Sheryl Petty, Ed.D.

Sheryl has worked in organizational development, systems change, equity, education, network development and field building for 25 years. She has been a program manager, executive director, board member, and consultant to nonprofits, school systems, philanthropic institutions, government agencies, colleges and universities. Sheryl has planned, designed and facilitated trainings and planning processes with thousands of practitioners, staff, community members, advocates and boards nationally and internationally. Her skills include equity-driven change process design and facilitation, cross-sector field-building, strategy development, framework development, alliance building and network development, equity assessments, qualitative research, visioning, and life coaching. 

Her work has focused on promoting aligned approaches across organizations and sectors including capacity building, practice, policy, research, community organizing, educator preparation and development, messaging and communications, and mindfulness, socio-emotional competencies and contemplative practice. She also has a long history of supporting individuals and groups in developing awareness practices, socio-emotional competencies, and mindfulness as core capacities, particularly in addressing emotionally complex and often tension-filled change processes related to equity and systems change.

Sheryl also has co-convened a number of field-building gatherings to build bridges and cross-institutional strategy among nonprofits, foundations, education organizations, capacity builders, and mindfulness communities, among others. She was a Principal Associate at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University, a Fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Opportunity Policy in Education, and Adjunct Faculty at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently a Fellow with the Mind and Life Institute, and publishes, engages in public speaking, and co-designs and leads convenings for practitioners in the fields of social systems change, equity, and contemplative practice. Sheryl is also ordained and teaches in both indigenous African-based (Yoruba/Lucumi) and Tibetan Buddhist (Vajrayana/yogic) traditions, which she has practiced for 25 years, and is authorized to share practices based in the indigenous Bön tradition of Tibet. She is also a certified yoga instructor. 

Sheryl holds degrees in Mathematics, Systematic & Philosophical Theology, and a doctorate in Leadership & Change. Her focus is on supporting the alignment efforts of practitioners, advocates and community members to heal and unleash our most vibrant selves, transform our social systems, and improve our collective life.