Are you a TRANSFORMER Turtle?

This is the teenage stage of creation: where you learn how to nurture healthy and sustainable relationships.

You Are: Wondering how to set up the best systems and find the right people  to keep everything you’ve got going on, well, going… in a much more effective and sustainable way for you (and your people). You are growing and transforming!

You Want: A better sense of how to organize everything. Where to shift your focus to and when. How to move through your multiple projects. You want support, partners, collaborators or even employees. A clearer sense of what your role is in it all and how you facilitate everyone and everything else towards the grander vision!

You Have: Consistent traction with one or more projects, services, or products. Some in-control moments where you feel together. And some out-of-control moments where you feel like you’re losing your center and don't know how to hold it all together ethically, equitably, gracefully and firmly.

You Feel: Like you're bursting at the seams (in good and bad ways)! Stretched in so many directions. Growing pains and delicious gains. Ready to take on the responsibility of leading but feeling the pressure and fear of success, growth or sudden doom (in case it all starts to fall apart).

You Know: You’re ready for some healthy, fluid structures to hold it all together so you can do more of what love, are best at and need to be doing to support everyone else.

Your Enterprise Revenue/Income is: consistent and ranging from relatively to very healthy in any form (grants, fee-for-service, barter etc.)

Is that still you? If so, keep reading... if not, pick a more fitting stage here

We, at this propelling crossroads, are humbly realizing how much support we (and those around us) really need. We’re learning how to sustainably structure, organize, facilitate and direct everyone and everything in our midst.

This crossroads is the most exciting and defining crossroads of the entrepreneurial journey. This is where we really understand that we need systems and people in place to keep our work moving. This is where we either succeed or fail to build the foundation that sustains our work for years to come.

We liken this stage to Spring, where everything is blooming and buzzing, yet, we’re not very clear about what to do with it all. We can get overwhelmed with the sudden responsibility we now hold to direct all that bubbling energy effectively and equitably.  We can also start to fear the potential of more success (which requires even more responsibility). Are we really up for it?

At this stage, most people struggle with understanding their ever-evolving role and in particular, their position as a leader. It is at this crossroads that we understand the kind of leader we want to be: how to use our power properly, what our personal style of leadership is, how we want to play that role, what systems and processes will ensure healthy and sustainable relationships around the work and finally, how to implement those systems and processes.

It is through this stage and our exploration of leadership that we learn how to:

Create and nourish the appropriate ecosystems and relationships to ground our projects

Draw clear boundaries to create the most fertile and creative spaces for our work to flourish

Prune the excess and refine the elements that maintain the core offerings in place

Rediscover or refine our role in the grander system we’re creating

Re-root in our personal desires, what we love, are best at and are most needed for at all times

As emerging leaders, we are tasked with navigating complexity gracefully and responsibly. When do we push forward vs. let go, advise vs. strongly direct, call in vs. call out, diverge for new ideas vs. converge to accomplish a goal, involve our team vs. protect our team, and work on a relationship vs. move on.  

It takes serious stamina, observation and experimentation to move through it all. But most importantly, it requires that we grow our Entrepreneurial Resilience.

What is Entrepreneurial Resilience?

At this stage, Entrepreneurial Resilience = our ability to stay present with the ever-evolving complexity, grow our capacity to hold responsibility and gracefully come back to balance and integrity -- time and again. In doing that, we create the necessary foundation that ensures the sustainability and impact of our work longterm.

Our Collective Incubator is designed to support you through this stage by bolstering your Entrepreneurial Resilience.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

We value implementation. We want you to get things done.

10% CONTENT DELIVERY (INFORMATION) + 90% IMPLEMENTATION WORK (DOING/MANIFESTING): Most programs are full of information you'll never be able to implement. We're not interested in teaching you MORE things. We just want you to actually implement what you're learning. If you follow our advice and guidance, our program will fit seamlessly with the work you already do. 

We value accountability. We want you to feel supported. 

