Founders
Jens Larsen
Jens has 20 years of experience helping people, organizations, and business reach their goals. He has been proven success with generating funding and facilitating projects with multiple stakeholders. Jens live in Copenhagen. He is a social entrepreneur, storytelling researcher, executive coach and consultant, working with companies and organizations on leadership, with focus on the United Nations goals and sustainability. He has written books on ethical coaching, storytelling, and leadership. His studies focused on Scandinavian Leadership and way of life. As founder of Old Friends Industries, Jens has worked with leaders from Scandinavian brands like IKEA, Novo Nordisk, Mærsk etc. Reach Jens at: info@truestorytelling.org
Dr. David Boje
David Boje, PhD, is Regents Professor Emeritus at New Mexico State University, and also holds an honorary doctorate from Aalborg University in Denmark. He is a co-founder of True Storytelling Institute® and has studied storytelling processes for over 37 years. He has consulted to small businesses, health care, military, and educational organizations. He is also the founder of the New Mexico Quantum Storytelling Conference, and creator of the concept of “Antenarrative.” Boje has authored 27 books (3 more forthcoming) and published over 145 journal articles about storytelling theory, research, and practice.
Contact: davidboje@gmail.com
Lena Bruun
Lena Bruun is co-founder of True Storytelling Institute®, an experienced Leader, Coach and Change Management Agent. She has co-created the National Geographic prize-winning museum Ragnarock for youth culture and music in Denmark and works with sustainable organizational and personal development. Clients include festivals, creative and socioeconomic co-ops, and music and art companies.
Contact: lenabruunjensen@gmail.com
Dr. Grace Ann Rosile
Grace Ann Rosile, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Management at New Mexico State University. She studies Ensemble Leadership through Ensemble Storytelling and organizing processes, and indigenous ethics. Author of numerous academic articles and book chapters, she is a co-founder (2010, with david Boje) of the New Mexico Quantum Storytelling Conference, and co-founder (2020) of the True Storytelling Institute®, and founder of HorseSense At Work, offering management development and teamwork training. She also produced 7 educational films and a book (2016) on “Tribal Wisdom for Business Ethics.”
Dr. James Sibel
James R. Sibel, PhD, MA, co-founder of True Storytelling Institute® is well experienced in the commercial business world, currently CFO of a multinational company, with over 40 years’ experience in various elected, appointed, and advanced leadership functions holding licensure and certifications in states throughout the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. He holds an MA in Law and a PhD in Organizational Development. In his various capacities, Sibel is an author, speaker, and lecturer, having traveled throughout the United States and Europe presenting at professional conferences and seminars on Corporate Social Responsibility, Team Building, and Ontology.
Contact: jsibel@truestorytelling.org
Certified Trainers
Dr. Oscar Edwards
Dr. Oscar Edwards is a founding member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group. He serves as the President and managing member. He has proven executive experience
specializing in strategic planning, finance, succession/exit planning, organizational development and change management in various industries. He is a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that integrate and contribute significant intellectual capital to organizational performance. Oscar Edwards is a Managing Member :
- California Association of Nonprofits (CAN) • Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
- United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE).
Barbara Sullivan
Barbara Sullivan is Treasurer and Founding Senior Partner Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Group, LLC. Her clients are in the private and public sectors and include small and large employers. Her diverse experience is called upon to design strategy and implement programs in areas of supplier development, organizational planning; employee relations initiates; performance management systems; and staff development. She has designed and delivered staff development programs for C suite leadership and line staff. Ms. Sullivan has served as a Director on the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce Board , the Downtown Long Beach Associates Board; the Long Beach Transit System Board, where she served as Chairman. She is former Vice Chairperson of the Black Business Association of Los Angeles’ Board; and served as a Commissioner on the Long Beach Economic Development Commission.
Anne-Marie Hall
Anne-Marie Hall is an expert within international marketing and branding in the Healthcare Industry (Medical Device, HealthTech and Consumer Healthcare). She works as a consultant and executive coach within storytelling, marketing and branding – guiding companies (ranging from start-ups to midsize and global companies) telling their story to targeted stakeholders. She has more than 25 years of experience from strategic marketing positions and has worked at Cook Medical, GSK and Novartis and founded in 2017 Amazing Hall Healthcare Accelerator. With international clients, Anne-Marie is based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Contact: am@amazinghall.com
Dr. Ken Long
Karin Strzeletz Ivertsen
With academic experience from top business schools (including CBS in Copenhagen and McGill in Montreal) AND my industrial working experience (including telecommunication & healthcare) I am able to put my theoretical and empirical knowledge into use in various social contexts. As a lecturer in organization and innovation studies I am dedicated to creating an experiential and natural learning atmosphere. One of the places you find me teaching is at the Kaospilots in Bern.
Ben Wesson
A professional and successful leader with a focus on delivering high quality person-centred services.
Extensive experience in complaints management, information and data protection legislation and delivering change programmes.
I am passionate about motivating others to succeed. I ensure that skills, support and enablers to be the best they can be.
Ernest Dillihay
Proven experience in theater operations, cultural facilities management, and administration, along with expertise in theatre, dance, music, festival, special events, and video production. He is an award-winning cable television and theater producer. He thrives on the creative and innovative program and product development related to utilizing arts infrastructure as a tool for community economic development. As Performing Arts Director for the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Ernest created the first-ever citywide marketing and promotions program for the arts, The Arts Card, and presented national and international programs such as the California State, County, and City August Wilson Day Celebration, the 6th World’s Shakespeare Congress and the California Pavilion at Midem in the Festival de Palais in Cannes, France.
Duncan Pelly
Utilizes perspectives from a humanities, social sciences, and management background to enhance interests in business management, operational strategy and entrepreneurship. Works hand-in-hand with practitioners to provide more holistic perspectives and is one of less than a dozen autoethnographers in the field of management worldwide, resulting in cutting-edge and boundary defining management strategies. Applies experience to bridge praxis and theory in business ethics, resulting in unrivaled pedagogical success. Incorporates lean six sigma expertise to develop corporate strategy, optimize operational efficiencies, and maximize corporate profit potential. Excellent communicator with exceptional leadership and diplomacy skills, and strong organizational and implementation skills. Multilingual with fluency in English, French, German, and Russian.
Rico L Smith Sr
Rico Smith Sr. is a retired Assistant City Manager and previous to that a Fire Chief with 37 yrs. of municipal government public service experience. Currently he is a founding member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Group, LLC. He serves as the Vice President and is a Member Senior Partner. He has proven local government experience, specializing in fire service public safety strategic emergency and non-emergency planning, change management, finance, succession/exit planning, organizational development, and the SWOT analysis process. He has led organizational change within the fire service and local municipal government. He is a leader in diversity, equity and inclusion that supports and compliments organizational growth and sustainability.