OPEN INQUIRY
Polarities are a natural part of any culture. However, these forces are often related to with tension, conflict, or as problems to solve.
What role does self-liberation play in harnessing polarities to build bridges within families, communities, and the workplace?
What role does self-liberation play in harnessing polarities to build bridges within families, communities, and the workplace?
Let’s See Labs is a think tank that is the leading advocate for the radical notion that polarity is a creative engine in organizations. We recognize that our differences in identity are highly compatible, and can be a source of connection rather than conflict. Our generative methodology uses storytelling, authentic relating, and inductive growth-work to create teams who have been liberated to use polarities as a strategy to unleash unrivaled creative advantages. ︎
Open Call for Stories
Liberated leaders embrace the responsibility of creating deeper connections in their communities, families, and workplaces in which polarization might otherwise result in division. By integrating their polarities, resolving their traumas, and freeing themselves from prescribed identities, these leaders are now embodying and inspiring others to also liberate themselves.
Have you, or someone you know, chosen to go through a process of inner and inter-personal transformation as an avenue for self-liberation and social impact? I am collecting stories of individuals who have spent time in deep introspection resulting in self-realization and a redefining of their identities previously created through socio-cultural constructs. This personal transformation enabled them to let go of outward blame and take steps towards an experience and expression of inner freedom. Contact me at gareth@letsseelabs.com to share your story, get involved, and/or nominate someone who is a change-generator after a fierce reckoning with self.
“The understanding of oneself is not a result, a culmination; it is seeing oneself from moment to moment in the mirror of relationship - one’s relationship to property, to things, to people and to ideas.” J.Krishnamurti
COLLABORATIONS
I’m continually seeking generative collaborations with conscious peers.
Speaking & Program inquiry ︎︎︎
My Work’s Focus
I work at the intersection of the self-realization journey, divisive social issues, and the unknown. I study how polarizing social topics trigger our internal work. And how change sourced from within is the most effective and lasting. I’m creating community and space for stories about change-generators on these journeys. I’m open and medium-agnostic.
How We Might Work Together
+ At Let’s See Labs we bring an individual and teamwork methodology that uses storytelling, authentic relating, and inductive growthwork to activate pathways to self-liberation and wholeness.
+I produce panels, present, speak, or contribute as facilitator, panelist, or moderator for workshops, conferences, and/or podcasts.
+I partner in community building for one-time events or ongoing program.
Topics I Collaborate On
+harnessing polarities to build bridges in workplaces & communities
+self-liberation & creative polarities
+self-realization journey in the context of social issues
+consciousness & technology
+science & other experiments that make the unseen world visible
+exploring oppressor-victim dynamics
+intrapersonal tools for handling complex emotion
+consciousness & activism
+translating consciousness philosophy into everyday living
Community Events >
+Served on Selection Committee for Full Frame Film Festival (2021 & 2022)
+Published Article on Upcoming Book: You Are Us, Green Living Magazine (pg 16)
+Published Article: The Strong Hold of Our Self-Prejudices, Sprituality & Health Magazine
+Produced & directed What My Heart Wants To Say
+Produced & directed To Be Free
+Produced & directed Something to Give
+Produced & directed Let’s See Labs Impact Series
+Produced & directed Let’s See Labs 2019 Overview Reel
+Produced & directed When You Find Yourself You Can See Everybody Else
+Produced & directed The Identity of Being Human לפני הכל - בן אדם! الهوية الانسانيه
+Produced & directed Debb: A Journey in Realizing Wholeness
+Produced & directed Abundant Peace السلام الحقيقي רב שלום
+Produced & directed The Power of Movement
+Produced & directed film / facilitated forum: Sourcing Change From Within: The Role of Self-Realization in Societal Change
+Faculty at Nine Gates Mystery School
+Have been facilitating at Circling events, which foster profound moments of honest connection
+Served as a panelist at East Meets West conference speaking on consciousness and technology on behalf of Consciousness Hacking (CH)
+Crafted and conducted a workshop on nature, technology, and humanity for CH and Bioneers
+Executed an interactive installation ‘Let’s Drop in Together’ at Science & Nonduality Conference
+Co-created presentations for leaders and scientists at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)
+Designed and co-led a workshop at IONS on synchronicity and conscious organization design
+Wrote scripts and conducted interviews as part of video production team for Nine Gates Mystery School website
owning wholeness
COMMUNITY
Below are examples of events where I support leadership development that can build bridges in a polarized world and collaborate with conscious community.2023
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Selection Commitee
Serving on the selection commitee for the review of films in 2024 festival.
