Erin Blanding (she/her)
Director of People Engagement and Learning at MakeWay- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Camilo Power
Erin had an instrumental role in the establishment of operations of our organization in Nicaragua and Ecuador. She brought a wealth of experience and knowledge when it came to developing programming with an international, social justice and sustainable approach to our work. Erin was also an essential part of training and capacity building for our international and domestic team. Erin was responsible for developing global education and service learning programming for thousands of students from around the world.
Kate Tirion
Bringing her rich and diverse experience in the fields of environmental and social justice to bear, Erin Blanding guided and encouraged our organizations, partners and board members, by helping us elevate out-of-the-box ideas, bringing our core values to the table. Erin artfully created a space where were able to be vulnerable, learn, and share culture, strategies, joy, and possibilities with one another. This was a partnership. Together we were building a vision, growing change in a region that was crying out for change. As change-making, pragmatic organizations, Erin encouraged DDI and BR to push the boundaries of our imagination, meeting the need for a more just, inclusive and sustainable future to better serve our society and planet. We stretched, laughed, sometimes shed tears and often surprised ourselves in the process. Most of all we were heartened as our vision took form. Erin’s skilled and thoughtful facilitation encouraged our group toward mobilizing and transforming society through greater inclusion, scaling our solutions to meet the needs of the cross border communities we work in. Today, thanks to the foundational work of Erin’s innovative leadership and to the commitment of our team, our work is visible, recognized and supported. Today we are poised to make a big impact in this extraordinary time building bridges across divides, repairing ecosystem foundations, joining neighbors in the work of re-membering who we are and what deeply matters. Erin’s skills played a key role in getting us to this moment. I loved working with Erin!
Camilo Power
Erin had an instrumental role in the establishment of operations of our organization in Nicaragua and Ecuador. She brought a wealth of experience and knowledge when it came to developing programming with an international, social justice and sustainable approach to our work. Erin was also an essential part of training and capacity building for our international and domestic team. Erin was responsible for developing global education and service learning programming for thousands of students from around the world.
Kate Tirion
Bringing her rich and diverse experience in the fields of environmental and social justice to bear, Erin Blanding guided and encouraged our organizations, partners and board members, by helping us elevate out-of-the-box ideas, bringing our core values to the table. Erin artfully created a space where were able to be vulnerable, learn, and share culture, strategies, joy, and possibilities with one another. This was a partnership. Together we were building a vision, growing change in a region that was crying out for change. As change-making, pragmatic organizations, Erin encouraged DDI and BR to push the boundaries of our imagination, meeting the need for a more just, inclusive and sustainable future to better serve our society and planet. We stretched, laughed, sometimes shed tears and often surprised ourselves in the process. Most of all we were heartened as our vision took form. Erin’s skilled and thoughtful facilitation encouraged our group toward mobilizing and transforming society through greater inclusion, scaling our solutions to meet the needs of the cross border communities we work in. Today, thanks to the foundational work of Erin’s innovative leadership and to the commitment of our team, our work is visible, recognized and supported. Today we are poised to make a big impact in this extraordinary time building bridges across divides, repairing ecosystem foundations, joining neighbors in the work of re-membering who we are and what deeply matters. Erin’s skills played a key role in getting us to this moment. I loved working with Erin!
Camilo Power
Erin had an instrumental role in the establishment of operations of our organization in Nicaragua and Ecuador. She brought a wealth of experience and knowledge when it came to developing programming with an international, social justice and sustainable approach to our work. Erin was also an essential part of training and capacity building for our international and domestic team. Erin was responsible for developing global education and service learning programming for thousands of students from around the world.
Kate Tirion
Bringing her rich and diverse experience in the fields of environmental and social justice to bear, Erin Blanding guided and encouraged our organizations, partners and board members, by helping us elevate out-of-the-box ideas, bringing our core values to the table. Erin artfully created a space where were able to be vulnerable, learn, and share culture, strategies, joy, and possibilities with one another. This was a partnership. Together we were building a vision, growing change in a region that was crying out for change. As change-making, pragmatic organizations, Erin encouraged DDI and BR to push the boundaries of our imagination, meeting the need for a more just, inclusive and sustainable future to better serve our society and planet. We stretched, laughed, sometimes shed tears and often surprised ourselves in the process. Most of all we were heartened as our vision took form. Erin’s skilled and thoughtful facilitation encouraged our group toward mobilizing and transforming society through greater inclusion, scaling our solutions to meet the needs of the cross border communities we work in. Today, thanks to the foundational work of Erin’s innovative leadership and to the commitment of our team, our work is visible, recognized and supported. Today we are poised to make a big impact in this extraordinary time building bridges across divides, repairing ecosystem foundations, joining neighbors in the work of re-membering who we are and what deeply matters. Erin’s skills played a key role in getting us to this moment. I loved working with Erin!
