Designed for executive leaders seeking to have impact in an increasingly complex world, the Connected Leadership Program explores the potential of psychedelics to unlock greater creativity and resourcefulness for navigating transformational times. No other program combines the potential of psychedelics to enhance leadership and decision-making with a distinctive coaching approach that blends transformational coaching with business acumen.
Program participants have the opportunity to participate in a pioneering leadership research study led by faculty from the University of Maryland and approved by an independent Institutional Review Board.
A fall cohort of 14 participants starts online on October 30, 2024 (retreat dates November 9 – 14, 2024).
If you have questions, please contact us at info@leaders.study.
Or, watch our recent webinar on the science of psychedelics for creativity, leadership and decision-making along with program information.
Why Connected Leadership?
“There’s another level of connectivity – world consciousness, planet consciousness, whatever you call it – where you think less about self and ego and more about what’s needed. Psychedelic experience just opens the door for you. Once you’ve savored that, and you’ve put a decision through that filter, you know which way to go. So it gives you an inner knowing that you can’t do with logic alone.”
– Connected Leadership Program Participant (CEO-Founder)
We are at an inflection point.
Global shifts are reshaping the ecological, economic, political, and social systems that support our individual and collective wellbeing. Our most intractable problems call for new thinking. Our institutions require repair. Our environment demands fundamental shifts in our behavior.
Why Leaders?
Business leaders are world builders, risk takers, and innovators. They are not afraid to think big or small, and they seek growth on multiple levels. They are comfortable with increasing complexity and the elegance of simplicity. They possess the ability to turn concepts into visions, strategies, and plans. They are capable of mobilizing others to act, potentially contributing to systems change.
The Connected Leadership Program is born of the premise that executives and entrepreneurs working with psychedelics can lead a new way. Breakthrough discoveries in multiple fields have been attributed to substantive insights gleaned from psychedelic experiences, including:
- Kary Mullis, who credited psychedelics for his pivotal discovery leading to the development of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), revolutionizing molecular biology (Doyle 2002);
- Ralph Abraham, who reported significant insights in the emergent mathematical field of chaos theory following psychedelic use (Abraham 2008);
- Carlo Rovelli, whose revelations surrounding quantum gravity theory were influenced by psychedelic experiences (Higgins 2018); and
- Steve Jobs, who attributed his shaping of Apple’s business strategy and focus on quality to psychedelic experiences (Dormehl 2012).
The Connected Leadership Program holds a unique promise, one shaped by the transformative potential of psychedelics, the depth of the participants’ lived experience, and the collective complexity of the challenges they face.
Where to stand in a tumultuous world? Out front, at the edge of what is unfolding.
Why you?
You are an entrepreneur, executive, or decision maker who has experienced success in your field and is curious about what might be next for you and the communities you lead and care about.
You are interested in contributing to a research project that may benefit others and speaks to the effects of psychedelics on human consciousness.
You are open to sharing your insights and questions with new connections for greater collective learning and growth.
You want to be part of a shared container with forward-thinking, creative, interdisciplinary leaders discovering new pathways forward.
Scientific Background
Participants in the Connected Leadership Program have the opportunity to take part in the Connected Leadership Study, a rigorous research project examining whether and how perspective shifts associated with consciousness-expanding experiences affect decision-making in organizations.
A growing body of clinical research at leading academic institutions including Johns Hopkins, NYU, Stanford, Yale, and UCSF demonstrates psychedelics’ ability to alleviate mental health conditions such as depression (Carhart-Harris et al. 2016), anxiety (Griffiths et al. 2016), and PTSD (Mitchell et al. 2023). The Connected Leadership Study builds on related research exploring cognitive processes linked to flexible and innovative thinking in non-clinical populations (Harman et al., 1966; Gandy et al. 2022).
Psychedelic experiences may contribute to such insights by increasing connectivity within the brain (Carhart-Harris et al. 2016; Calder & Hasler 2023). Enhanced neural connectivity may be accompanied by a greater ability to recognize connections among problems or areas that were previously perceived as separate, supporting holistic (or “synthetic”) thinking in which diverse elements or concepts are combined to generate new ideas and cohesive solutions (Gandy et al. 2022).
In addition, psychedelics have been shown to foster a sense of connection to self, others, and the wider world (Watts et al. 2017). The Connected Leadership Program invites participants to explore new leadership possibilities and practices cultivated by this awareness, in service both to their organization’s stakeholders, and to a future in which humans live in balance with each other and the planet.
