Our Mission

To generate and implement innovative strategies so that more people thrive in an evermore peaceful world.

Who We Are

The Institute for Liberatory Innovation (ILI) was created to meet inequities, exclusion, and injustice with innovative strategies that accelerate sustainable change.

At the heart of our work is the belief that every person should be able to thrive as who they understand themselves to be — without fear and without having to abandon belief, culture, or worldview.

We’ve honed a way to respond to that urgency — one that increases compassion and curiosity, decreases inequity and harm, and makes room for people to understand one another across meaningful differences.

The need for that kind of change is urgent.

Every day we see the consequences of systems that don’t serve everyone, and systems weighed down by inequity and everyday harms.

Our Values
In all of our interactions with each other, in our practices, policies, programs and services, ILI board members, employees, and associates strive to align with these shared values.

  • Accountability

    We hold ourselves accountable to shared expectations. We accept mistakes, we value deep apology and earnest efforts to change.

  • Collaboration

    We bring multiple perspectives and skills to decision-making, creating and problem-solving.

  • Curiosity

    We earnestly seek to learn about and understand others’ perspectives, ideas and experiences.

  • Emergence

    We understand that liberation is ongoing, and that ideas, ideologies, and artifacts must be subject to critique and change.

  • Grace

    We see each other as fully human, each with vulnerabilities and strengths, worthy of kindness and compassion.

  • Integrity

    We align our behavior at work and in public with the ILI mission and values.

  • Nonviolence

    Our behavior affirms human complexity and avoids harm to people and planet.

  • Restoration

    We seek to sustain nonviolent and productive community through restoring relationships rather than punitive practice.

  • Social Equity

    We acknowledge systemic and historic inequities and ensure access to employment and resources provided by the ILI.

  • Transparency

    Our policies, processes, and organizational documents are accessible to all ILI employees, Stewards, and supporters.

Learn more about our approach and ways to work together.

Systems Designed for Liberation

Liberation is not an abstract ideal. It is built into daily behaviors, relationships, and policies. We co-create systems that reduce harm, increase belonging, and make thriving possible for more people.

Approach

Change in schools doesn’t happen in workshops. It happens in classrooms.

Our Scholar in Residence model builds educator capacity in real time, preventing harm and creating environments where more students thrive.

Education

Change doesn’t start with belief. It starts with behavior.

We design systems that reduce harm, build belonging, and increase your organization’s capacity to fulfill its mission.

Organizations