WEEKLY: We touch base with you weekly through live virtual events: Community Talking Circles, Live Implementation Workshops, Co-Working Sessions, Group Accountability Calls and Facebook Office Hours.

QUARTERLY: We teach you how to reflect on your progress and set time aside to integrate everything you've learned.

We value communal growth. We want you to know you're not alone. 

RELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING: We define a Radical Enterprise as 'an ecosystem of healthy and sustainable relationships'. We emphasize the importance of relationships and relationship-building as the cornerstone of our work. Everything we do as Radical Entrepreneurs ultimately boils down to creating healthy relationships (to yourself, your environment, partners, team members, stakeholders, clients etc).

COMMUNITY IS KEY: What we learn in community can have exponential impact on our healing, growth and resilience. We offer you the opportunity to learn from other like-minded radical entrepreneurs. We use the power of community to direct your energy, fuel your desire and cheer you on.

We value long-term sustainability. We want your work to stand the test of time.

1 MONTH FREE: Once you apply and are accepted to The Incubator, you get one month FREE to figure out if our program is a good fit for you. After one month, you subscribe to our monthly membership based on your category (STARTER Turtle, in this case).

3-MONTHS AT A TIME: Once you sign-on, you are required to commit for 3 months at a time. We (you and us) re-evaluate fit, commitment and benefit every 3 months. You are free to leave - and we are free to let you go - after every evaluation. We may also recommend that you move into another categories based on your work's maturity or sudden life/professional changes.

6-12 MONTH TRANSFORMATION: Statistically: 20-30% of participants will leave us by the end of the first 3-month period. 5-10% will leave us by the end of the end of 6 months. The 65% who stay past 6 months are usually in it for the long run and become family. That said, we can safely say that our members witness milestone transformations every 6-12 months. 

3-4 YEARS TO GROW A RADICAL PROJECT/ENTERPRISE: If you're really serious about growing an enterprise, you'll eventually realize that 3-4 years is not a very long time in the entrepreneurial space. It takes people 3-4 years to gain a certain level of sustainability (financial and otherwise). Enterprises generally have to cross the 10-year mark (sustainably) to be considered relatively safe from collapse. Looking for a quick-fix? We're not right for you. We're TURTLE TANK, not Cheetah Tank, for a reason. 

WHAT IS IT MADE OF?

THE FOUNDATION: CORE CURRICULUM = 2 videos / month

Every month, you receive 2 video lessons that are between 15-30 minutes long. Each lesson covers a key concept and tool from our core curriculum and is designed to foster your Entrepreneurial Resilience.

LIVE IMPLEMENTATION WORKSHOPS = 2 workshops / month

During these 2-hour live workshops, you’ll be guided through concrete steps to apply our core tools to your unique work situations and challenges.

LIVE MASTER CLASS = 1 masterclass / month

In these classes, we will focus on advanced topics related to your project or enterprise’s stage of development. This can include: tech & applications, radical selling, research/development/launch, team development, financials projections etc.

GROUP COACHING & ACCOUNTABILITY CALLS = 3 calls / month

These are live group coaching sessions specific to your group -- in this case TRANSFORMER Turtles. These sessions are lead by your primary strategist and designed to create accountability and guide you through your development process. They also give you the opportunity to connect with Radical Entrepreneurs whose enterprises are in a similar stage of development as yours. Together you learn stage-specific strategies and hold each other accountable to your goals.

LIVE COMMUNITY SHARING CIRCLE = 1 circle / month

In these community-wide sessions we  dive deeper into: personal & professional challenges, recurring questions, innovative concepts, new findings and process-related discoveries . You can ask questions, share your reflections and explore solutions to challenges you’re facing in your life or work.

LIVE VIRTUAL CO-WORKING PARTY = 1 party / month

Once a month, join your fellow Radical Entrepreneurs virtually for a collective work session: work on tasks and activities you’ve been avoiding by tapping into group energy and accountability.

