Featured Courageous Leader:

Dr. Amber Banks
Founder and CEO of the Center for Trust and Transformation and Trust Compass Studio

October 29, 2026, 12:00pm – 1:00pm PDT

Please join us for this virtual, no-cost professional learning engagement of the Courageous Leadership Series!

In this session, we will explore the Trust Compass, a framework built from two decades of research and practice for understanding how trust is shaped based on our unique perspectives. Trust is dynamic and fluid. It is shaped by identity, context, values, and power, and it looks different depending on who you are and what you have experienced.

This will be a working session, with tools, examples, and space to reflect on trust and repair in your own leadership context. We will:

• Examine the courageous edges of trust, from trusting in oneself to repairing trust after it has eroded.
• Unpack the four dimensions of the Trust Compass. Participants will be able to identify which dimensions (identity, context, values, and/or power) are actually driving specific trust breakdowns in their own team or organization.
• Explore new entry points into trust conversations. Realistic entry points into trust conversations. Instead of asking “do you trust me,” leaders will learn to ask “how do you trust,” a shift that turns conflict into curiosity.

Dr. Amber Banks is Founder and CEO of the Center for Trust and Transformation and Trust Compass Studio where she applies over twenty years of social justice leadership to advance trust and repair as the foundation for social change. Her journey from a Special Education teacher in Los Angeles to a leader in social justice has consistently affirmed relationships as essential for transformation. Her groundbreaking doctoral research offers a fresh take on trust and solidarity, particularly from marginalized perspectives. Through CTT, Dr. Banks provides coaching, facilitation, and strategic advising to help social sector leaders build trust to advance joy, justice, and liberation. Trust Compass Studio is a new project focused on assessing and repairing trust in social change organizations and coalitions. She holds a PhD in Education Leadership (University of Washington), a Bachelor’s in Journalism (Boston University), and certifications as a Healing Centered Coach and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy. Dr. Banks is a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, and a Fellow of the Pahara Institute and Mosaic Changemakers. She lives in Nashville, TN and proudly serves on the boards of the Groundswell Fund and Civic TN.

UC Berkeley’s CCASN Courageous Leadership Series is a learning and leading network designed by leaders who are courageously committed to dismantling systemic inequities inherent in public school structures. Courageous Leaders radically embody and demonstrate the following values of Robert Greenleaf’s Tenets of Servant Leadership:

• Encouragement — Servant leaders inspire their teams by offering encouragement and support. They celebrate successes, acknowledge achievements, and motivate team members to reach their full potential
• Collaboration — A servant leader fosters a collaborative work environment by encouraging open communication, teamwork, and shared decision-making
• Stewardship — Servant leaders take responsibility for the well-being of their team members and the organization as a whole. They act ethically and responsibly in all aspects of their leadership role
• Adaptability — Servant leaders embrace change and are willing to adjust their approach as needed to meet new challenges or seize opportunities

As a UC Berkeley Professional Development Provider (UCBPDP), we work to steward authentic, trusting partnerships at the intersections of research, practice, policy, and participatory community engagement, through which we are committed to modeling the practice of Courageous Leadership.