrain from wearing scented products such as perfume/colognes, hair products, cosmetics, and scented lotions while attending our event, as these products can trigger serious health issues for those with fragrance allergies and/or chemical sensitivities. For more information on being fragrance-free, visit this Fragrance Free Toolkit.

B y registering for this event, participants agree to the COVID-19 ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND LIABILITY WAIVER AND RELEASE OF CLAIMS and the National Equity Project In-Person Health & Safety Policy


Registration & Payment

Institute Fee: $1,200 per person

Limited discounted registration tickets for this event are available on a Sliding Scale Model. For more information about how NEP's Sliding Scale Model works and guidance on how to determine what to pay please visit bit.ly/NEPSlidingScale. If you require discounted registration, please contact [email protected]. Requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Participants will receive pre-reads and resources prior to the meeting via email. Please add [email protected] to your contacts to ensure you receive course communications.

Registration by credit card on Eventbrite is our preferred method. We are a small (but mighty) organization and processing and collecting check payments for our events has a high administrative impact.

Please visit our registration page on our website for information on paying by check or purchase order and our cancellation and registration transfer policy.


Contact the National Equity Project at with questions.

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

Oakstop, 2323 Broadway, Oakland, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 1200.00

National Equity Project

Host or Publisher National Equity Project

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends

Discover More Events in Oakland

Kneecap at Fox Theater Oakland
Tue, 28 Oct at 08:00 pm Kneecap at Fox Theater Oakland

Fox Theater Oakland

ART THEATRE
KNEECAP, Bricknasty in Oakland
Tue, 28 Oct at 08:00 pm KNEECAP, Bricknasty in Oakland

Fox Theater - Oakland

ART THEATRE
Kneecap (18+)
Wed, 29 Oct at 03:00 am Kneecap (18+)

Fox Theater - Oakland

ART THEATRE
Parking Kneecap (18+)
Wed, 29 Oct at 03:00 am Parking Kneecap (18+)

Fox Theater - Oakland

ART THEATRE
4th Annual Achievers Luncheon
Wed, 29 Oct at 11:00 am 4th Annual Achievers Luncheon

Scott's Seafood Oakland - Jack London Square

CALENDAR
Wellness Wednesdays Featuring Four Elements Fitness
Wed, 29 Oct at 05:00 pm Wellness Wednesdays Featuring Four Elements Fitness

300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza

WORKSHOPS HEALTH-WELLNESS
American Outlaws Oakland presents USWNT vs TBD Soccer Watch Party
Wed, 29 Oct at 05:00 pm American Outlaws Oakland presents USWNT vs TBD Soccer Watch Party

Hesher's Pizza & Taproom

PARTIES ENTERTAINMENT
Thriller Night: Halloween Party w\/ Live Band and DJ
Wed, 29 Oct at 07:00 pm Thriller Night: Halloween Party w/ Live Band and DJ

Fluid510

ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC
Wed, 15 Jan at 06:00 pm West Oakland Tenants Rights Clinic

Oakland Public Library: West Oakland Branch

BUSINESS CONFERENCES
Parking Babymonster
Thu, 11 Sep at 02:30 am Parking Babymonster

Oakland Arena

TRIPS-ADVENTURES
BAY AREA - 2025 End of Summer Celebration
Thu, 11 Sep at 06:00 pm BAY AREA - 2025 End of Summer Celebration

Bloc15

NONPROFIT
Cumbre para Latinas Emprendedoras Reivindicaci\u00f3n, Dignidad, Poder Colectivo
Sat, 13 Sep at 09:00 am Cumbre para Latinas Emprendedoras Reivindicación, Dignidad, Poder Colectivo

1233 Preservation Park Way

WORKSHOPS
What I learned on my summer vacation: NOTOCON Stories (RESTRICTED)
Sun, 14 Sep at 03:30 pm What I learned on my summer vacation: NOTOCON Stories (RESTRICTED)

77 8th Street, Oakland, CA, United States, California 94607

NONPROFIT BUSINESS
September General Membership & Annual Business Meeting
Tue, 16 Sep at 05:15 pm September General Membership & Annual Business Meeting

Scott's Seafood Oakland - Jack London Square

MEETUPS WORKSHOPS
Thursday Meeting:  BART Directors Robert Raburn and Victor Flores
Thu, 18 Sep at 12:00 pm Thursday Meeting: BART Directors Robert Raburn and Victor Flores

Oakstop - California Ballroom

MEETUPS WORKSHOPS
Amine
Thu, 18 Sep at 04:00 pm Amine

Fox Theater - Oakland

ART THEATRE
Thu, 18 Sep at 06:00 pm Doctor to Doctor: What It’s Like to Live With and Treat Sickle Cell

Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar

BUSINESS NONPROFIT
CityCamp Oakland 2025
Sat, 20 Sep at 08:30 am CityCamp Oakland 2025

Oakland City Hall

ART WORKSHOPS
NCBW Oakland\/Bay Area | Positive Steps Mentoring Program Recruitment
Sat, 20 Sep at 12:30 pm NCBW Oakland/Bay Area | Positive Steps Mentoring Program Recruitment

Oakland City Hall

HEALTH-WELLNESS
Building Belonging, Healing Democracy Funder Convening
Mon, 22 Sep at 02:00 pm Building Belonging, Healing Democracy Funder Convening

understory oakland

HEALTH-WELLNESS

What's Happening Next in Oakland?

Discover Oakland Events