About Us
Founding members
Our design and delivery team
Ginny Whitelaw
Zen Master, Phd. Leadership Development
Ginny Whitelaw
Dr. Ginny Whitelaw is the Founder and President of the Institute for Zen Leadership and a Zen Master in the Chozen-ji line of Rinzai Zen. A biophysicist by training, she combines a rich scientific background with senior leadership experience at NASA, and nearly 25 years developing leaders at such companies as Novartis, Dell, Merck, T. Rowe Price, Sprint, Mercer, Ascension Health, and JNJ. A recognized expert in the development of the whole leader, she has authored four books, including The Zen Leader. She co-developed the FEBI®, which measures four patterns of personality that connect body, mind and behaviours, and trains practitioners worldwide in applying FEBI in their work.
Alex Kruger
Permaculture Systems Design
Alex Kruger
Alex is a dynamite teacher and pioneer in the field of Permaculture. She has been teaching PDC’s for over 20 years and has trained thousands of students. She did her first PDC at Fambidzanai Centre in Zimbabwe in 1993 and has been transmitting the joy of Permaculture to others since then. Alex is a prominent figure in the Permaculture movement in South Africa, where she has designed a wide range of Permaculture systems - from urban gardens, eco-villages, farms, regional level action plans for marginalised communities and projects for NGOs. For the past 10 years, Alex has been living and teaching at the Berg-en-Dal Permaculture Training Centre and Sustainable Dryland project in the semi-arid area of the Klein Karoo in South Africa. This is a 405 hectare, off-grid farm in a very challenging environment and provides the ideal testing ground for the effectiveness of Permaculture systems.
Glynnis Rengger
Immersion, Leadership Development, Strategy
Glynnis Rengger
Glynnis is the Co-Founder & CEO of the Immersion Lab and co-creator of Perma-Leadership. She dedicated the past 20 years to designing and delivering immersive learning experiences for some of the world's most valuable companies. She is recognized as a thought leader in immersion design, and her broad knowledge of geopolitics, business trends, dynamic and emerging markets have contributed to much of the company' success. Most of her time is now devoted to co-creating Perma-Leadership, a new leadership framework she believes is more suited to leaders' extraordinary demands today. This new nature-based leadership frame holds three core ethics held in balance - care for the planet, people, and the future. It is intended to build the connected capabilities, mindset and stamina needed to ensure a thriving future for all. Glynnis has lived and worked on three continents and travelled the world extensively. She grew up in South Africa and immigrated to Canada in 1989. She has a B.A. (Hon.) in Social Work and a Masters in Business from UNISA. She has a son, a cat and a dog and is joyously connected to the place she now lives - Colpoy Bay, Ontario.
Diego Rey Sun Han
Designer and Creativity Changermaker
Diego Rey Sun Han
Diego is a curious young leader who desires to learn and unlearn constantly. He believes that all of us are teachers and learners of something in this life. He has found in nature the environment where he finds happiness and brings harmony to his life. He worked for seven years in the corporate sector specializing in the energy and mobility industry. A few years ago, after finishing his MBA in Berlin, started seeking for his purpose in life and decided to use creativity to design a more human world that promotes social cohesion and a collaborative economy. He has participated in community projects and social enterprises in Colombia, Germany, India, and Peru in the last five years. Currently, he is advisor at the grassroots NGO Alto Peru, advisor at Tech Era, team member at Perma-Leadership and the co-founder of Dosuno, a School of creative leadership and meaningful entrepreneurship.
Mark Dodsworth
Creativity Changemaker
Mark Dodsworth
Mark is internationally recognized for his innovative approach to the empowerment of people. In 1994, he co-founded RedZebra Global, a Social Enterprise with offices in the UK, USA, Spain and South Africa and had worked in over 80 countries on 6 continents. Mark has presented globally in numerous classrooms and conferences, business schools and boardrooms. Using a dynamic toolkit of rhythm, music and creativity to actively engage & empower people in communities and companies, Mark helps people discover their individual potential, fueling purpose with passion. His global exposure has given him a unique insight into human interaction, enabling him to develop truly effective ways to increase people's engagement in the content, message & experience his clients want to deliver
Reuben Piet
Wilderness Guide and transformation Facilitator
Reuben Piet
Reuben Piet is a pure nature enthusiast and a profound lover of wild spaces. On a personal front, there's a direct connection through his ancestry. Both his parents are from the deep rural Eastern Cape Region in South Africa, where endless rolling hills, indigenous forests, wild roaming animals and ancient mountains set the tone to the way of life for local inhabitants. The way of nature is engrained in the DNA of his People. He stands in alignment with a long line of healers, storytellers, community builders, artists, earth custodians and thus carries this embedded philosophy with grace and humility. Reuben equally is a well rounded singer-songwriter/musician in his own right and draws inspiration from the power and beauty in sharing of stories, staying committed and focused on his own spiritual journey and to being a sounding board and companion in walking alongside others. The journey taken is one of homecoming; coming back home to the core of our innate Authentic High Vibrational Self.
Bronwyn Wolfgang
Phd. Policy, Healthcare
Bronwyn Wolfgang
Dr. Bronwyn Wolfgang joined the Immersion Lab as a consultant in September 2021. Prior to joining the Immersion Lab, she was the Acting Director of the Private Hospitals Branch of the Victorian Health Department where she focused drafting legislative reform and overseeing investigations. When COVID-19 broke out, Bronwyn led her team in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and was responsible for liaising with all private health care providers in the state to coordinate the COVID-19 response in the private sector. Bronwyn is a seasoned policy expert with over twenty years of experience in academia, non-for-profits and government. She loves most to synthesise large amounts of information into practical tools to make significant changes to people’s lives. As a manager, she is known for her ability to bring a sense of calm to teams when navigating volatile, complex situations. As a leader, she is considered a good listener, an advocate and a fair negotiator who both internal and external stakeholders trust for her support and frank advice. She has had considerable global exposure, having studied and worked in the USA, Germany, and Australia