About Us
We blend compassion, care, and connection to create lasting culture change.
Meet Our Founder, Lesley Curtis
I am a scholar of social justice movements and a lover of humanity. During my doctoral study at Duke University, I focused on abolitionist movements and storytelling. I wanted to understand: how do people articulate their own value, especially when recovering from historical pain? After I finished my degree, I translated the first Haitian novel, a story about the revolution, from French to English.
It is no surprise that today I continue building bridges and helping people tell stories about their human value. I now lead culture change efforts for Sagely’s clients and teach others to do the same as a visiting instructor and supervisor at UNC Chapel Hill, my alma mater. My clients and students share with me a common desire to challenge rigid structures, move away from past pain, and build forms of connection and collaboration that feel easy and joyful.
Together, we move between the whole and its parts, figuring out what to shift on an individual level and noticing how this impacts larger systems. I help clients identify emotions that create stories and notice how those stories drive behavior. I invite people to see the bigger picture of their own experience and co-create new ways of engaging collaboratively. This is integrative and hope-filled work, and I feel lucky to do it everyday.
Our Team
CO-OWNERS
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Lesley is the co-owner and founder of Sagely. She holds a doctorate from Duke University, where she focused on storytelling and social justice movements. She is particularly interested in helping clients heal from the impact of intergenerational trauma by rewriting their stories of what’s possible in honor of past lessons learned.
Her clients include people in a variety of fields, all with the common goal of promoting inclusion in high-stress environments. She also offers workshops and talks to top companies, DEI professionals, and is a Visiting Lecturer in Leadership, Innovation, and Management at UNC Chapel Hill.
Lesley has a unique perspective on culture change work because she combines her humanities expertise with her study of psychology and meditation. She created the neuro-narrative approach to equitable culture change, relying on the close relationship between narrative and neuroscience to help clients make an impact.
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Cord Whitaker is the co-owner of Sagely, an author, and a scholar of the history of race. He has published in numerous venues and has been cited by NPR, the New York Times, Slate, and the History Channel. He is an associate professor of English at Wellesley College, the author of Black Metaphors: How Modern Racism Emerged from Medieval Race-Thinking, and Chair of the Presidential Commission on Ethnicity, Race, and Equity at Wellesley.
At Sagely, Cord blends his pedagogical expertise, systemic visioning, and narrative analysis skills to foster inclusion and promote lasting culture change. As a coach and consultant, he has a special passion for helping leaders of color bring their full experience to their work in a way that avoids burnout and benefits the whole community. He supports inclusive leaders in a variety of roles by envisioning a new way of engaging that moves beyond traditional expectations of what has to be. He and Lesley write together about their work at Diversity Differently.
FACILITATORS
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Robyn Smith is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist. They hold a B.A. in Film Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Robyn completed the three-year intensive training program in Gestalt Therapy from the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Philadelphia. Their areas of clinical expertise include trauma, neurodiversity, anxiety, emerging identity, attachment, and loss.
Robyn helps Sagely create healing educational experiences that bring compassion and attention to culture change. They give inclusive leaders and mentors the knowledge and practice that trauma therapists receive, helping others act and respond in high-stress situations with clarity and ease.
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Krishni Metivier, Ph.D. is an emerging leader and seasoned researcher at Google, advancing product inclusion, equity, and data privacy. As a strategic thought leader, she has garnered recognition for her compelling insights, spearheaded organizational excellence, and spoken at prestigious institutions such as Google, Harvard, and Duke.
Krishni holds a doctorate from Duke University, where she completed groundbreaking research on religion, race, and gender. Her academic background demonstrates her commitment to unraveling complex, intersecting systems. Her ongoing research encompasses critical areas such as gender and sexuality, data protection law, accessibility and artificial intelligence, and racial parity. Krishni brings her deep presence and unique awareness of interconnectedness to her work as a facilitator with Sagely.
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Alexandra holds a Masters of Social work from UNC-Chapel Hill and specializes in trauma-informed practice in galleries, museums, and sites of conscience. She works at both the micro- and macro-level when helping clients understand the dynamic connection between past and present. With Lesley, she developed the narrative map tool that strategically highlights the talents and experiences of inclusive leaders.
Alex uses systems thinking, restorative justice, and peace-building approaches to foster connection and healing. As an International Peace Fellow sponsored by the Rotary Foundation at the University of North Carolina, she has designed, developed, and evaluated museum interventions in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. She has also spoken internationally on the value of self-reflection and self-healing as a practice of inclusive leadership.
ADVISORS
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Dan Mahle is an ICF-certified executive coach and seasoned group facilitator with a passion for partnering with leaders to build more thriving, equitable, and inclusive cultures.
A life-long learner with a passion for culture change, Dan helps leaders connect to their authentic power in accountable ways by exploring and expressing vital parts of themselves that are often undervalued in startup and corporate business environments.
He advises Sagely on topics related to building humanizing relationships and removing barriers to innovation, authenticity, and trust.
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Burgandy Holiday serves as a senior advisor for Sagely. She holds degrees in social work and psychology and has helped multiple organizations promote social, cultural, and organizational change. Burgandy engages clients through community building and gentle activism, focusing on race and identity-based healing and reconciliation.
At Sagely, Burgandy advises on effective practices of engagement, prioritizing the emotional and relational experience of connection. She has a particular talent for conflict resolution, relying on her expertise in trauma transformation to initiate healing both for communities and individuals. She is also a practicing psychotherapist in Philadelphia.
"Our experience working with Sagely was nothing short of transformative.”
“From the very beginning, their insights were eye-opening. With a unique ability to uncover new truths, Lesley provided a safe space for us to discuss hard business challenges candidly. She was not just a coach but a guiding force, helping us redefine what culture meant to Suora.”
— Baaqir Yusuf, Co-founder, Suora Studios
“Thanks to Sagely, I gained skills in how to approach students with care and concern while mindfully caring for myself in the process.”
“I acknowledged that I am not alone in facing systemic challenges in higher education. I embraced my colleagues who with me form a united team. I can lean on them for support and encouragement.”
— Community College Counselor
You are a source of wisdom, care, and healing in your organization.
We help you tap into your innate talent to be a connective, inspiring, and healing presence for others.