Research Study Opportunity
Exclusive Opportunity for Connected Leadership Program Registrants
Faculty from the University of Maryland, Smith School of Business, are conducting a novel research project – the Connected Leadership Study – in conjunction with the Connected Leadership Program.
Program registrants are encouraged to enroll in this study, which examines whether and how perspective shifts from psychedelic experiences affect decision-making in organizations.
Connected Leadership Study Principal Investigators
Rachelle Sampson, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator
Rachelle Sampson is a social scientist, educator, and consultant with training in the neuroscience of change, business economics, law and transformational coaching. She is Associate Professor of Business and Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Senior Research Fellow at the Wharton…
Bennet A. Zelner, PhD
Co-Principal Investigator
Bennet Zelner researches, teaches, and advises on regenerative economics, psychedelics, and leadership. Current projects include ongoing work on the Pollination Approach–a regenerative economic approach to delivering mental health treatment–and the Connected Leadership Project.
Program Overview
Online
To support long-term, transformational change, the Connected Leadership Program asks participants to engage in three live virtual group sessions and six individual executive coaching sessions (by telephone or Zoom).
Group sessions consist of up to 14 participants:
- One session occurs prior to the retreat in the Netherlands. This session is designed to prepare for the psychedelic experience, foster deeper thinking, and introduce concepts of group development and regenerative principles. This session also provides an opportunity for cohort members to get to know each other.
- Two sessions post retreat (plus an additional, optional check-in with the Kiyumi retreat team) focus on integration, shared insights, and real-world application in a supportive peer environment.
- Key topics: Regenerative thinking, individual and collective leadership development, and sensemaking and redesign in complex systems.
Individual executive coaching sessions:
- Each participant is paired with an executive coach for six one-hour individual coaching sessions throughout the program. Coaching sessions are coordinated with the participant’s schedule, ideally every two weeks throughout the program.
- Content and key topics: Why self-improvement paradigms fall short, creating a developmental container for growth and ongoing transformation, post retreat integration and meaning-making, and practical applications of key learnings and insights.
See Program Dates & Investment below for more information on key dates.
In-person
The retreat, which is integrated in the middle of the program, takes place in November in the Netherlands. This format provides ample time for preparation and integration.
Fall cohort retreat dates: 9 – 14 November 2024
Psilocybin truffles, legal in the Netherlands, are used during the retreat. Kiyumi’s retreat team of experienced practitioners support your preparation, journey, and integration process.
Program Dates & Investment
Key program dates and investment for the Fall Cohort are set out via the link below. Please note the following schedule details:
- Live virtual group sessions run for 120 minutes, starting at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 4pm UTC / 6pm CET.
- Executive coaching sessions run for 60 minutes and will be arranged for a mutually convenient time between participant and coach, ideally every two weeks during the program.
Connected Leadership Coaching Team
Kerry Radcliffe
Program Lead & Executive Coach
Kerry Radcliffe is an Executive Coach with 30 years of experience in business strategy, organizational behavior, and leadership development. She combines an understanding of complexity theory and organizational systems with emergent findings in human development and leadership growth.
Luther Kitahata
Executive Coach
Luther Kitahata is an Executive Leadership Coach known for his expertise in innovation, C-Suite roles leading global organizations, and as an entrepreneur building companies from the ground up. Luther draws on his deep understanding of the patterns that drive human behavior as well as his…
Kiyumi Retreat Facilitator Team
Amit Elan
Visionary Director | Facilitator
Amit Elan is leading the vision of Kiyumí. He is co-director of Altered – a conference exploring psychedelic research and consciousness in Berlin. Over the last 6 years Amit worked as a facilitator with different legal psilocybin assisted retreat organisations including the Psychedelic Society UK…
Lisa Wessing
MA Clinical Psychologist | Facilitator
Lisa Wessing has a Master in Clinical Psychology and was trained in psychology, anthropology, and biology in her BSc. Lisa has been fortunate enough to work in one of the most renowned psychedelic centers in Mexico, assisting in psychedelic therapy and providing…
Dr. Julia Javkin
PhD | Psychiatrist | Screening Director
Dr. Julia Javkin graduated as a physician from the U.N.R in Argentina. She graduated as an Acupuncturist at that same University. She specialized as a psychiatrist in London. Julia is the chief medical supervisor at the Beckley foundation clinic for psychedelic assisted therapy. She has…
FAQs
If you have questions about the Connected Leadership Program, please email us at info@leaders.study.