Let’s See Labs + Zero Gravity Marketing
Facilitated both a talk and a workshop on empathy-based leadership for Zero Gravity Marketing team
You Are Us + The Laurel of Asheville
Book featured in The Laurel of Asheville Magazine, both print and online editions
Let’s See Labs + Red Hat
Facilitated introductory workshop on liberated leadership for Red Hat coaching commuity
Athena Women’s Leadership Conference
Gave both a talk on leadership for a polarized world and facilitated a self-awareness film and authentic relating workshop
Let’s See Labs + NC State Social Innovation Fellows
Conducted evening workshop with short films and break out sessions exploring tools and practices around effective leadership for a polarized world.
Book Launch! You Are Us: How to Build Bridges in a Polarized World
Get the book ︎︎︎
2022
Joining Consciousness Leadership Collective
I’m joining the experts who are helping organizations to evolve meaningfully through conscious leadership. This is the first-of-its-kind collective.
Common Street + Let’s See Labs
Implemented full program of Liberated Leadership for a Polarized World within the community.
Global Housing Foundation + Let’s See Labs
Collaboration with Global Housing Foundation to generate a story for United Nations Day that showcases the new housing development for the Modoc Nation elders in Oklahoma.
Women’s Event- Harness the Power of Your Mind, Body, Spirit, and Community: Guest Speaker
Speaking at event, hosted by Tabitha Concepcion and Kimberley Palladino from Truist, to connect empowered women focusing on well-being. Joining Dr. Amishi Jha and other speakers to explore the neuroscience of focus, mindful incorporation of physical wellbeing and fitness, and sparking deeper levels of self-awareness.
Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium, Film Interview
Interview conversation with Dr. Daniel M. Ingram discussing the many aspects of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC) in depth and detail. Watch interview >
Let’s See Labs + Mount Madonna Conference Center
Leadership program for self-awareness, empathy, cross-cultural competency. Helping support people and teams to build bridges in a polarized world.
2021
Full Frame Documentaty Film Festival, Selection Commitee
Served on the selection commitee for the review of films in 2022 festival.
Let’s See Labs + ncIMPACT
Self-Awareness Workshop for Change Leaders through Film & Dialogue.
Let’s See Labs + Eisenhower Fellowship Youth Leaders
Film & Dialogue Workshop exploring the relationship between self-realization and leadership through collective storytelling and sharing.
Sedona International Film Festival
Let’s See Labs film, Something to Give, was selected to screen at the 2021 Sedona International Film Festival. Participation on Documentary Filmmaking Panel. Recorded interview︎
Let’s See Labs + Be The Peace: Storysharing, Film, & Collective Vulnerability Experiment
A self-reflective & participatory experience exploring self-realization through deep community interdependence and film screening. We are experimenting with a new virtual workshop format. By invite only at this time.
Let’s See Labs + North Carolina State Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellowship
Hosting Storysharing Workshop with Social Innovation Fellows orbiting themes of Empathy, Cultural Competency, and Resiliency. This experience offers a container of collective vulnerability and self-realization ignited by two short Let’s See Labs films.
2020
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Selection Commitee
Served on the selection commitee for the review of films in 2021 festival.
Global Impact Film Festival
Let’s See Labs film, Something to Give, screened at the Global Impact Film Festival. The festival is focused on how all films provoke and inspire social change. Award ︎︎︎ Best Director
Let’s See Labs + Hope Hyder
Storytelling project exploring intimate healing process of Hope Hyder as she reckons with the reality of her father’s murder. Production ︎︎︎ To Be Free
Let’s See Labs + Byron Katie
Storytelling project exploring subtleties and nuances of social programming. Production ︎︎︎ Meeting the Questions.
