Ken Jenkins
The NLILA Founder, Contributer
kenj@nlila.org

Ken's path has been broad and deep, abroad and awoken from sleep. Until around age 12 it was peppered with periodic episodes of severe central ear infections and bouts of bullying, including being targeted by some older neighborhood boys for torture for fun, this reoccurring between about ages 2-5. Somehow he carried this unfortunate target into preschool and school, ever chased and hit and the object of unkind ridicule. Traumatic? Sure, but also all he knew until finally when, around age 12, he fought back, then seeing the powerful results continued fighting over the next year, losing all his few friends to his fists and fury. He lashed out at authority figures with rebellion and pent up emotion until one day a teacher at his school who was in charge of their student council intervened in a vulgar shouting argument between Ken and another teacher. He offered Ken the chance to be his teacher's assistant instead and gratefully recognized misdirected potential in this young boy, bringing him into a student leadership program which would go on to change his life in incredible ways. This single act of compassionate intervention and the indelible leadership training experiences that followed remains one of the most significant learning experiences of his life to date, at 50.

During and after earning a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in 1995 and 1 credit short of a minor in philosophy, while making a living as a clown, storyteller and ad agency assistant, Ken invested years of his life in learning from some of the indigenous nations of North America, forging familial friendships across cultures and into alternate ways of living. Eventually, one snowy day while sitting outside the earth hut he lived in through the winter of 1996 in the mountains of northern Idaho he realized that unless enough people with the same connection to and passion for the beautiful planet we all share stepped into a place of influence these marvellous wonders of nature would continue to be threatened and eroded in the name of blind progress. He recognized that he was one of those people, so after becoming a certified nursing assistant to work closely with those nearing death to provide a loving presence and absorb what life lessons he could, he went to get his masters degree in Urban Planning and began a rich career in applied GIS (geographic information systems), working in both the public and private sectors with both excellent and inspiring leaders who lifted up entire offices of professional teams and managers whose personal limitations of leadership skills likewise brought those they had authority over into misery and even illness. Nearing 50 he experienced sudden and severe burnout. This episode was extremely disorienting after such a high-octane career to date, putting him face-to-face with limitations hitherto unknown and as he recovered it became ever clearer that the most valuable thing he could be involved with professionally was to realize the same quality of leadership training that had inspired his life’s course as broadly as possible, thus he founded the NLILA. It is not the story of one person, however, it is absolutely about harnessing the tremendous power of teamwork, collaboration, cooperation and passion with others of like mind. He is grateful daily, even on rough days.

Board Member,
Best Practices Leader

Michael is passionate about building a more sustainable future by engaging in meaningful activities and communities that create better environmental outcomes, for this and future generations.

Michael Druitt has 15 years' experience working across a broad range of sectors with the aim of protecting, managing and enhancing environmental capital whilst making progress towards a more sustainable future. He is skilled in environmental risk-identification, - assessment and -mitigation, in addition to environmental sustainability strategy development and implementation. He is skilled in breaking down complex issues into practical, workable solutions which enables him to effectively communicate and cooperate with diverse stakeholder groups. He has a willingness to take responsibility and lead people, projects and initiatives that deliver measurably positive outcomes.

Board Member,
Best Practices Leader,
Executive Board Treasurer,
Finance Lead

High stakes, high yield individual with an ever growing interest in exploring knowledge and development. Drawn to sports, and especially the martial arts given the work ethic, discipline and relentlessness required to master at a higher level.

A business management and project professional. Extensive experience within growth, operations management, project and business development as well as strategy and analysis. Over 10 years working on diverse projects and business development within technology, infrastructure, management, construction and various technical fields in international, high pulse and change intensive environments.

Board Member,
Professional Business Leadership Development Specialist
lars.lagerstedt2@gmail.com

The insight into the importance of people's involvement in the business became obvious when I participated in the government investigation Future Iron and Steel Works in the 1980s. I then came in contact with companies that in a unique way created great success in their business by giving the staff the conditions to feel committed to the development of the business. I was inspired to see and understand more of the enormous potential that people possess in their ability for commitment, responsibility and creativity. Abilities that can determine a company's competitiveness and success. I have also studied the effect of human values in organizations and found that staff groups that engage in human values, develop their interpersonal processes and are able to see their tasks in a broader perspective, contribute greatly to increased benefit for business, customers and their personal health.

My interest in human potential has led me to a 4 year Gestalt training, coaching training through Leapfrog, 1 year part-time training in Psychosynthesis, Coached based on Psychoanalytic approach weekly for 3 years, Licensed for Myers Briggs Group Analysis, Licensed for Extended DISC (a self-assessment that measures how an individual prefers to interact with others), Licensed for Relation Management, EQ-360 and Graduate Teacher in Sathya Sai Human Values, have worked more than 7000 hours in client and coach development and for more than 15 years trained prospective therapists / consultants in group process, process leadership and coaching. The three dimensions of commitment, values and communication have permeated my way of working in companies and public administration, whether it is about strategy development, organizational issues, management teams or workplaces that want to increase their productivity and job satisfaction, enabling co-creating a different quality for the individual and workplace.

Board Member,
The NLILA Program Development Leader
nlilaeinari@gmail.com

Einar, grown in the wilderness of Estonia, did not attend primary school but instead found his first teachers to be his mother and the lush, wild, largely untethered environment of his home country. In those first years, he developed a keen interest in the world around him, inspired by his background and how he was taught to relate to it. This played a massive role in how he would see the world and the people he would meet throughout his life.

An enthusiastic and passionate people-person, his inspiration rooted in an intrigue of human nature took him across worlds, meeting thousands of different people in his 3 years of travel throughout Europe, North America and South Americas with an aim to see and feel as much as he could before deciding on which degree to pursue. This adventure only confirmed his intuition and the calling to social pedagogy was clear. Since then, he has committed to use all of his talents to understand and connect with the world around, so that he can have a positive effect on mankind whom he so adores. He's a life-long learner and is constantly investigating, reading and feeling into the experience of life.

Executive Board Secretary,
Entrepreneur
nlilalinalu@gmail.com

Lina is a passionate entrepreneur with a background in environmental consulting and the real estate business. With a great interest in environmental issues since childhood, Lina started her career in environmental consulting, providing over twelve years of consulting and project management experience specializing in Environmental Health and Safety compliance, pre-acquisition and vendor initiated environmental due diligence auditing, investigation and remediation of contaminated land for international clients. In 2014 she shifted from an environmental consulting role to project management and management in the real estate industry where her prior insights and talent lead to success to her newfound interest in construction projects. As of 2022 she has six years of experience working with management of real estate construction projects and more than 20 years of experience in the real estate business.

Lina is passionate about inner and outer leadership and has participated in numerous leadership training sessions both individually and in groups. She is interested in all angles of leadership, both at a professional and private level, and has had numerous roles in leading other people as a manager, in non-profit organization, in large construction projects and currently in her role as CEO running a family real estate company, Lundströms Fastigheter, in Boden, Sweden.