BIO
Ben McBride is the co-founder and CEO of Empower Initiative, a leadership development and consulting firm that partners with organizations to strengthen culture, widen the circle of human concern, and build the skills required to lead through complexity. Through keynotes, leadership trainings, and long-term consulting engagements, Empower Initiative supports leaders across the private, public, cultural, and social-change sectors who are navigating division, change, and institutional pressure.
Ben is the author of Troubling the Water (Broadleaf Books, 2023), a reflective and practical exploration of othering, power, and the personal and organizational work required to build bridges in divided systems. The book serves as the conceptual foundation for Empower Initiative’s approach to leadership development, belonging, and organizational transformation.
Prior to founding Empower Initiative, Ben held senior leadership roles, including leading one of California’s largest multiracial, multi-faith social change organizations. Over the past two decades, he has trained and advised hundreds of public-sector executives, elected leaders, and departments across the country, and has been retained by institutions seeking to improve leadership capacity, organizational culture, and public trust.
Ben’s work has been recognized by elected officials and national institutions, and he continues to serve as a trusted advisor to leaders operating at the intersection of people, policy, and systems. He is based in Northern California and has been married to his wife and business partner, Gynelle, for 26 years. They are the parents of three adult daughters.