About
ABOUT MIND OPEN LEARNING STRATEGIES
MindOpen Learning Strategies provides truly engaging, transformative learning experiences for individuals, groups, and organizations working toward social justice goals.
We specialize in times when team members need to learn new ways to work-- whether it's adopting evidence-based practices, applying an equity lens, capturing meaningful metrics, or any of the countless ways in which success depends on constant readiness for change while keeping a clear mission-driven vision.
With the fast pace and competing demands of today's workplaces, it is all too easy to lose the full value of training, coaching, and consulting when employees' minds are somewhere else. MIndOpen Learning Strategies is different because we use research-based, field-tested techniques to draw out each participant’s unique expertise and ensure their Minds are Open to taking in new information and skills.
ABOUT ELIZABETH
MindOpen's Principal and Founder, Dr. Elizabeth Speck, knows firsthand that well-timed transformative learning leads to better client services and less burnout among staff. With 25 years of direct service, management, and capacity-building experience in New York City's complex human service systems, Elizabeth has adapted to many program and policy changes, broken down systems silos, and built a network of leaders committed to moving beyond the status quo.
With a background in community-based theatre for social change, Elizabeth started her career as a Teaching Artist in schools, shelters, hospitals, jails, and prisons. She earned a Master’s Degree in Drama Therapy from New York University while a Fellow with the Creative Arts Team, and was among the first Licensed Creative Arts Therapists in New York State. Her subsequent diversified experience in new program development and organizational change led her to pursue a Ph.D. in Organizational Development from Fielding Graduate University. A lifelong learner, Elizabeth is always adding new tools to share for building thriving organizations, and is currently a Social Innovation Fellow with the Starting Bloc Institute and Fielding Graduate University’s Institute for Social Innovation. (Please check out her LinkedIn profile for more details.) With MindOpen Learning Strategies, Elizabeth both leads and guides coaching, training, and consulting services, drawing from a cadre of dynamic subject matter experts.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
Her Justice is currently working with MindOpen to support our staff with vicarious trauma and to build trauma resilience. MindOpen staff coach supervisors in their own journeys towards trauma resilience and in their capacity to support staff as they work with survivors of trauma. Elizabeth and Melissa have been responsive and flexible to our needs and goals. We are impressed with their experience, approach, support, and compassion.
- Her Justice, Inc
In all my professional endeavors, I have never met a person more intentional, empathetic, and capable of setting the right expectations than Elizabeth Speck. Her leadership, insight, and "stick-to-it-iveness" allowed the Youth WINS partnership to grow into a strong collaborative. Elizabeth proved to be an invaluable problem-solving consultant who helped our team stay accountable and to develop effective strategies of continuous communication that has kept us on task, positive, and moving ever forward.
-Michael De Vito, Jr., Associate Executive Director
New York Center for Interpersonal Development
Knowing that fair chance hiring is good business is one thing. Understanding how to get hiring managers to see the often unconscious attitudes that get in the way of fair chance hiring, and to discuss those attitudes openly is another. No one does this as well as MindOpen Learning Strategies and M.A.D.E. Transitional Services. I wish their Leveraging the Workforce of the Future training was around when I was a corporate H.R. director.
-Lewis Maltby, President / National Workrights Institute
Former Vice President of Human Resources / Drexelbrook Controls Inc.
I received a lot of professional advice throughout my years of undergrad but I think I was just too inexperienced to truly understand it all. Working with Elizabeth after already being in the 'professional world' helped me with my understanding of how to market myself and what to look for as I began my shift of careers. It was truly helpful to have her input!
-Graduate Student, Social Justice Practitioner
“The trainings received from MindOpen Learning has been truly vital to IPS. The techniques, skills development, and methodologies infused into each training session have helped enrich staff’s understanding of the case management process. Specifically, the creation of meaningful Resource and Referral Guidelines will allow us to better assist all stakeholders served through our program. Moreover, the knowledge, confidence and courage gained will certainly help to empower all staff and clients receiving our services.”
- Program Director, JCCGCI/IPS Program Services