LIVE FACEBOOK OFFICE HOURS = 1 session / month

For those who prefer to ask questions in the written form, you can join us once  a month for Facebook Office Hours where we will respond to questions on the spot, in writing.

A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY + EXTRA TOOLS & RESOURCES

We require that you to join our small & private Facebook group where you can interact with other Radical Entrepreneurs in the program and  get feedback, support and encouragement.  If you don't operate on Facebook, we can help you get set up in a way that won't interfere with your needs.

ADD-ONS (@ A DISCOUNTED PRICE FOR ALL MEMBERS)

ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS: Anyone has the option to get additional 60 mins of private, personal support per month at a discounted rate. We will work more intensively on your project or enterprise, as need arises. This is designed to keep your membership affordable.

MASTER CLASSES / EVENTS / CONFERENCES: Turtle Tank will be hosting speakers, master classes and other virtual events in the near future. All participants in our Collective Incubator will be able to attend most of our virtual events at a discounted price.

Have other questions? Check out our FAQ for the Virtual Collective Incubator here. 

Wait.. what is Entrepreneurial Resilience? I thought I needed a business plan!

We believe that most enterprises fail - around 50% in their 4th year and 70-75% in their 12th year - because the people that grow them lack Entrepreneurial Resilience.

People usually attribute their failures to everything else. From lack of market traction, to inconsistent revenue. Or unsound strategy to irreconcilable team differences. After years of coaching, strategizing and observing Radical Entrepreneurs and their patterns, we have concluded that permanent failure in these areas is a symptom of something more fundamental, more root: the lack of Entrepreneurial Resilience.

Our approach is “radical” because it addresses this root concern.

Entrepreneurial Resilience is: the ability to be consistently present enough to identify our challenges, recognize what needs to shift, and respond effectively to any situation -- time and again.

Without Entrepreneurial Resilience, neither the entrepreneur nor the enterprise can mature appropriately. And entrepreneurial wisdom is never truly gained. That is why we see high failure rates in the early years of entrepreneurship. 

We're looking to change that statistic for Radical Entrepreneurs.

And, no - business plans, operating procedures, marketing strategies, websites, logos, brands, social media analytics and SEO don't grow Entrepreneurial Resilience... you do!

Why is Entrepreneurial Resilience lacking in most programs?

Well, developing Entrepreneurial Resilience is not a sexy or flattering process. It’s quite challenging for 2 reasons:

One: it takes at least 10 years to grow a truly sustainable enterprise.

The journey is long, exciting and very challenging. Without a sustainable long-term commitment to Entrepreneurial Resilience, time gets the best of us. If you're looking for a short-term quick-fix to your woes... you won't find it here. And we won't lie to you: you probably won't find it anywhere else.

Two: It requires our constant (re)commitment to healing, learning and growing. 

Most programs do not address the impact of stress, trauma and systemic oppression on our ability to be effective entrepreneurs. They do not consider how these issues affect our ability to dream big, to read the world around us, to respond strategically, to make sustainable decisions, to set attainable goals and then meet those goals. Entrepreneurs generally lack the basic relational, emotional and social skills they need to mature and succeed as entrepreneurs.

We use the journey of becoming a Radical Entrepreneur as yet another gateway to healing (ourselves first and foremost). We embrace the journey of becoming an entrepreneur as a path of healing and self-discovery. In our experience, this approach is key to our ultimate successes.

We address both internal factors (through Inner Strategy) and external factors (through Outer Strategy) simultaneously to grow Entrepreneurial Resilience from the inside-out and the outside-in. Experimentation (which usually gets referred to as “failing”) becomes our friend. Mystery becomes exciting. Risk becomes fun, measured and affordable (especially for at-risk marginalized folks).

As we become more resilient, we develop the strategic instinct we need to make decisions and work with (rather than against) the mystery of creation. This makes us creative, agile, adventurous and powerful.

