We Are All One · WAAO
Something is stirring. Can you feel it? We are building a living network of leaders to together birth a new paradigm — rooted in cooperation, consensus, care for nature, and the ancient knowing that we are all one.
Across the world, people are waking up — to injustice, to ecological collapse, to systems that no longer serve the majority of life on this planet.
The old ways are visibly crumbling. And in that collapse lives an extraordinary, once-in-a-generation opportunity to imagine and build something profoundly new. WAAO is a proposal to meet that moment — not by fighting the old, but by creating the new.
Governance systems change when a critical mass of leaders within them begin operating from a different set of values, tools, and relationships. These are the people building that critical mass.
Founder, Sarah Jane Transforming Communication · El Masnou, Barcelona
Sarah Jane brings over two decades of experience at the intersection of language, power, and transformation. The creator of The Power Programs — a suite of communication methodologies that help senior women leaders activate their highest potential and lead on their own terms — she has trained leaders across a multitude of industries and in some of Europe's most significant companies, from PepsiCo to Mango, La Caixa to Oracle. Her academic grounding spans English Literature (London Metropolitan), Embodied Mindfulness (Gestalt Institute of Toronto), and a diploma in Leading Profound Innovation for a more Sustainable World from MIT. At WAAO, Sarah Jane leads the design of the Pioneer Training curriculum, weaving together personal power rooted in feminine wisdom, and somatic practice blended with the latest advances in neuroscience. She specialises in the art of conscious dialogue as a pathway to transcendental communication.
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Strategy & Programme Director, Philanthropy · Diplomacy & Policy
Julia has worked over a decade for the health of the planet. She is currently Strategy and Programme Director at a Philanthropic Fund, where she focuses on Prosperity, Diplomacy and Policy. She brings a decade of experience navigating multilateral and national politics, with leadership roles across the public and private sector and proven expertise in building multi-stakeholder coalitions that push the boundaries of people and organisations. Most recently she served as energy expert in the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Team, working creatively with governments, private sector and civil society to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement — and co-leading the Energy Transition Track of the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit. Previously she led global public affairs for Danfoss, the Danish multinational, where she served on the board of the European Heat Pump Association and the EU Alliance to Save Energy. She holds a Master's in International Business and Politics (Copenhagen Business School), a Bachelor's in Business Administration, Intercultural Communication and Spanish (University of Passau), and is certified in Power and Influence for Positive Impact (Harvard Business School). At WAAO, Julia leads strategy, policy architecture, and the cross-sector coalition that will implement this vision into business, politics, and local communities throughout Europe.
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Board Advisor · European Chair · Founder, Systematic-X
Chantelle believes in legacy, compassion, and being society's and the planet's keeper — not to live above or consume more, but to be at the roots, giving to community and Earth. A Board-Level Transformation Executive with 25 years of experience at the intersection of human design, technology, and responsible AI, she brings a lived perspective — as a Black, intersectional, neurodivergent leader — that profoundly shapes how she designs and leads transformation. Currently serving as Strategic Advisor or Chair across Techface, Women in AI Governance, and as CEO of Systematic-X, Chantelle leads AI Governance initiatives across Europe while designing ethical AI automation globally. Her track record spans 90 countries, with award-winning transformations focused on environment, equity and ethics. Previously leading Digital Globally at Capgemini, she has returned to lead her own AI Academy and has created The Equity Sanctuary — a space where marginalised people can learn, grow, and be free. Her interconnected work restores humanity.
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Consultant, Public Affairs & Sustainability · Berlin
Topsy works at the intersection of public policy, sustainability, and corporate strategy — helping organisations navigate the major transformations shaping our world: decarbonisation, digitalisation, geopolitical tension, and rising expectations of responsibility. She came to this work through a deeper conviction: that many of today's systems are no longer sustainable, and that meaningful change requires new ways of thinking about cooperation, responsibility, and leadership. Her perspective has been shaped by experiences across the private and public sector. At GIZ, she worked on responsible supply chains and workers' rights in Cambodia and Myanmar — in particular for women in the global textile industry — which deeply influenced how she thinks about economic systems and social justice. At the United Nations in New York, she developed a grounded understanding of diplomatic processes, international cooperation, and the real possibilities and limits of multilateral institutions. She holds a Master of Science in International Business and Politics (Copenhagen Business School) and is certified in Theory of Change and Design Thinking. At WAAO, Topsy brings her ability to bridge politics, business, and civil society — and her commitment to building systems that are more resilient, more fair, and fit for the future.
