New Universal’s purpose is to cultivate a space for the time-tested wisdom of community leadership to move to the forefront. By tending to these practices and creating space for growth, we are planting the seeds for leadership that thrives in relationships, grows in circles – not ladders – and contributes to an overall collective human flourishing.
We first convened in 2018 as a group of women from a variety backgrounds and life experiences, united by a shared purpose: to explore what it means to cultivate and share community-based wisdom and leadership practices that have carried people through generations of challenge and change, and will forge a new, universal perspective on what it means to lead.
That first gathering was transformational for everyone involved. It sparked a desire to create a deeper and more expansive platform for collective learning, which grew into the New Universal we know today.
Since then, we’ve been asking: What might this kind of leadership look like? What are its hallmarks? How might our lives flourish in new and incredible ways if collective leadership were at the forefront of our institutions? How could the world change if we embodied this sort of leadership?
The answers are still emerging. With each conversation, gathering, and shared practice, we are laying the groundwork for a more inclusive and resilient way forward—one that honors lived experience, centers community care, and reimagines what leadership can be.
We ground ourselves in freedom and abundance. We root in the inherent gifts we bring and embody being in a loving relationship with all things. We honor our connection to the land and recognize it is the beginning and the end. Through this work we seek to heal and be healed, while leading with our wisdom and joy.
Bringing leaders together is at the heart of our work. As we come together, we enter what we refer to as the “Wise Fool” space. In this space we think, play, create and imagine pathways to new tools and ways of working. We dance and talk under the moon, laugh or weep as we put our feet in the water, chat by the fire, share amazing meals, and grapple with ideas that may inspire us and/or make us uncomfortable as we sit in community together.
It is not intended to be a gathering of experts. In fact, it is a sacred space for new ideas, intelligences, and new ways of being and doing to emerge. A space where, with a beginner’s mind, everyone learns and everyone teaches. Participants are encouraged to leave behind any needs for a definitive outcome, to be “right” or for others to agree with you.
We draw inspiration from practices of leaders who emphasized “lifting as we climb,” reminding us that leadership is strongest when it grows others. We build new frameworks that move us toward collective liberation.
This is a sacred space, one that doesn’t end when the gathering closes. It ripples outward in the stories we carry, the practices we share, and the seeds of leadership we plant in our communities.
Our vision is to create tools, practices, and relationships that strengthen communities, deepen connection, and open pathways for collective flourishing.
New Universal hosts annual retreats and quarterly community circles that nurture connection, reflection, and shared learning.
Through these offerings, we provide healing, community building, and leadership development—ensuring that leaders are supported, connected, and equipped to thrive.
Branding and Website by Stephanie Cariker