Camilo Power
Erin had an instrumental role in the establishment of operations of our organization in Nicaragua and Ecuador. She brought a wealth of experience and knowledge when it came to developing programming with an international, social justice and sustainable approach to our work. Erin was also an essential part of training and capacity building for our international and domestic team. Erin was responsible for developing global education and service learning programming for thousands of students from around the world.
Kate Tirion
Bringing her rich and diverse experience in the fields of environmental and social justice to bear, Erin Blanding guided and encouraged our organizations, partners and board members, by helping us elevate out-of-the-box ideas, bringing our core values to the table. Erin artfully created a space where were able to be vulnerable, learn, and share culture, strategies, joy, and possibilities with one another. This was a partnership. Together we were building a vision, growing change in a region that was crying out for change. As change-making, pragmatic organizations, Erin encouraged DDI and BR to push the boundaries of our imagination, meeting the need for a more just, inclusive and sustainable future to better serve our society and planet. We stretched, laughed, sometimes shed tears and often surprised ourselves in the process. Most of all we were heartened as our vision took form. Erin’s skilled and thoughtful facilitation encouraged our group toward mobilizing and transforming society through greater inclusion, scaling our solutions to meet the needs of the cross border communities we work in. Today, thanks to the foundational work of Erin’s innovative leadership and to the commitment of our team, our work is visible, recognized and supported. Today we are poised to make a big impact in this extraordinary time building bridges across divides, repairing ecosystem foundations, joining neighbors in the work of re-membering who we are and what deeply matters. Erin’s skills played a key role in getting us to this moment. I loved working with Erin!
Credentials
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Systems Practice
Acumen AcademyMar, 2021- Sep, 2024 -
The Art of Hosting: Meaningful Conversations and Participatory Leadership
Art of Hosting: Bowen Island (VIRTUAL)Nov, 2020- Sep, 2024
Experience
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MakeWay
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United States
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Book and Periodical Publishing
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1 - 100 Employee
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Director of People Engagement and Learning
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Jun 2021 - Present
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Self-employed
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Real Estate
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1 - 100 Employee
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Facilitation, Strategy, & Program Design for Social Change
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Jan 2016 - Present
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The Group Forward
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United States
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Business Consulting and Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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GROUP COLLABORATOR: Consultant and Facilitator
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Jan 2018 - Present
Collaborator Team at The Group Forward Consulting Firm - Facilitation, Training, Consulting and Coaching projects. https://www.thegroupforward.com/ Collaborator Team at The Group Forward Consulting Firm - Facilitation, Training, Consulting and Coaching projects. https://www.thegroupforward.com/
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Future Generations University
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United States
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Higher Education
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1 - 100 Employee
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Vice President, Global Outreach
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Jan 2020 - Nov 2020
Executive team member for a global university and partner non-profit network working to provide equitable & sustainable access to higher education for community change practitioners in over 40 countries. As Vice President, Global Outreach, I led teams in University communications (including branding, social media & multi-channel marketing, external comms, internal comms process, website development, and strategy), development & fundraising (including strategy, process & tracking, M&E, multi-source funding channels & prospecting), new program/product innovations, and institutional strategic planning.
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WE
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United States
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Business Consulting and Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Head, Global Program Innovation & Development
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Jun 2018 - Feb 2020
Oversaw the creation, development & execution of content, training, and evaluation for WE Schools programming in over 18,000 schools in Canada, the US, and UK engaging over 4 million students. Led the school and youth programming teams in Digital Evolution and Transformation, bringing service-learning programming to every classroom through technology. Executive Producer for WE’s in-person and virtual programming and co-creator of the WE Global Classroom series.
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Social Justice and Inclusion Training
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2011 - Jan 2020
Working with international facilitation and operations teams, staff members, participants in facilitation training programs, and community members to learn about social justice work, how to facilitate with social justice in mind, and create inclusive and equitable work spaces and communities for social change.
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Director, Global Program Innovation
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Jun 2017 - Jun 2018
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Me to We Arizona-Mexico Program Director
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2006 - Aug 2017
Directing all operations, staffing, training, curriculum building, program creation, partner liaising, and communications for Me to We Trips (both in Arizona and Mexico), Me to We Customized Leadership Training, Me to We Take Action Camps, Disney Friends for Change Camps, and Me to We Retreats/Private Rentals.
