About Us

Diedra Barber and Maureen Benson

met in 2006 as colleagues working in public education in Oakland, California. Since then, we have deepened our professional relationship and built a powerful personal relationship. Our individual and collective learning has been an incredible journey for ourselves, our interpersonal dynamics, and (ultimately) for our clients whom we support in Transmuting White Supremacy and Patriarchy™ as they take on organizational transformation.

We knew early on that there was something special about the ways we were showing up in collaboration as individuals, supporting each other interpersonally, and how we were thinking about interdependence in our professional and personal communities. A few years ago we started a deep inquiry process of looking at the ways we were showing up for ourselves, with each other (with our multiple identities), and engaging our clients so that we could offer some of our own learnings to others.

This inquiry led us to create this course, Cultivating Intersectional Leadership, which is an online offering that is built around the foundational tool of Transmuting White Supremacy and Patriarchy™

The practice of Transmuting white supremacy and patriarchy as leaders requires intention, practice and use of the tools. We offer these in our online course Cultivating Intersectional Leadership which is key to building our ability to imagine, create, and foster personal and professional relationships that endeavor to communicate and engage in ways that create less harm for ourselves and others.

We believe the process of Cultivating Intersectional Leadership intentionally transmutes white supremacy and patriarchy and their influence on how we move in the world.

We believe the path of Cultivating Intersectional Leadership is a transformative journey that supports individuals and organizations in making the deeply systemic, strategic, intuitive, innovative, and necessary shifts away from old ways of being that no longer serve us, our organizations. or our communities.

Diedra Barber, CEO/Founder of Filament Consulting Group

I specialize in the needs of women, people of color, and queer leaders dedicated to social justice-induced systemic change and infiltration in their organizational culture, mission, vision, goals, product, and/or service. I have been a Director of Company Culture Transformation for a racial equity tech industry nonprofit, a Chief Development Business Officer, a Chief Operations Officer, a senior curriculum writer and training designer, and lead facilitator. Today I use these work experiences as well as important life experiences to Cultivate Intersectional Leadership in myself, coaching and thought partnerships for organizations and individuals, and supporting space for team/department and whole organization conversations at organizations interested in real racial equity and inclusion.

Maureen Benson, Educator & Organizational Leader

I focus on Transmuting white supremacy and patriarchy in my own practice, in my day-to-day engagement with the community, and in my work as a consultant for organizational development and systemic transformation. I have been a high school teacher and principal in Oakland, CA., a Chief Operating Officer of a national racial equity organization, and a lead facilitator and coach for equity with executive teams, boards, and staff at a variety of social impact organizations. As a community member, I’ve been a Police Commissioner and organizer with local groups dedicated to ending police violence against marginalized communities, specifically Black people who are exponentially targeted by state terror. After more than 20 years of work in education and supporting social impact organizations focused on racial justice and intersectional leadership, I feel even more strongly that we must engage tirelessly in our governmental and educational systems with an emphasis on interrupting our personal and systemic perpetuation of historical disparities. Using the tools of Cultivating Intersectional Leadership is my commitment to a lifetime of brainwashing to undo.

Eyes On whiteness is a podcast that illuminates the insidious and ignorant ways of whiteness, regardless of intent.

Our guests are invited to practice the work of Transmuting white supremacy and patriarchy, as these constructs are pervasive and ever-present for all of us.