VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON OFFERINGS
August 19 & 26, 2026, 3:00pm - 4:00pm (ET)
Two free virtual sessions designed for leaders, supervisors, managers, and anyone committed to leading with intentionality and care.
Each session offers an opportunity to gain new perspectives to strengthen your leadership, reflect on how you're showing up for and within your team, and explore practical strategies you can begin applying right away.
Choose one or join us for both!
August 19: Care-Centered Leadership
Facilitator: Arlene Vassell
Arlene Vassell is the Founding Director of the TooREL Institute for Social Change and a nationally recognized speaker, trainer, facilitator, author, and leadership coach with nearly three decades of experience advancing leadership, organizational culture, and systems change within the nonprofit sector and gender-based violence movement.
Arlene's advocacy journey began at the YWCA Women's Advocacy Program in Richmond, Virginia. She later held significant leadership roles at the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. These experiences continue to shape her work as she partners with government agencies, nonprofits, coalitions, and community-based organizations to cultivate healthier teams and workplace cultures, advance equitable and survivor-centered practices, and support leadership development, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of Black women and People of Color.
Arlene is the author of People First, Purpose Always™: A Practical Guide for Building Healthy and Thriving Teams and Rooted in Care: A Self-Guided Workplace Culture Toolkit, Grounded in People First, Purpose Always™, practical resources that help leaders and teams create healthier, more welcoming, and people-centered workplace cultures.
August 26: Leading Through Change
Facilitator: Joyce Kyles
Joyce L. Kyles is an award-winning global speaker, 2× Amazon bestselling author, master certified professional coach, and CEO of Joyce Kyles Consulting LLC. Her speaking, training, and consulting experience spans nonprofits, healthcare, corporations, military installations, law enforcement, and universities across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East.
Joyce's work is grounded in more than professional expertise. It is shaped by lived experience. Her journey from advocate and nonprofit founder to global speaker gives her frameworks a depth that moves audiences beyond inspiration into genuine, lasting transformation. She knows what it costs to lead while carrying weight no one sees, and she knows what it looks like to put it down.
Register in advance for one or both sessions
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ozOKqlmhTbK2sZ-VpVH2Ow
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Stewarding the Work
A People First, Purpose Always™ Facilitator Intensive
September 29-30, 2026
*Click the short video to view highlights from the Stewarding the Work Facilitator Intensive held in Washington, D.C.
Stewarding the Work is the official facilitator intensive for the People First, Purpose Always™ framework, developed by Arlene Vassell, Founder of the TooREL Institute for Social Change and author of People First, Purpose Always: A Practical Guide for Building Healthy and Thriving Teams.
THIS EXPERIENCE IS DESIGNED FOR:
- Executive Directors and Senior Leaders
- HR and Talent Development Professionals
- Internal Trainers and Leadership Development Managers
- Individuals seeking to steward the People First, Purpose Always™ framework confidently and responsibly
PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE:
- An Official Facilitator Guide
- A copy of People First, Purpose Always: A Practical Guide for Building Healthy and Thriving Teams
- Facilitation scripts and slide templates
- A 90-Day Implementation Roadmap
- Certificate of Completion & Facilitator Agreement
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT?
Many trainings teach content.
This experience builds the capacity to hold the work.
Stewarding the Work immerses you in the lived experience of facilitating courageous conversations in real time — by doing, reflecting, and refining.
This is not merely about delivering slides.It is about stewarding conversations.
You will not simply learn the material. You will practice how to:
- Hold courageous conversations without escalating conflict
- Navigate power dynamics and interrupt dominance with intention and care
- Create space for reflection without losing purpose
- Protect psychological safety while maintaining accountability and flexibility
- Plus much more...
You will receive feedback in real time.
You will refine your approach.
And you will leave prepared to steward the work and teach others to do the same.
