Brandon D. WilliamsCraig
Culturesmith 
( 8 6 6 ) 2 3 6 - 0 3 4 6
p u b l i c at b d w c dot n e t
Objective:
To partner with your organization and working groups making the transition into dynamic community by making collaboration an art and a pleasure.
Background:
· President and co-founder of Association Building Community 501(c)3 (ongoing)
· Professional Martial Artist, Aikido (Yondan - 4th degree black belt) - Daisempai and Instructor of adults and children for Kayla Feder Sensei (Rokudan - 6th degre black belt) Dojo Cho of Aikido of Berkeley
· Ph.D. candidate Pacifica Graduate Institute: Mythology and Depth Psychology (Jungian) (six years)
· Trained Community Building Facilitator in the method of the Foundation for Community Encouragement, founded by M. Scott Peck
· Guardian of Peace (co-founder, Council, tutor) – a partnership of conflict facilitators
· Administrative Director, including I.T. and web design, for Moving On Center – international School of Participatory Arts and Somatic Research (four years)
· State of California Certified Mediator, organizational consultant, peace activist
· 22 year Professional Regional Theater career – national touring actor, director, teacher, performer, Choir Director and Liturgical Cantor, professional musician,
- Montessori background
Overview
The word Culture applies to individuals and to groups of any size, not simply to societies as a whole.
Every gathering of people brings different stories and histories together, generates, and develops its own culture that impacts every aspect of its collective life. This diversity generates friction, no matter what. Conflict is most often resented and extreme attempts are regularly made to avoid what can be a profoundly creative opportunity.
In the endless movement toward more effective collaboration, areas of life often written off as out of control or off limits are accessible to a process directly engaging a group in terms of its culture. Not everyone is willing to do the hard work required discovering and co-creating truly satisfying work. The only requirement for beginning is the determination to try.
From the moment we begin our dialogue I offer compassionate facilitation as well as modeling the kind of interactions that can develop an organizations ability to be a community of collaborating artists, sharing responsibility for their conflicts as well as their other products. I bring to bear the areas in which I have been proficient longest – my strengths in martial discipline and group facilitation, professional collaborative decision making, inspirational teaching, even music improvisation and performance, to find the road your group can travel together toward mutual investment and shared leadership.
The groups with whom I work form a core that stays together, produces the goals they set, and does so sustainably, with mind, body, and heart. Implementation of proposals and the ensuing process requires time and buy-in from existing leadership. Even if your organization is already in the process of dying - how you close your connections can make all the difference. If your group choses to live the end result can be the most satisfying creative environment any group member has ever known. Imagine the effect on the world we pass to our children if every workplace could lay claim to that. Everything works - is moving to satisfy some need. It is likely you work every day with people who love where they are and what they do. Imagine, hope, and call for change.