If you have retreat related questions, please reach out to contact@kiyumi.org.
For more information please see our FAQs.
The venue is set in the beautiful Dutch countryside, featuring a lake on the grounds, to foster a connection to nature and peacefulness. The program fees include the standard accommodations, which are shared rooms with 2 people sharing a room. There are also private rooms available for an extra charge.
Private room availability for Fall Cohort: 4 private rooms.
During your registration, please mention whether you would like a private room and our administration coordinator will guide you through the following steps.
The total cost of the program, including the 6-day psilocybin retreat with shared accommodation, is €9,450.
- A deposit of €2,000 is required within five (5) days of your application being accepted to secure your place within the program. This deposit includes a €1,000 non-refundable application fee.
- A second installment of €3,725 is due 30 September 2024.
- The final balance of €3,725 is due 16 October 2024.
Cancellation
Should you wish to cancel, please notify us as soon as possible. You will receive a refund of your deposit (minus the non-refundable application fee) if you cancel at least thirty (30) days before the start of the program. Deposits will not be refunded for cancellations made after this period.
Program fees are not refundable if you cancel within seven (7) days of the program start date.
Travel Insurance Recommendation: Kiyumi strongly encourages participants to obtain comprehensive travel insurance at the time of participant registration that covers trip cancellations due to personal circumstances such as illness or emergencies.
Booking transportation to and from Amsterdam
- Arrival: Before 13:00 CET on Saturday, November 9th, 2024
- Onward travel after the retreat: After 18:00 CET on Friday, November 14th, 2024
The retreat group will meet at 13:00 on Saturday, November 9th, 2024, to take a shuttle to the venue. The meeting point is a five-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station.
The retreat ends around 13:00 CET on Friday, November 14th, 2024. You will arrive at Amsterdam Central Station between 16:00 – 17:00 on Friday, November 14th, 2024, with the shuttle bus. Please book your onward travel accordingly, allowing plenty of time for transit.
Staying in Amsterdam before or after the Retreat
Many participants choose to stay in Amsterdam for a day or two before or after the retreat to ease their transition. This can be especially beneficial if you’re traveling from afar.
Can I arrive late or leave early?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to arrive late or leave early. The retreat is designed as a cohesive experience, and each part is important for both individual and group dynamics. We also recommend taking some time off after the retreat—at least a day—to facilitate a smooth transition back to daily life.
How do I book my spot in the program?
To book your spot, please complete the application form honestly and thoroughly. This helps us provide you with the best possible support and reduces the need for additional information requests. In some cases, we may ask for further details or arrange a call with our in-house medical team to finalize your application. Once your application is processed and approved, you will receive an email with payment instructions.
How many participants will there be?
The program and retreat hosts a medium-sized group of up to 14 participants, offering the best of both worlds—personal space for your individual processes and ample opportunities for inspiration through workshops and group exchanges.
Why are truffles used?
Fungi are complex organisms, with the mushroom being only one part of the whole. The mushroom is the fruiting body of fungi, visible above the ground, while the larger part, the mycelium, remains underground. Mycelium is a web of thin fibers that grow through soil, wood, and organic matter, connecting plants and trees within a forest. Some species of mushrooms adapt to droughts by creating tough knots of mycelium underground, commonly called truffles. We use truffles in our retreat because psilocybin-containing mushrooms are not legally regulated in the Netherlands. Although truffles may look different, they share the same active ingredient as “magic mushrooms.”
How are the truffles ingested?
Participants will consume the truffles in a ginger tea infusion, which promotes quick absorption and helps reduce the likelihood of nausea.
What are the main contraindications?
Research on psychedelics and mental health indicates that certain conditions are not suitable for psychedelic use, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Additionally, group retreats may not be appropriate for individuals with certain mental health challenges, like those actively struggling with substance use disorders or suicidal thoughts; therapy may be more suitable for these individuals. These guidelines are in place to ensure the well-being of all participants. Unfortunately, we cannot accept anyone currently taking antidepressant medication, since SSRIs and SNRIs work on the same receptor system as psilocybin and block its effects. Attempting to counteract the medication with truffles is not advisable.
More Questions?
For any other inquiries, please email us at contact@kiyumi.org
