Gwendolyn Winston, advisor and remaining co-founder of Wisdom Institute. Winston specializes in small and large group facilitation, and on behalf of WI has been invited to participate in designing and leading racial equity and justice dialogic processes and community engagement action planning in community-based partnerships with nonprofit, health, government, academia, social justice initiatives and organizations engaged in community, human renewal and transformation.
As a seasoned Future Search consultant trained by Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff who are nationally recognized, she has used this methodology to lead Wisdom Institute’s people to work in “real time”, centering women’s ways in program development and advocacy that infuses art, storytelling, movement, music and the oral tradition with an organization culture that creates gracious space for conversations allowing all to bring their full selves into the room in new ways in order to gain fresh perspectives with energy and grassroot sensibilities.
Winston is a practitioner of spirit-centered, woman-centered, and social action leadership whose work elevates connectedness. She is recognized as a long-standing visionary and strategic leader and statewide organizer of women’s educational initiatives. Born and raised in Detroit she has an accomplished history in political, policy and gender justice arenas having worked as Chief of Staff for a former Detroit City Council President Pro Tem, in the sexual assault arena, the housing development field, served as a student and alumni development officer in higher education and is currently an Adjunct faculty member at Wayne County Community College Workforce Development Division Nonprofit Management Program.
Winston earned a Master in Public Administration from Central Michigan University and Bachelor of Science in Business Education from Wayne State University (WSU), received certification as an HIV /AIDS College Campus Liaison, and was certified in housing management by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She is a MiVoices Board Member, a Fellow of the Michigan Political Leadership Program and Detroit Equity Action Lab at WSU where following her fellowship she served as a lead facilitator. Winston has been recognized by the National Association of Women Business Owners Greater Detroit Chapter, received the Harriet Tubman Award from the National Organization for Women Detroit, and Systems Thinking Recognition from Women’s Action for New Direction (WAND) Southeast Michigan.