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Business Development & Strategic Partnerships
Niko is a business development specialist with over a decade of experience combining executive-level strategy with hands-on implementation and cross-border leadership. He has driven growth through multinational partnerships across more than 25 countries, securing six-figure commercial agreements, opening new international markets, and scaling institutional and enterprise networks in complex environments. His career spans nearly seven years at the United Nations Global Compact — building global institutional networks for responsible business — through to sustainability leadership programmes, ESG advisory, and enterprise go-to-market strategy. He has led international summits, built partnerships with universities, corporations and UN networks, and turned strategic conversations into lasting mission-driven relationships. At WAAO, Niko leads development and partnership strategy — building the institutional foundations that will carry this movement into scale.
LinkedIn →Title · Organisation
This space is reserved for a founding member of WAAO. The matriarchal paradigm belongs to all of us — of every gender. We are looking for pioneers ready to lead differently.
Get in touch →Matriarchy is not the mirror image of patriarchy. It is not domination by women. It is something far older and far wiser — and it belongs to all of us.
It is a culture of stewardship — communities guided by councils of elders through compassion, collaboration and consensus, in true harmony with nature and all beings. No single leader. No hierarchy of domination.
Instead: shared power, collective well-being, and decisions made with foresight for the next seven generations. History and contemporary research alike show us that societies organised around these principles are more peaceful, more equitable, and more ecologically resilient.
This is what we mean when we say: Matriarchy is community. And this is what we are here to create.
Decisions made through collective wisdom and deliberation — with foresight for long-term consequences.
Communities and resources held as commons — with responsibility to future generations.
Authority held collectively, with accountability embedded in relationships rather than hierarchy.
Human communities understood as part of nature — not separate from or above it.
The care of people, communities, and planet is not an ideal — it is an active practice and political foundation.
Five foundational works for anyone beginning to explore matriarchal theory, feminist ecology, and the politics of care.
The most comprehensive scholarly statement of Modern Matriarchal Studies. Documents egalitarian societies across world regions — establishing that patriarchy has a history, and therefore is not inevitable.
Argues that love is a political and ethical practice — not a sentiment — and that patriarchal culture is organised around its systematic suppression. Makes love intellectually respectable as the foundation of social transformation.
Introduces the partnership vs. dominator framework. Shows that before patriarchal conquest, much of Old Europe was organised around cooperation — and that this history is the evidence base for WAAO's vision of change.
Demonstrates that gynocentric, relational social organisation is a living reality in Indigenous cultures. Argues that recovering feminine wisdom traditions is politically necessary and ecologically urgent.
Provides the most scientifically grounded argument for the gift economy and reciprocity as ecological reality — not just ethical choice. A model of braiding Indigenous wisdom with Western science.
Misconceptions about matriarchy, debunked — by Nergiz, Letters From a Young Matriarch
If you're new to matriarchal thinking — or if someone in your life is sceptical — this is the piece to share first. Nergiz traces the roots of the most common misunderstandings, explains what matriarchy actually means (hint: it's "mother beginning", not "women rule"), and makes the case for why the word itself matters. Clear, grounded, and written with real warmth.
Read on Substack →A comprehensive resource hub for matriarchal theory, research, and contemporary movements worldwide.
Visit matriarchy-now.com →Heide Göttner-Abendroth's academy and the institutional home of Modern Matriarchal Studies — offering research, seminars, and the foundational scholarship behind this field.
Visit hagia.de →Riane Eisler's organisation applying the partnership model to economics, education, and policy.
Visit centerforpartnership.org →Thrutopia, conscious evolution, and the intersection of narrative, ecology, and transformation.
Visit accidentalgods.life →"We hold tight to our belief in revolution — and we intend to dance our way there."
Whether you are a pioneer ready to lead differently, or a funder looking to back a movement whose time has come — your involvement with WAAO is an investment in a new story for what's possible. One that millions of people across Europe are ready to step into.
Our growing community of pioneers, thinkers, and changemakers — building the new paradigm together.
