Garrison Institute Fellowship Forum: Cultivating Courageous Wholeness

CULTIVATING COURAGEOUS WHOLENESS

An Online Dialogue with Dr. Max Klau & Dr. Angel Acosta

What does it mean to lead with wholeness in an age of division? How do we confront the shadows—within ourselves and our society—to co-create a more compassionate, resilient future?

In this timely conversation, leadership expert Dr. Max Klau joins visionary facilitator Angel Acosta for a deep exploration of shadow work, civic leadership, and the urgent need for courageous wholeness. Drawing on insights from developmental psychology, servant leadership, and Max’s decades of experience developing civic leaders at scale, this session will unpack why integrating our personal and collective shadows is not just therapeutic—it has become an urgent civic necessity.

Together, Max and Angel will discuss:

• What is the “shadow” and why it matters for both personal growth and civic renewal
• How leaders and citizens alike can and must courageously confront their own inner wholeness if we are to move beyond the multiple crises we see unfolding all around us
• The relevance to this topic of Max’s forthcoming book, Developing Servant Leaders at Scale: How to Do It and Why It Matters
• The launch of the Center for Courageous Wholeness—a bold new initiative designed to help individuals and organizations cultivate wholeness at scale

This session is part of the Garrison Institute Fellowship Forum series—an offering that brings together contemplative changemakers across disciplines to explore the intersection of spirituality, justice, leadership, and social transformation.

Free and open to all

Zoom links will be emailed within 24 hours of registration. Please contact us at events@garrisoninstitute.org with questions.

SPEAKERS

Dr. Max Klau is the Founder of the Center for Courageous Wholeness, an organization dedicated to helping individuals and organizations integrate shadow, serve others, and scale their impact. He recently served as the Chief Program Officer at the New Politics Leadership Academy (NPLA), an organization focused on bringing more servant leaders–military vets and alumni of national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps–into politics. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of Leadership Development at City Year, the education-focused AmeriCorps program. He received his doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2005 with a focus on human development and leadership. His second book, Developing Servant Leaders at Scale: How to Do It and Why It Matters, will be published in August 2025. He is a husband, father, consultant, speaker, Integral Master Coach, and musician. He lives outside of Boston with his wife and two children. Learn more about him at www.maxklau.com.

Dr. Angel Acosta is a visionary educator, scholar, and facilitator, leading efforts at the intersection of healing-centered education, contemplative practice, and leadership development. As the director of the Garrison Institute Fellowship, Dr. Acosta is dedicated to nurturing a global community of change-makers.