With Entrepreneurial Resilience, we are able to effectively respond to anything that emerges and successfully navigate the most challenging circumstances. We are able to mature and wisen-up and, by extension, allow our enterprises to mature accordingly.

TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR CURRENT ONGOING RADICAL ENTREPRENEURS (they make us blush). 

"I am not exaggerating when I say that being part of this group has transformed my life."

I love being part of the Turtle Tank community. I am not exaggerating when I say that being part of this group has transformed my life. Samia & Ije have helped me understand that the path of entrepreneurship is really a path of exploring and uncovering all parts of ourselves-- where things are easy, where we are triggered, the rhythm of how we work, etc. Samia & Ije have created a very special community of folks supporting each other as we walk on this path of radical entrepreneurship. They are the perfect team of heart & brain, soul & strategy. They are able to hold space for all of the members who come from all walks of life with enterprises at different stages of development.

Especially for folks of color, we can't separate our work from who we are or the way that oppression or trauma affects us. I am learning how my own unresolved trauma prevents me from fully stepping into a life that is truly free and liberating. Because of what I was able to learn from this group, I finally had the courage to leave my toxic job and a stable, comfortable life to create a life that gives me more joy and meaning. I can't wait to see what will continue to unfold.

- Amy Chou (Radical Entrepreneur & Healer)

"Turtle Tank is the best group business training/coaching program I have ever done, and I have done a lot of them!"

In the 90 days that I have been working with Turtle Tank I have experienced so much clarity in my vision for my business, and rapid growth in areas where I had been stuck for years; namely how to set goals and move towards achieving them, how I engage in self care for myself as an entrepreneur, and how to prioritize what matters most  to me and what makes me happy. I have been so impressed with how much actual support and direction I have received in order to embody and live into the answers that have emerged from my inquiries in those areas. Turtle Tank is not just business coaching, it's life coaching too, because as a small business everything that impacts me in any area of my life impacts my business too. So in addition to my business improving, my overall quality of life has been deeply enriched.

Turtle Tank provides so much material, handouts, videos, live coaching, a Facebook group, Facebook office hours, co-working sessions and optional private coaching as well. There are so many ways they engage with us and encourage us to stay connected. I love that there are so many different ways I can stay connected.

Samia and Ije bring so much knowledge, experience, compassion, and conviction to the work. They are accessible, encouraging, and constantly improving the program based on what my cohort needs. They are incredibly honest and share valuable insights from their own histories as entrepreneurs - both positive and negative. They are also really transparent about their current entrepreneurial pursuits which is so refreshing for  me and creates so much trust in me. I love getting to see how they are practicing the very same things they are teaching me and to see how it works for them. They are a delightful team with so many skills between them - I  feel like all my needs, questions, and desires are addressed. Turtle Tank is incredibly designed and the materials they provide are very organized.  It is clear to me that they have put a lot of work into creating this program.

In addition, my cohort is amazing and supportive. We encourage each other and share with a level of honesty and vulnerability that I haven't experienced in many spaces.  We don't have to show up like we have it together, we   can be exactly as we are in every moment and find acceptance and guidance on the next small step we can take. Being an entrepreneur can be very lonely and isolating. Now I have a built in community! We have so much fun together, we witness each other, and we are building deep relationships. I didn't realize what an asset the community was going to be when I started but now I love it!

Turtle Tank is like a family of radical entrepreneurs who share many of my values and politics. The shared values and politics are so valuable to me - I left several business coaching programs because they didn't center the experiences of businesses owned by folks navigating multiple oppressions who also serve clients navigating multiple oppressions.  Turtle Tank does.

Turtle Tank is a lot of work!! - it makes me confront myself in so many ways - and I have to put time and effort into both the inner personal work and the outer work on my business. But having the support of the Turtle Tank materials, Ije and Samia, and the cohort has finally created the container I have needed to catapult myself into an entirely different playing field in my business. It has been a deeply rewarding and satisfying journey so far. I have accomplished more in 90 days than I have in 3 years of working in other systems. I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that I attribute to my involvement with Turtle Tank. I see a long future for myself as a Turtle Tank client and I am deeply grateful to be working with them.

