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Rooted Leaders Accelerator / Rooted Careers Accelerator

Rooted Leadership. Resilient Performance. Limitless Growth.

A transformational career development experience designed for high-potential leaders from underrepresented, often underprivileged backgrounds, particularly those who identify as Black or racially diverse.

Despite strong pipelines of talent, there’s often a gap between diverse emerging leaders and senior leadership roles. This programme is designed to bridge that gap, providing practical tools, executive leadership exposure, and the cultural fluency required to lead effectively in today’s evolving workplace.

We partner with progressive sponsors, allies, people leaders, and HR professionals to co-create experiences that are deeply personal, organisationally relevant, and culturally intelligent.
Grounded in Derek Appau’s ROOTS™ framework, we help participants grow as leaders without burning out, covering, or compromising who they are.

Key Challenges We Help Address

  • A clear benchmark of how your team compares to the world’s top-performing teams
  • A deep understanding of the blockers to risk-taking, collaboration and innovation
  • Clear, customised actions to unlock psychological safety, not just surface trust
  • Courageous conversations that shift culture and unlock smarter decisions
  • Practical tools, language and strategies for creating high-trust, high-performing teams

Confidence to lead culture change at both team and organisational levels

Participants Will Learn & Practice

  • Executive decision-making & strategic thinking
  • Public speaking, storytelling & healthy conflict
  • Mental fitness, resilience, and sustainable high performance
  • Reframing setbacks and overcoming imposter feelings
  • Giving & receiving feedback with clarity and compassion
  • Finding and leveraging mentors, sponsors, coaches
  • Networking strategy & increasing influence authentically
  • Speaking from a place of identity and purpose. 

Outcomes Of Your Organisation

  • Stronger talent pipeline and leadership bench
  • Increased visibility, influence, and retention of diverse talent
  • Improved psychological safety and engagement across teams
  • Strategic succession planning and measurable growth
  • Tailored development rooted in your organisation’s mission

What Our Clients Say

100% of participants said they would recommend the programme to colleagues

“As a Black award-winning Creative with over 10 years in the industry, it was refreshing to be coached by someone who could personally relate to my experience and challenge me to redefine personal success.”
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, having never had coaching, but this was the most significant professional and personal experience of my year.”
“Derek helped us explore societal and systemic challenges in a safe, transformative space. It was powerful and deeply needed.”
“The programme enabled me to be my most authentic self at work and approach leadership with new confidence.”
“Every organisation needs this. It touched on real issues often left unspoken for fear of discomfort. Derek creates the space where real growth happens.”

Let’s create the future leaders your company needs, without burnout or them covering who they truly are.

Book a Discovery Call