2026 DATES AND LOCATIONS
May 13-14, 2026 (Washington, DC) - Completed
September 29-30, 2026 (Atlanta, GA) - Registration is Now Open
INVESTMENT
Registration Fee: $450
Early Bird Rate: $425 (until August 21, 2026 @ 11:59pm - ET)
Group Rate (for team of 3 or more from the same organization): $400 per person
*Registration includes lunch, snacks, and refreshments.
Register and submit payment here: https://forms.gle/wCcrC4DHo8TtAwse6
Space is limited!
This intensive is intentionally offered in small cohorts to encourage meaningful learning, practice, and peer connection.
Download PDF for Additional Information
Questions about content, investment, or registration? Feel free to reach out at info@toorelinstitute.org.
Dear Black Women…
A Love Letter for Women's History Month
A truth-telling space.
A space for celebration.
A space for healing.
Almost 50 women gathered in this sacred space, intentionally curated to center the celebration, healing, and honoring of Black women — across generations.
Our Amazing Speakers
We were honored to be joined by an extraordinary group of Black women whose lives, leadership, and advocacy continue to shape communities, movements, and futures.
"What a powerful and beautiful experience.”
“This was so very nourishing for my mind, body, and spirit.”
“So Beautiful and PowHerFull!”
“Being in that room, surrounded by Black women who are leading, building, and showing up with intention in their work and their lives, was grounding in a way that’s hard to fully put into words….It was exactly what I needed.”
“Dear Black Women…” was more than a gathering.It was a collective exhale.A love letter—written in real time.
If you missed it, the recording will be available and shared widely soon! Stay tuned...
This is not a traditional team retreat.
It is a thoughtfully curated, immersive experience designed to strengthen team culture, deepen alignment, and equip every staff member with practical tools to carry the work forward— together.
For two full days, your team steps out of the daily urgency and into intentional space, not simply to pause and reflect, but to recalibrate, reconnect, and strengthen shared commitments.
You secure the site.
TooREL facilitation team design and steward the entire experience.From agenda and material development to facilitation and structured follow-through, we handle it all so your entire team can fully engage in the experience.
Each participant leaves the experience with the foundation of a personalized 60-day action plan to support continued growth, shared accountability, and sustained momentum.
What Makes This Different?
Many retreats inspire—creating space for rest and connection. Some focus primarily on strategic planning. Very few intentionally strengthen the culture that makes both possible.
The TooREL Renewal & Reset Team Retreat is intentionally designed to center both people and purpose.
This experience is rooted in the belief that healthy teams don’t happen by accident. They are cultivated through intentionality, care, shared accountability, and everyday practices that shape how people work and thrive together.
This is not about surface-level bonding or traditional “team-building” activities. It is about strengthening team culture and improving how your team works—together.
Build for momentum, not just a moment.
Interested in Hosting a Team Retreat?
If your team is ready to pause with intention, strengthen your culture, and move forward with greater clarity, care, and shared accountability, we’d love to partner with you. Contact info@toorelinstititute.org to schedule a complimentary 30-minute exploration session to discuss your needs, availability, pricing, and next steps.
Download PDF for Additional Information
Collaborative Leadership Program (CLP)
This 14-week, transformative leadership experience is designed for leaders navigating complexity, change, and growth in today’s work environments. The program integrates culture, inclusivity, wellness, and resilience into a comprehensive leadership framework—supporting leaders to lead with boldness, empathy, authenticity, and intention.
Over the course of 14 weeks, participants:
- deepen self-awareness and leadership presence
- strengthen communication and relationship-building skills
- gain practical tools for fostering inclusivity, navigating conflict, and leading through organizational change
- explore leadership at the intersection of culture, equity, wellness, and sustainability
- develop a personalized leadership growth and development plan
The program is highly interactive and grounded in real-world leadership challenges, with space for reflection, dialogue, and practical application.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE PROGRAM OVERVIEW
and
LEARN MORE ABOUT PAST COHORT MEMBERS AND THEIR UNIQUE LEADERSHIP JOURNEY
Be among the first to hear about future session: follow us on LinkedIn, subscribe to our newsletter, or join our waiting list by contacting us at info@toorelinstitute.org.