-India Harville (Owner, Loving the Skin You Are In)

"Finally I am building MY BUSINESS!!! Thanks Turtle Tank!!!"

I live in a chronically ill body (low energy) and have a tonne of personal responsibilities and a long and complicated history that needs to be detangled. I have spent years spinning in circles and trying to make progress on building my business, continuing my healing, and just keeping up with life. Many times I have felt like giving up on creating my own business but my illness prevents me from keeping a 9-5 'JOB'... so I have persisted even though there has been little in the way of outward signs of success.

Enter Turtle Tank and Ije and Samia's wonderful wisdom on all things business related for REAL people.

Now I have structure and space to thrive in different aspects my life... Now each week I am tackling a major energy drain or progressing on a business goal... Now each week I am feeling like I am regaining control over how, when, and why I work and what feels like authentic growth versus trying to force myself into yet another business model mold built for someone else.

Finally I am building MY BUSINESS!!! Thanks Turtle Tank!!!

-Cat Webb, Mystic Priestess and Coach

"In just the first month of joining, I took a leap of faith (grounded in the lessons, tools and supports provided by Samia + Ije and the wider TT community), and left my job to make space for healing and moving towards the kind of work I want and need to be doing in this world." 

Samia + Ije have co-created something truly unique and magical with Turtle Tank. I came to this community at a time when I was feeling stuck and exhausted on multiple levels, uncertain of my gifts and unclear about my future. When I signed up to be a part of the first cohort, I was working full-time at a non-profit and had been working (both $ and un-$) in the non-profit and philanthropic sectors for a decade. In just the first month of joining, I took a leap of faith (grounded in the lessons, tools and supports provided by Samia + Ije and the wider TT community), and left my job to make space for healing and moving towards the kind of work I want and need to be doing in this world. This space has nourished my spirit and amplified my dreams. I had never explicitly considered myself an entrepreneur before diving into Turtle Tank, but through video lessons, goals boarding, weekly accountability check-ins, virtual coaching and co-working and so much more, I have begun to recognize the barriers and drains that have stood in my way and have rediscovered the visionary, creative and resourceFULL parts of myself. Not only are my visions coming into sharper relief, I’ve even begun collaborating and building together with a fellow Turtle! This program is radical in every sense of the word, and is as much about bearing witness to our shared humanity as it is about building new enterprises. Turtle Tank is a fierce and loving family that tells you everyday, “I got you. You’ve got this.” I am eternally grateful for the deep wisdom and brilliance of Samia + Ije and my fellow Turtles and cannot recommend it enough! It will, without a doubt, change your life for the better!

-Bets Edasery (Healer + Community Builder + Advocate + Entrepreneur)

"As someone who has been critical and still is of the promotion of entrepreneurship, I have found Turtle Tank's approach and defining of entrepreneurship as a process of self-discovery immediately applicable, timely, and insightful."

I didn't know I was looking for a program like Turtle Tank until I started watching the free online videos I found on Facebook. I was so inspired by the honest, authentic, and real conversation between Ije and Samia that spoke to the challenges I was having in my own life and work. As someone who has been critical and still is of the promotion of entrepreneurship, I have found Turtle Tank's approach and defining of entrepreneurship as a process of self-discovery immediately applicable, timely, and insightful.

- Amara

"I came into TT thinking it would be whatever. Like, I’d give it a try and leave if it wasn’t meeting my needs. A few months into the program, and my mind has been blown again and again. I have fallen in love with this group and these guides and these teachings."

Basically what I have to say is this: if you want to be held deeply, if you want teachings that will bring you to the core of your desires and your longings, if you want some of the most skilled coaching around, Turtle Tank is for you.

