The spirit of this organization started a decade ago. I began supporting women in executive leadership to reach their business imperatives while remaining grounded in their beliefs, values, identity, and intersectional experiences.
The Story: I was inspired by bell hooks’ quote, “There must exist a paradigm, a practical model for social change that includes an understanding of ways to transform consciousness that are linked to efforts to transform structures.” As I became more conscious of the intersection of personal leadership, identity, strategy, and impact, I began working within organizations to break their paradigms to infuse consciousness, equitable outcomes, and multiculturalism into their work in a systematic way. This has meant enlisting leaders across all lines of difference and working with internal and external stakeholders to evangelize their vision and mission while implementing bold change to transform antiquated systems.
However, our approach and philosophy became crystallized in 2020 when the country experienced a jolting racial reckoning, forcing organizations to deeply examine their cultures, systems, processes, and policies while responding to the compounded conscious and unconscious acts that led to to moment they were facing. And, at the same time, I came face-to-face with the devastating loss of my husband and found myself jolted by my new reality and season of change. I turned to my two daughters, Brooke & Baylee committed to holding steady my values and modeling my humanity, perseverance, love, and womanhood. B² was named after those two bumblebees. The speed at which life moved for me in that moment pushed me to live out my philosophy, test it, revise it, and replicate it in every coaching interaction.
I used my model to create an escape fire for myself, starting with grief, and used it to launch into formalizing a simple yet powerful approach to accelerating personal and professional leadership while clarifying and executing dynamic organizational strategies during seasons of change.
More about Nafeesha: Nafeesha Mitchell studied journalism with the desire to become a talk show host. Oprah was the best model as she worked to tell the story of others while restoring hope and optimism through her careful handling of those she interviewed, their situations, and a deep curiosity about who they were and how they got to where they are--whether good or bad.
Nafeesha’s curiosity and personal upbringing in underserved communities led her to pursue a deeper understanding of systemic inequities--a world she became more present to as an HBCU college student, researching the history of sit-in-movements near her undergrad alma mater NCAT.
It was through this she realized disrupting centuries of systemic disparities in education was her calling and entered the field as a teacher.
Years later, she stepped into administration and executive leadership working within institutions and across communities and diverse leaders, boards, organizers, philanthropists, politicians, and others to deeply understand the complexities of systems.
Engaging in her work and self-perception of leadership in high-stakes environments and in new and challenging ways led her to excel being recognized in her own organization as a strong, credible leader and as a 40-under-40 and woman in a business leader within her community.
Currently, Nafeesha is a doctoral student studying leadership & learning in organizations where she is working to learn and grow the research around how organizational leaders improve their practices and impact.
Our story informs the values we place at the center of our work.
Transformation happens through deepened,
trusted and real relationships.
Sustained, equitable results will come from reworking systems and habits that uphold them.
It is impossible to
create new possibilities when we are burdened by the past.
Growth is a process,
but change can be immediate.
Complex challenges are best solved when we are narrowly
focused and creative.