Institute for Culture, Change, and Leadership

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TRAINING THAT TRANSFORMS LEADERS—AND ORGANIZATIONS

The Need for Cultural Competence

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Today’s leaders need more than technical skills.
They need the ability to read cultural cues, resolve dilemmas, and lead with emotional intelligence in increasingly diverse and complex environments.

The Institute for Culture, Change, and Leadership seeks to advance psychological safety through inclusion, belonging, and cultural competence to enable strategic change for leading organizations.

Our purpose is to give rise to the strategic competencies of leaders to develop organizations beyond existing limitations, including reconciling dilemmas, while  equiping leaders to recognize these challenges and turn them into win-win-win solutions.

Meet the Instructors:

Kimberley Barker holds a Ph.D. in organization development from Benedictine University and an M.B.A. from Hawai’i Pacific University. She has extensive experience in organizational development, human resources, commercial banking, and operations administration. Barker teaches management, organization development, global leadership, strategic marketing management, teams, business research, career design, cultural competence, and business communication in the Management Department, College of Business, Eastern Michigan University. Barker is a certified cultural management coach with Fons Trompenaars’s THT Professional Network. Trompenaars is routinely listed as a top 50 management thinker in the world. Her books (Nov. 2021) include YOU Can Create Positive Change at Work! by Kimberley Barker and Mary Ceccanese, Culture, Change, and Leadership: Cases of Professional Dilemmas from Around the World by Kimberley Barker and Harris Friedman (March 2024), and UNCERTAINTY: 113 Strategies for Success When the Road Ahead is Unclear: Prompts and Workouts Included by Christine Day and Kimberley Barker. She can be reached at culturechangeandleadership@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or YouTube @KimberleyBarkerPhD.

Jeremy Grandstaff, M.O.D. resides just outside of Washington, D.C., in Northern Virginia with his partner, Jerry, and their Seeing Eye Dog, Ozzie.

  • He brings diverse experience across corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors, focusing on collaborative engagement, strategy, DEIA initiatives, and learning that drive organizational success.
  • With a deep commitment to inclusivity, Jeremy currently serves as the VP of Business Development for CurbCutOS, where he partners with organizations to enhance their digital accessibility, increasing their reach and visibility by ensuring all digital assets engage individuals with seen and unseen disabilities.
  • With a demonstrated dedication to empowerment, culture, and engagement, Jeremy also leads the Youth career development Programs for Penny Forward and World Services for the Blind. Additionally, he facilitates culture development workshops for the Institute for Culture, Change, and Leadership to promote inclusive organizational practices. Jeremy can be reached at jwg@sgendeavors.com.

Stay Connected & Keep Learning

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Signature Training Offering

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🎓 Eight-Week Cultural Competence Certification Course

Build confidence. Enhance impact. Lead change.

This professional certification course is designed for individuals who want to become culturally competent leaders capable of transforming workplaces, communities, and systems.

You’ll Learn How To:

  • Identify and navigate cultural dilemmas
  • Improve cross-cultural communication
  • Lead through uncertainty and resistance
  • Use inclusive decision-making frameworks
  • Foster high-quality connections by creating a high-trust environment

Features:

  • Weekly live virtual classes
  • Real-world case studies and group discussions
  • Reflection prompts and leadership tools
  • Optional 1:1 coaching
  • Certificate of completion

Register Now on Eventbrite

View Full Curriculum

Custom Team Trainings

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In-House Workshops & Leadership Retreats

Bring the training to your team or organization.
We offer half-day, full-day, and multi-session options customized to your goals.

Training Topics Can Include:

  • Cultural intelligence for leadership
  • Creating win-win outcomes
  • Recognizing and resolving workplace dilemmas
  • Managing change through a DEI lens
  • Psychological safety and team trust

Ideal For:

  • Executives and leadership teams
  • HR & Training professionals
  • Staff development and onboarding programs
  • Nonprofit, corporate, and government orgs

Who Our Training is For

  • Emerging and experienced leaders
  • Managers facing resistance to change
  • Teams navigating cross-cultural challenges
  • Organizations building an inclusive culture

Real Leaders. Real Results.

I am writing to recommend Kimberley Barker and The Institute for Culture, Change, and Leadership; both are dedicated to advancing psychological safety and fostering environments of inclusion, belonging, and cultural competence.

The Institute’s commitment to empowerment with strategic competencies uniquely positions it as an invaluable asset to organizations aiming to transcend existing limitations and achieve transformative change. With the framework provided by the Institute, leaders are equipped with innovative tools to address complex dilemmas and craft win-win-win scenarios, benefiting teams, organizations, and broader communities.

This emphasis on creating inclusive cultures not only enhances my organizational agility but also helps me to create capacity for my sustainable growth and dynamic adaptation. By embracing diverse perspectives and fostering open communication, I and we are better prepared to inspire and guide their teams through challenges and opportunities alike.
I wholeheartedly endorse Kimberley Barker and The Institute for Culture, Change, and Leadership for those seeking to evolve their organizations into inclusive, forward-thinking entities that prioritize strategic change and holistic success

Kimberly Ward, Lead Trainer, Dept. of Anesthesiology at Michigan Medicine

 had the pleasure of working with Kimberley Barker as a guest speaker for the American Marketing Association club at Eastern Michigan University. She generously shared her expertise on resume crafting and job market strategies, providing our members with invaluable insights to help them stand out in their career pursuits.

Kimberley Barker’s presentation was engaging, informative, and full of actionable advice. Her ability to break down key resume strategies while keeping the conversation interactive and relatable made a lasting impact on our group. She truly cares about helping people succeed and takes the time to answer any questions thoughtfully, ensuring everyone walked away with new knowledge and confidence in their job search.

I highly recommend Dr. Barker for her expertise in career development, her passion for mentoring, and her ability to communicate concepts in an accessible way. Any organization or student group looking for a knowledgeable and inspiring speaker would greatly benefit from her insights!

Natalie Gifford, Creative Director @ American Marketing Association @ EMU

Kimberley Barker wants everyone to: “Live Their Best Life at Work!” This is a high-stakes ideal, but she lives it day in and day out. I have watched her interact with her students and other audiences. She encourages and supports in so many areas, such as, global organizational development and change, cultural competence, dilemma reconciliation, conflict resolution, gender equality in organizations, measuring employee/customer satisfaction, business communications, compassionate-humble-lean-servant leadership, and more!


Dr. Barker is a powerhouse of knowledge and shares it willingly. I have had the privilege of collaborating with her on a number of projects and benefited from her exuberance, expertise, and willingness to help all she interacts with. Partnering with Kimberley has been one of the best decisions of my life!

Mary Ceccanese, Principal, Dynamic Connections, LLC and co-author of the Book, YOU Can Create Positive Change at Work!

I’ve worked closely with Kim Barker for the last three years in the Digital Summer Clinic internship which I founded 11 years ago. We’ve also worked together in her various career development efforts targeted at students. Kim always displays remarkable empathy and understanding to those she’s working with. She has proved an excellent sounding board for interns and has always provided top-tier advice to interns on how to make the intern experience a win-win for their employers and themselves. Kim has been a great addition to our team. 

Bud Gibson, Director, Center for Digital Engagement