This multidisciplinary group of Yale graduate and professional school students comes together in a monthly discussion group to dig into real-world challenges and inspiring examples of intersectional equity, justice, and liberation practices in businesses, organizations, and communities - in order to adapt these learnings into their lives and work. 

Learnings from sessions are applicable across all sectors but many guest speakers and examples are drawn from food systems sectors. A primary focus will be placed on how to put these liberatory, regenerative, and anti-racist values and strategies into practice in real-world environments. We will learn from nature, global indigenous approaches, and movement and industry leaders, as well as each other -  about practices for redistributing power and resources to prioritize life, all people, and the planet. We will also examine the importance of deep listening and relationship-building with communities most impacted by oppression and the climate crisis.

The group will use engaging multi-media content including guest speakers, videos, podcasts, and social media, with not more than two hours of preparation materials per month.  A diverse range of guest speakers will be drawn from the New Haven, national and international communities. Group sessions will be interactive with a mix of full group and small group discussions as well as student-led discussions. Each monthly session will include lunch from New Haven BIPOC-owned restaurants and time for social connection as a cohort. 

Topics covered will include (order and specific guest speakers may change):

• Power, Intersectional Identities & Systemic Oppression (workshop)
• Power With vs Power Over (workshop)
• Workers' Rights & Organizing for Change w/ HEAL Food Alliance & Food Chain Workers
• Building Just Supply Chains & Economies Through Relationships w/ Forested, Ethiopia
• Values-based, Participatory + Community-driven Governance  w/ City of New Haven FSPD
• Reparative Investing with Potlikker Capital/Black Farmer Fund
• LandBack, Sovereignty, Rights of Nature with Sogorea Te’ Land Trust 
• Cooperatives & Alternatives to Extractive Capitalism with Equal Exchange or Brooklyn Packers

If you are a Yale professional school student from any school and are interested in engaging in peer discussions about these topics and examining how these perspectives and practices can help you address positive and effective social change in business, organization, municipal and community work, we encourage you to apply. 

Thank you for your interest.  Our application has closed. Please consider applying for this opportunity in the Fall of 2024!

All sessions are Fridays from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM 

Primary location is the School of the Environment, Sage Hall, 205 Prospect Street

DATES for 2023/24

• September 22 
• October 27
• November 10
• December 1
• January 26
• February 9
• March 1  
• April 5
• May 3 

Questions?  Contact: tagan.engel@yale.edu

Tagan Engel is a Resident Fellow with the Yale Center for Business and the Environment (CBEY) and brings more than 25 years of experience in cross sector food systems and justice work - as a chef, entrepreneur, community builder, and grassroots organizer. She is from New Haven, hosts The Table Underground podcast, is a Producer with CT Public Radio, and is a founding board member of Soul Fire Farm. Tagan was the Food Systems Policy Director at CitySeed and Chair of the New Haven Food Policy Council for nearly a decade. Through CBEY Tagan works on regenerative food systems, intersectional equity, and community-driven work. Full bio HERE.