I always felt like just parts of me could be expressed in other biz trainings and marketing masterminds. Like I had to hold a lot of silences in other places. With Turtles, I feel like I can honestly be my whole entire self. I can be me: my whole range of my feelings, hopes, doubts, fears, dreams, questions. I also don’t have to explain my identities or lived experience here. And, I’m met with guides (Ije, Samia, and other Turtles) who see me, who get it, and who offer me strategies and shifts that I am actually integrating in my daily life (like focusing on doing what brings me the most joy every day).

The collective coaching group is off the chain amazing. I feel like I have found a framework and a paradigm that actually makes sense to me. Ije & Samia are two of the smartest, most intuitive, most skilled coaches/strategists I’ve met in my life. I feel so lucky to have found them.

You know when you find something you didn’t know you needed (or you did know, but it wasn’t more than a whisper)? Or when your fave artist/scholar/healer/thinker articulates something so deep and real to your experience, and you’re just so grateful for that articulation? That’s what Turtle Tank feels like to me. If you’re looking for something deeper on your entrepreneurial journey, this is it. If you’re wanting to figure out what you LOVE, this is for you. If you want to find some tender, intuitive, smart, radical loves to build community and imagine with, this is the group for you. It’s honestly not meant for everyone. But I believe we are part of something bigger. I feel like I can see myself connected to Turtle Tank many years from now.

- Sofia Rose Smith (Writer, Healer, Coach)

"Being in Turtle Tank for the past 5 months has been the best thing that ever happened in my life (and I'm not saying this lightly)." 

No, I am not miraculously cured of my illnesses or made 50K last month but I have never before in my life found a structure that was both supportive and flexible enough for me to grow at my own rhythm. Turtle Tank feels like a home full of nourishing space, playful witnesses, and generous vulnerability that somehow magically combines with time tracking, business strategy and productivity habits. If you are ready to embrace your whole self as you build your enterprise, come join us, we're waiting for you. ❤

- Alicia Montplaisir, Artist

"The patience, understanding and support received from Ije and Samia is a blessing not found in all places of education".

Turtle Tank has, in a short period of time greatly impacted my life as a whole. The gifts and tools received so far have assisted greatly in growth surrounding my life work and purpose, self love&acceptance, and the deepening of my process and day to day habits. Ije and Samia provide incredible support, wisdom, experience and light to what before seemed like a foreign world of entrepreneurship and business. Their perspective is deeply rooted in strong morals and a wholistic life approach, which as an herbalist I greatly respect, honor and appreciate. The community in which Turtle Tank facilitates and holds space for is supportive, safe, vibrant and nurturing.  Ije and Samia have far surpassed their requirements as teachers, mentors, and humans. The patience, understanding and support received from Ije and Samia is a blessing not found in all places of education. I could not be more grateful for this incubator. It is a beautiful space full of unique stories and life paths.

No matter your background or stage in life, I believe Turtle Tank can provide true assistance in your process. I greatly look forward to my evolving journey with this Turtle 'Ohana.

- Nalani Kornfeld

"It feels great to be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals who are doing such revolutionary work."

The collective coaching program has been an amazing experience. It honestly feels like home. It feels great to be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals who are doing such revolutionary work. The best part about the collective coaching program is that it is a process. Samia and Ije will support you every step of the way. They help you unravel and dissect very complex concepts and processes and transform them in to digestible tools and resources. The B-squared tool was a breakthrough for me because I often get stuck in my own head. But the B-squared model helped my visualize my life and my businesses from a broader perspective! This program is amazing and it's definitely transforming the way entrepreneurs think and create! Thank you Ije and Samia!

-Jazlyn Fuller (Creative Healer, Graphic Designer, Community Developer)

"I am confident the work that the Turtle Tank Collective Coaching provides, will allow me to achieve my goals."

After working as a project manager for a Fortune 500 company for 14 years, I took a break to think about where I am with relation to money. My values mean a great deal to me and discovering Turtle Tank gives me a mean to reflect my values in the work I do.

