Improve Retention.
Strengthen Culture.
Grow Leaders.
Our Mission & Vision
Messy Roots is dedicated to equipping social impact leaders with the tool of coaching, empowering them with the resources and community needed to navigate challenges, drive meaningful change, and develop leaders.
We envision a world where social impact leaders have access to transformative coaching and resources, enabling them to lead with confidence, drive systemic change, and cultivate thriving, equitable communities.
Free Leadership Coaching
Free Leadership Coaching | Begins August 20th
Every leader needs a coach!
That’s why we’re offering leaders three free leadership coaching sessions through Cohort 4 of our Prototype Program.
Have a lofty goal you’re ready to accomplish? Maybe you’re navigating a major transition, feeling burnt out, or trying to figure out how to lead more sustainably. Whatever your next level looks like, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Our certified leadership coaches have the skills and experience to support you—and the best part is that you get to choose your coach from our diverse network of BIPOC coaches with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and areas of expertise.
Cohort 4 begins August 20th!
THE PROBLEM
Nonprofit turnover is now hovering around 20% to 22% annually, compared with approximately 12% to 13% across other sectors. Among smaller nonprofits with annual operating budgets under $2 million, turnover often exceeds 25%. Contributing factors include limited investment in leadership development and succession pipelines, as well as organizational cultures that can unintentionally allow mission-driven commitment to become a source of overextension, burnout, and trauma.
WHAT WE DO
Leadership coaching is a powerful tool for improving retention, strengthening culture, and building sustainable leadership pipelines. At the heart of our approach is a simple belief: the best leaders grow leaders.
When leaders develop coaching skills, they create environments where people feel supported to grow. This strengthens human-centered relationships, builds meaningful accountability, develops emerging leaders, and helps organizations retain the people who make their mission possible.
We equip social impact organizations and their leaders to build these capabilities through two programs: Coaching Foundations, our introductory coaching training, and Messy Roots Coaching Academy, our advanced coaching certification program. Together, these programs give leaders practical coaching skills they can use every day to develop their people and establish stronger leadership pipelines throughout their organizations.
The result is more than better leadership. It is a healthier, more sustainable approach to mission-driven work and creates a pipeline of leaders prepared to carry the work forward.
Messy Roots Coaching Academy is the only coaching certification program designed specifically for leaders in the social impact sector.
GET CERTIFIED
We offer accessible pathways for both individuals and teams to become certified leadership coaches.
Coaching Foundations empowers leaders to achieve their mission and goals by improving retention, strengthening culture, and developing leadership capacity.
The Messy Roots Coaching Academy is our live certification experience for leaders and consultants who are ready to build and launch a coaching practice in service of the social impact sector.
OUR IMPACT
To date, Messy Roots has grown into a learning community of more than 800 social impact leaders and has awarded over 300 coaching certifications.
Among the organizations we support, more than 80% report stronger employee retention and more robust leadership pipelines. This demonstrates the impact of equipping leaders with coaching skills that strengthen people, culture, and organizational sustainability.
FOUNDER & FACILITATOR
Messy Roots was founded by Mario Jovan Shaw, a leadership coach and facilitator with over a decade of experience in the social impact space. His journey began as the co-founder of a nonprofit organization that used coaching as a strategy to retain male educators of color.
Together, he and his team of 30+ coaches achieved a 98% annual retention rate for both educators and staff. That work helped influence the education landscape and earned him recognition on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Social Entrepreneurship.
Today, Mario brings those lessons forward to support leaders in building sustainable, people-centered leadership practices.
FREE LEARNING COMMUNITY
Join our free learning community on Mighty Network, where you’ll connect with over 800 social impact leaders from around the globe.
Engage in chat discussions, sign up for workshops, and network with hosts who are willing to share resources. Together, we’ll work towards your success!
WHAT IS A COACH?
Coaches play a pivotal role in unlocking their clients' untapped potential. Whether guiding clients through career choices or personal endeavors, coaches offer an impartial external perspective that serves as both guidance and a sounding board. A coach's purpose isn't to supply all the solutions or perform the work, but to illuminate the path for clients to uncover their own answers and most effective strategies.
Distinguishing a Coach from a Therapist: A therapist's focus encompasses both past experiences and mental health diagnoses. Although therapists may employ tools to address current challenges, their primary approach often involves referencing past experiences to aid clients in surmounting obstacles.
Distinguishing a Coach from a Mentor: A mentor is typically someone a client looks up to, aspiring to achieve a similar role, position, or lifestyle. Consequently, the client tends to emulate the mentor's actions. The mentor's central function involves guiding the client along a path they themselves have traversed - essentially, walking in their footsteps. In contrast, coaches often work with clients from diverse fields and industries. Their role revolves around steering clients towards self-discovery rather than replicating the coach's own journey.