Matthew Kolan

Matt Kolan's work is focused on relationships. As an avid naturalist and tracker, he is inspired by the wisdom of nature and the language of the land. Matt is the director of the University of Vermont's Leadership for Sustainability Masters Program, where he teaches courses on the ecology of leadership, learning and change; systems thinking; power and privilege; and field ecology and wildlife tracking. His research explores leadership & learning practices that align with the wisdom of nature, reflect non-dominant ways of knowing, and challenge colonial patterns of power/privilege that are perpetuated in many well-meaning change-making initiatives. Matt also works as an educational and ecological consultant for a variety of organizations (including the National Park Service, Center for Whole Communities, Shelburne Farms, and others), helping build capacity for organizational learning and working with difference and tension in a generative way.