It's early days yet, after 90 days, I can see growth. I can see tender shoots of habits that will strengthen over time, of relationships that will bloom in their time and a centered position that I can explore for life. I am confident the work that the Turtle Tank Collective Coaching provides, will allow me to achieve my goals.

I am grateful to decolonize while I work, to embrace diversity in all it's myriad forms and share work with like minded folks. Thank you for this opportunity!!

- Lillian Bennett (Project Manager with Fortune 500 experience)

"Turtle Tank is invaluable and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to shape their business and the goal they want achieve around their life versus the other way around."

This cohort has definitely changed the paradigm of what a goal is, what strategy is, and how to treat them and how to treat myself. For me, this is SO key in pursuing my vision for my life without the trite "grind grind grind, don't sleep, always be busy, go go go go, sacrifice it all" mentality that I've run into in the entrepreneurial space. I am grateful to them for allowing us to follow our own lead, if that makes sense. It gives me room to be curious, to grow, to observe, to test, and to just BE. I need that so badly on this journey, because I feel like my life depends on how I treat myself (and others) in this process and I know my business and the value I provide will shine so much brighter for it. Turtle Tank is invaluable and I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to shape their business and the goal they want achieve around their life versus the other way around.

- Tamara Pickens (Owner of Moyo Wellness)

"Turtle Tank is not at all like any other coaching program I have heard of, there's no cookie cutter standardized sterile formula of success."

I have had the honour of working with both Samia and Ije individually in previous years and now I am apart of their beautiful collaborative coaching program, Turtle Tank. Turtle Tank is not at all like any other coaching program I have heard of, there's no cookie cutter standardized sterile formula of success. In Turtle Tank we are given guidance and support to getting clear on our unique way of working and encouraged to bring our whole selves to the day-to-day labour of our dreams and in turn our radical enterprises are sustainable because they are rooted in what brings us joy and energizes us, versus for example, me trying to push my circular shape into a square mold - that just isn't me. I have also worked with Samia and Ije one-on-one in the past. Samia is a genius for creating systems for organizing one's goals and dreams, as well as, strategizing radical entrepreneurship, while Ije is a goddess of reframing one's internal bullies into love balms and self acceptance salve and giving concrete revolutionary tools for minimizing energy drains, finding the "hows" of how you work most gloriously while having the most fun. Years ago, Samia opened up the doors for me to give myself permission to dream, before then I only saw my future as bleak and a struggle to survive, I couldn't fathom thriving. Later, Ije guided me to loving my unique way of being and really seeing the abundance of what I have to offer in this lifetime and how to celebrate and revel in the magic of it all. As a coach duo, Turtle Tank has offered a roadmap, tools, and a loving community to uplift me and my fellow Turtle loves on our way to our dreams and is showing me all the dreamy things that are already in bloom or about to burst wide open in my life.  I often tell my beloved coaches that I am a Turtle Tank'er for life, I'm kind of ride or die like that, so whatever or however Turtle Tank and these two gifted people evolve I am for it and I will support it. People who know me well know that I'm discerning and intentional for what I full heartily back and Turtle Tank, Samia and Ije are kin that I vouch for and I trust deeply.

- Setareh (Artist and Healing Arts practitioner)

"Ije and Samia are experienced, generous, responsive, and innovative guides." 

They offer tools and frameworks that respond to so many questions about HOW we build work and offer service that fits with our values and ethics when those values and ethics do not align with the economic system we live under. They do this by gently but firmly insisting on approaching work with our whole humanity at the core, including our health and our joy, which in itself is resistance to patriarchy and capitalism.

- Hannah Harris-Sutro (Somatic Counsellor, Facilitator, and Full-Spectrum Doula)

"Turtle Tank is a must if you are looking for something deeper than build your business, something more expansive than marketing goals."

