Executive Coach — Guiding Leadership Growth and Systemic Reform at San Quentin SkunkWorks

Join the incarcerated-led innovation lab partnering with the Governor’s Office, eL Seed, FaithXLVII, and other visionaries to shape the leadership culture driving the future of justice reform.

Why This Matters

San Quentin SkunkWorks is redefining how reform happens — bringing world-class coaches, educators, and strategists together inside prison walls to co-create the future of justice.

Our work has been featured on the front page of the LA Times and profiled by CalMatters as a model for system-wide transformation. Supported by leading foundations and civic partners, we’re proving that incarcerated creators aren’t the subjects of reform — they’re the architects of it.

This isn’t a support role. It’s an opportunity to help build the leadership capacity behind one of the most significant transformations in American justice.

The Project

We’re building a leadership development framework rooted in empowerment, collaboration, and transformative justice — training incarcerated innovators to lead high-performance teams, manage cross-boundary projects, and influence reform statewide.

In parallel, we’re preparing a multi-year strategy to scale our model across other facilities in partnership with CDCR and leading universities.

Your coaching will strengthen the leadership capacity of San Quentin’s most dynamic reformers and help translate our vision into sustainable systems change.

Your Role

We’re seeking an experienced executive coach to facilitate a 60–90 minute coaching session in person or over the phone once or twice per month, providing strategic guidance and reflective space for our Impact Team leadership.

Coach key leaders on communication, decision-making, and cross-boundary collaboration.

Support the development of a scalable leadership curriculum aligned with the California Model and DICEJAR values (Diversity, Integrity, Compassion, Empowerment, Justice, Audacity, Respect).

Collaborate (if desired) with other executives, professionals, and coaches to strengthen organizational coherence, accountability, and team culture.

Provide thought partnership on leadership frameworks, team structure, and conflict resolution.

Contribute to the long-term development of an incarcerated-led leadership institute model.

You’ll join a community of senior professionals from blue-chip tech companies, high-impact startups, world-renowned artists, and leading researchers — people who bring the same rigor, empathy, and vision that you do.

What You Bring

• 7+ years of experience in executive or leadership coaching (ICF certification or equivalent preferred).
• Proven ability to coach diverse, mission-driven teams navigating complex systems.
• Deep understanding of trauma-informed leadership, adaptive systems, or organizational culture.
• Skill in designing or facilitating reflective learning spaces for leaders.
• Comfort collaborating with teams that include incarcerated creators and external professionals.

Bonus: experience in nonprofit leadership, education reform, or restorative justice environments.

The Impact

Your coaching will shape the leadership culture transforming the most famous prison in America — influencing how policymakers, media, and the public understand incarcerated leadership.

This isn’t volunteer mentoring. It’s leadership architecture for a movement.