About The Billions Institute

“In a real sense, all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail

I couldn’t agree more with Dr. King, with one friendly amendment:

I’d include women, children, all living creatures, and on my most woo-woo days, even rocks, plants, and trees…in that single garment of destiny.

And, that is why I created the Billions Institute.

We teach social-change leaders how to spread & scale their interventions.

Our goal is to ensure that everyone who is working hard to weave together the fabric of life has the skills, tools, and support necessary to bring their biggest, fullest, most bad-ass selves to their work and the world.

Since 2015, we have trained hundreds of individuals and teams who combat the effects of slavery, genocide, colonialism, extraction, extinction, consumerism and individualism.

In our trainings so far, we’ve learned that no matter what sector, many people don’t experience the success they desire, and often it’s because they are making critical errors in at least one of these four areas which form the foundation of what we teach:

They are not sufficiently rooted in their own story, moral compass, values, and motivations for doing their work, nor are they sufficiently versed in the systems and history that created the problem they’re trying to solve. To fix this, you need to DIG DEEP.
They think too small, too slow. Or too big, too fast. Many leaders err by playing it too safe (and never reaching their potential impact), or by being too vague and grandiose. To DREAM BIG, you discover the “just right” amount of “how much, by when.”
They believe that attempting to control things is “good management.” This is not true. There are ways to create structures and contexts within which people are wildly creative and relentlessly working toward a shared aim. We’ll show you the right way to ADD ZEROS.
When they hit a snag, they believe the problem is “out there.” Their fear of failure causes them to rush in, to try to fix things that are not their responsibility. Or, to point fingers to make sure everyone knows who’s fault it really is. Or just curl up on the couch and wish it would all just go away. But once you learn how to reliably step into healthy responsibility, you attain the ultimate key to the large-scale change universe: NO HEROES.

“We don’t need another hero.” – Tina Turner

At first glance, being a hero sounds great, and just what your corner of the world needs. But in reality most real-life heroes are not doing their best work because they are worn-out, burnt-out and run-ragged.

The world needs leaders who are grounded in their strengths and values; have a community of peers they can turn to for support and ideas; are committed to quantifiable, time-bound aims; and routinely bringing out the best in others in ways that are life-affirming, life-enhancing and sustainable.

People who operate like this can influence far beyond the people they know.

And this is how real, large-scale social change happens.

About Becky & Our Offerings:

If you were to take a look at my very out-of-date resume, you might think, “this person is a real leader.” It’s true, I’ve had the privilege to lead all sorts of people, in all sorts of situations.

And.

Every single critical error listed above: I’ve made it.

Things worked out, but it could have been much easier.

As I approach my 50th birthday, I no longer feel called to lead in the traditional sense. I’ve been able to create change in the world that I will feel proud of for the rest of my life, and want to share what I’ve learned, so that you don’t have to do it the hard way.

When I was leading the 100,000 Homes Campaign, I had a great boss, a fantastic team, and knew all kinds of people – and still there were times when I felt in over my head. I simply wanted the advice of someone else who had been in a similar position as me.

If you’re looking for a resource like that, you’re in the right place.

My motto is:

Friends don’t let friends lead large-scale change alone.

It doesn’t matter what sector you’re in.

If you get up every morning with the intention of making the world a better place, and you think that you could do even more if you were to go to scale, I want you to have all the necessary strategies and tactics, and a healthy pack of fellow change agents to have your back.

Check out our primary offering, formerly known as the Skid Row School is now Exponetial Impact: Designing Equitable Large-Scale Change.

If you want to deepen your skills even further, I run a two-year fellowship program.

In Fall 2018, we will be offering advanced trainings for alumni of the Skid Row School.

I am also available for keynotes and speaking engagements, and am able to bring part or all of the Skid Row School to groups upon request.

I look forward to being a little bit of the wind beneath your wings.