Program Overview
The Fall 2026 Changemaker Circle is an eight-week, cohort-based learning and design experience for leaders who want to intentionally build restorative principles into the core of their organizations, initiatives, or businesses.
This is a hands-on, relational program focused on implementation—not just ideas. Participants are guided step by step through applying restorative justice and human-centered design to real organizational questions, including vision, structure, policies, culture, messaging, and decision-making.
The Changemaker Circle is designed for both nonprofit and for-profit leaders, as well as early-stage projects and social enterprises. Rather than emphasizing rapid growth or traditional startup metrics, the program centers imagination, integrity, accountability, and long-term relational health.
The cohort is intentionally small (up to 12 participants) to support deep connection, shared learning, and meaningful collaboration.
Who This Is For
The Changemaker Circle is designed for:
- Individuals or small teams launching a new organization, initiative, or business
- Early-stage nonprofits or for-profits (generally operating for less than two years)
- Community leaders and practitioners integrating restorative justice into their work
- Changemakers seeking a values-aligned alternative to traditional accelerators or incubators
You do not need a finished plan. This program welcomes ideas in formation, early pilots, and organizations still clarifying their direction.
Meet Your Facilitator
Melody Stanford Martin is the Executive Director of the Restorative Justice Institute, Founder of Cambridge Creative Group, and author of Brave Talk: Building Resilient Relationships in the Face of Conflict. She is a restorative justice practitioner and has been coaching organizations on strategy, systems design, and communications for nearly 20 years.
What Makes the Changemaker Circle Different
This is not a startup accelerator or business bootcamp.
The Changemaker Circle offers:
- Practical guidance for embedding restorative justice into organizational systems
- A human-centered design approach grounded in dignity, care, and accountability
- Space for imagination, reflection, and ethical discernment
- Collaborative problem-solving with peers facing similar challenges
- Mentorship that prioritizes relationships, sustainability, and integrity
The aim is not simply to build effective organizations—but to cultivate healthy, humane, and restorative ones.
Program Structure
Format:
- 8-week cohort September 2–October 21, 2026 / Wednesdays 6 – 8p EST
- Weekly 2-hour live sessions (virtual)
- Opportunities to connect with cohort outside of sessions
- Cohort size capped at 12 participants
Each session includes:
- A short framing or teaching segment
- Guided design and reflection exercises
- Group dialogue and collaborative problem-solving
- Peer feedback and shared learning
Between sessions, participants complete light, practical exercises to apply concepts directly to their own work.
Schedule
- Week 1: Grounding the Circle
Building shared agreements, relational trust, and a common understanding of restorative justice and human-centered design. - Week 2: Vision, Purpose & Imagination
Clarifying the deeper purpose of your work and using imagination as a leadership and design practice. - Week 3: Story, Messaging & Meaning
Crafting authentic narratives about your work—why it exists, who it serves, and how restorative values show up in your story. - Week 4: Human-Centered Systems Design
Designing structures, roles, and workflows that reflect care, accountability, and shared responsibility. - Week 5: Policies, Practices & Power
Exploring how policies, agreements, and internal practices can embody restorative principles and address power dynamics. - Week 6: Community, Marketing & Relationship-Building
Approaching outreach and growth through relationship, trust, and alignment rather than extraction or urgency. - Week 7: Sustainability & Stewardship
Considering funding models, capacity, and long-term stewardship through a restorative lens. - Week 8: Integration & Next Steps
Reflecting on learning, refining plans, and identifying concrete next steps for implementation.
Mentorship & Collective Learning
Participants learn not only from the facilitator, but from one another. The Circle emphasizes shared wisdom, peer feedback, and collaborative problem-solving. Guest mentors—experienced practitioners and leaders—may join select sessions to offer perspective, encouragement, and practical insight.
Outcomes & Learning Goals
By the end of the Changemaker Circle, participants will:
- Clarify their vision and values through a restorative justice lens
- Develop a coherent story and messaging for their work
- Design or refine systems, policies, or structures grounded in human-centered design
- Strengthen their ability to navigate complexity, power, and accountability
- Leave with concrete next steps for implementation
The program also serves as a pilot, with built-in reflection and assessment to support ongoing learning and program improvement.