Film + Dialogue: Self-Realization + Social Issues through Storytelling with Let’s See Labs
An intimate evening of short film & dialogue, exploring what our stories elicit in each other. Production ︎︎︎ Let’s See Labs Impact Series
2019
Let’s See Labs Project on Genocide Reconciliation
+ Hyppolite Ntigurirwa + Commonstreet Spiritual Center
Storytelling film project exploring healing, forgiveness, & accountability to halt the transmission of intergenerational hate in the context of genocide trauma. Production ︎︎︎ Something to Give
Let’s See Labs Project on Genocide Reconciliation
Storytelling film project exploring reconciliation through direct accounts from survivors and perpetrators involved in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Production continued in December.
Participant at Fire Kasina Meditation Retreat
Practice offers basis of deep concentration states, insight, and awakening.
Let’s See Labs + Roots
Storytelling film project of Shadi Abu Awwad’s journey. Production ︎ The Identity of Being Human לפני הכל - בן אדם! الهوية الانسانيه
Let’s See Labs + Authentic Relating International + La Vista Correctional Facility
Storytelling film project within two-day workshop in authentic relating. Production ︎ Debb: A Journey in Realizing Wholeness
Let’s See Labs + Roots
Storytelling film project with Rav Hanan Schlesinger. Production ︎ ABUNDANT PEACE السلام الحقيقي רב שלום
Attending Faculty at Nine Gates Mystery School
An experiential immersion bringing together master teachers from the Celtic, African, Native American, Spiritual Psychology, Sufi, esoteric Christian, Hindu, Sound Healing, Kabbalah, and Buddhist wisdom traditions to focus on embodiment of the human spirit.
Hosting Self-Realization Forum
Sharing stories from people who have shifted from an outward blame-centered mentality and instead chosen to open to transformation from within as an avenue for change in the world. Production ︎ Sourcing Change From Within: The Role of Self-Realization in Societal Change
Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Conference
150 thought-leaders from academics, industry, and government debate the most challenging current issues in the field of entrepreneurship and set the agenda for future research, education, and policy.
Let’s See Labs + Movement for Movements
Storytelling film project with Quentin Robinson. Production ︎ The Power of Movement: Dance Propels a Journey of Self-Realization
2018
Egypt Journey, Studying under Normandi Ellis and Deborah Jones
Normandi is an expert on Egyptian teachings, which bring a unique thread of wisdom in alignment with alchemy and transformation from within; Deborah is executive director of Nine Gates Mystery School.
By inivtation only at this time
a [generative] genius salon
A community that generates an emergence that supports your life’s work over a slow meal.
feeling into freedom
ABOUT
Through a combination of personal experience, relational dynamics, research, experimentation, and profound revelations, I’ve come to increasingly see how the world’s unrest is fueled by the unrest within us as individuals.
This offers us a window to view how and where we can personally make a difference.
Through community, not only do we realize our suffering is entangled, but also our liberation. And yet, we must as individuals show up to own our own liberation simultaneously.
What does it look like to be sourcing cultural change from within?
This offers us a window to view how and where we can personally make a difference.
Through community, not only do we realize our suffering is entangled, but also our liberation. And yet, we must as individuals show up to own our own liberation simultaneously.
What does it look like to be sourcing cultural change from within?
photo by Aida Courtenay-SmithI am the author of the book “You Are Us: How to Build Bridges in a Polarized World.” The 13 stories in the book are from the perspective of 13 people who are radically different but are also unified by having done the work of inner reckoning with their trauma, pain, and socialized identity. Through the vulnerable illumination of each story, we learn how inner work translates into liberated leadership that serves community, workplace, and ultimately societal transformation. We are also invited into a self-inquiry process, as an opportunity to illuminate our own unconscious patterns in the contexts of societal identities, and to catalyze our generative leadership potential in an increasingly polarized world.
Get the book ︎︎︎
In addition, I am the founder of Let’s See Labs, a think tank that is the leading advocate for the radical notion that polarity is a creative engine in organizations. We recognize that our differences in identity are highly compatible, and can be a source of connection rather than conflict. Our generative methodology uses storytelling, authentic relating, and inductive growth-work to create teams who have been liberated to use polarities as a strategy to unleash unrivaled creative advantages.
Program & Speaking inquiry ︎︎︎
Education & Professional Experience via LinkedIn ︎︎︎
Consciousness Leadership Collective ︎︎︎
seeing pellucidly