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We Day Lead
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2008 - 2010
Developing We Day Backstage/Wrangler team responsible for production (stage and television), full client/celebrity experience, speech development, and relevant operations/finance. Part of core team directing and creating systems for full We Day execution and eventual expansion/scaling.
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Director of Leadership
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2007 - 2008
Trained facilitation staff of 25, created curriculum, and managed partnerships for the following programs:-Life in Action health & social change program for middle school students in partnership with the Atkins Foundation-Youth Philanthropy Initiative with the Toskan Foundation-Volunteer Now program with 10 Canadian school boards-3 motivational speaking tours & workshops-Global Leadership Seminars in Canada, US, Kuwait
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Motivational Speaker
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Aug 2006 - Jun 2007
Part of two-person team on We Generation motivational speaking tour. Spoke to 55,000 youth across North America about the power that this current generation of youth had to make the most significant impact on global poverty in history. Hour-long keynote speeches were followed by a three hour-long workshop with select youth in the school around action planning and making an impact on issues relevant to them in their local or global community.
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Strategic Planning Consultant
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Aug 2019 - Nov 2019
Co-led the 5 year strategic planning process for the University & Global Network: -Conducted 50+ interviews with global team of country partners, faculty, staff, board trustees and key stakeholders-Designed and co-facilitated 3 day strategic planning process with Trustees & Global stakeholders -Wrote 80 page report - using research based on interviews, archival reports, and input from the 3 day process - of insights and recommendations for strategic plan and next stage growth for sustainability
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Free The Children
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Non-profit Organizations
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100 - 200 Employee
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Director of Leadership USA
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Jan 2016 - Sep 2017
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Co-Creator & Director of Windsong Peace and Leadership Center
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2006 - Aug 2017
Co-creation and ongoing development of the Windsong Peace and Leadership Center, a ranch and training center located on the US/Mexico border using permaculture and other design principles to guide social-justice programming and community change with a focus on immigration & racial justice, accessibility, environmental regeneration, and youth empowerment. Through cross-border partnership with dozens of community groups and networks, over 4,000 youth and educators from local communities and around the world had access to service learning, leadership, & social justice programming rooted in a place-based and popular education pedagogy, led by expertise of community members with lived experiences of the complex border issues being studied.
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Borderlands Restoration Leadership Institute
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United States
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Environmental Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Interim Executive Director & Co-Founder
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Jun 2016 - Apr 2017
The mission of the Borderlands Restoration Leadership Institute is to foster ecological and cultural place-based learning and leadership which cultivates a restoration economy in the US-Mexico borderlands, a complex region historically economically reliant on extractive industries. As a world-class restoration training institute, we provide project and program offerings, first-rate experiential education, research facilities, work experience opportunities and project management training in the field of ecological, cultural, and economic restoration.
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Borderlands Restoration Network
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United States
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Environmental Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Consultant: Shared Visioning and Strategic Planning for Organizational Development
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Oct 2015 - Jan 2016
We partner to grow a restorative economy by rebuilding healthy ecosystems, restoring habitat for plants and wildlife, and reconnecting our border communities to the land through shared learning. We partner to grow a restorative economy by rebuilding healthy ecosystems, restoring habitat for plants and wildlife, and reconnecting our border communities to the land through shared learning.
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Consultant: Certificate Program Creation & Market Research
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Oct 2015 - Nov 2015
Creation and integration breakdown of market research proposal for a college-based certificate program focused on community development and regenerative systems theory in local and global locales. Creation and integration breakdown of market research proposal for a college-based certificate program focused on community development and regenerative systems theory in local and global locales.
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Director of Operations
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Aug 2014 - Aug 2015
Interim Director of Operations for staff of 15 for Free The Children California. Oversaw educational programming and partnerships, human resources, business development and fundraising, and execution of San Jose We Day event. Interim Director of Operations for staff of 15 for Free The Children California. Oversaw educational programming and partnerships, human resources, business development and fundraising, and execution of San Jose We Day event.
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University of the World
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Non-profit Organizations
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Consultant: Expert Team Lead- Global Membership & Fundraising
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Nov 2013 - Feb 2014
Led Expert Team to create strategy and platform around global membership and fundraising for a new global university. The University of the World removes typical barriers to higher ed (ie: tuition, geographical access), focuses on educating skills/topics relevant for community change. Led Expert Team to create strategy and platform around global membership and fundraising for a new global university. The University of the World removes typical barriers to higher ed (ie: tuition, geographical access), focuses on educating skills/topics relevant for community change.
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Education
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2009 - 2012
Future Generations University
Master of Arts (MA), Community Development and Conservation -
2002 - 2006
Mount Allison University
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Honors, Major, International Relations; Minor, Anthropology
Community