If you are a radical thinker, and you are clear that your work will transform the world, you need the clear grounding that the Turtle Tank coaching program provides. You need the community of Transforming Turtles: folx whose politics for a Just World align with yours, who understand that that world is in reach & it doesn't require us to be broke & struggling to bring about.

You will learn how to work *with* yourself as opposed to *against* yourself. You will learn that your unique self is your best investment. Best of all you will join a community of smart, funny, supportive people using their inherent talents to bring about Justice.

Slow & Steady wins the race.

- M'Kali-Hashiki (Passion Philosopher)

"For years I have been asking for and wanting a powerful, heart-full, and innovating COHORT of people I am excited to call my peers. I am so grateful to have been answered with a collective coaching program for radical entrepeneurs - WOW."  

I can't stop talking about Turtle Tank!

The skills and approach that I am learning to live in this program are changing my business from the inside out. After eleven years of building my healing practice, and countless classes, seminars, and coaching programs on business training and marketing, Turtle Tank is really such a gift. I feel both more at ease with myself, and more deeply challenged to to take authentic action than I have before.

Samia and Ije are generous and inspiring, and they have created a program that truly meets you wherever you are in your journey, and gives you the tools, encouragement, community, and accountability to take your next steps. The wounds, the programming, the oppressions that have shaped us are not pushed aside in this process, but faced and loved and worked with as part of what brings our unique gifts forward.

For years I have been asking for and wanting a powerful, heart-full, and innovating COHORT of people I am excited to call my peers. I am so grateful to have been answered with a collective coaching program for radical entrepeneurs - WOW.  I love Turtle Tank!

-Dr. Teresa W. Lau, Doctor of Chiropractic, Reorganizational Healing Practitioner

Meet Your Radical Enterprise Strategists & Facilitators

SAMIA ABOU-SAMRA

Samia is an artist and Radical Entrepreneur. Samia is the founder/owner of Whale Wonder: a creative playspace that grows radical systems for a more human world and the original incubator for Turtle Tank. Samia serves as a strategist, consultant, educator and creative director for Radical Entrepreneurs (makers, healers, artists, activists, educators) dedicated to justice and balance. Samia enjoys all aspects of the creative process particularly in the areas of music/media, entrepreneurship, indigenous knowledge and radical health.

When Samia was young, they trained chickens to do circus tricks and charged 1000LL per person for entry to their show. 

Samia has a BA in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (with a focus on Ritual, Medicine & Performance) from Stanford University and an MBA in Environmental and Social Management from Antioch University of New England (along with many other certificates and specializations you can find out all about when you join us). 

IJE UDE

Ije is a health & wellness strategist and Radical Entrepreneur. She has coached Radical Entrepreneurs for the last 10 years on managing their energy and revolutionizing how they work. Ije has 20 years of work experience in social justice and non-profit organizations as an organizer, trainer and facilitator. She has designed research-based curricula for organizations such as Girls Inc, Planned Parenthood and The Freedom institute. Today, alongside being a founder of Turtle Tank, Ije is a certified Resilience Toolkit facilitator who works with individuals and organizations to provide effective solutions to stress and trauma.

When Ije was young, her favorite game was playing teacher. She would line up all her stuffed animals, find some chalk and go to town on her bedroom walls. (Sorry Mommy!)

Ije has a BA in Human Biology (with a specialization in Black Women's Health and Well-Being) from Stanford University and an MA in Integral Counseling Psychology from the California Institute for Integral Studies. (along with many other certificates and specializations you can find out all about when you join us).

Turtle Tank is an incubator for Radical Entrepreneurs. 

We help you start and grow your radical enterprise to make way for economic justice.

Turtle Tank is for: Entrepreneurs, Creatives, Makers, Educators, Activists, Healers, and the like.

We provide:

• An innovative educational framework for radical entrepreneurs

• A community of radical thinkers-doers

• Resources: tools, systems and technology

• An investigation of radical economic theories

*This project is supported by Whale Wonder*