MASTERCLASS The Circle of Mentoring — Capoeira Principles for Ongoing Growth in Innovation Communities with Chris Maier


Event time

09/19/2025 12:00PM - 01:00PM CEST

Event location

Available online

Event information


In most organizations, mentoring is treated like a one-off onboarding gift — something you get when you’re new, then lose once you “should” know your way around. But real innovation happens when mentoring is constant, mutual, and woven into daily culture.
Drawing from Afro-Brazilian Capoeira, a cultural practice born in resistance, adaptability, and creative community-building, this masterclass introduces four principles that can transform your team into an ongoing mentoring network:

  • Ginga — a dynamic stance that keeps leaders and peers ready to engage, adjust, and invite participation.
  • Ancestralidade — connecting to the wisdom, history, and experiences already in the room.
  • Quilombo — building resilient “villages” inside your organization where people can recharge and share openly.
  • Convivência — fostering shared spaces, rituals, and informal encounters that keep relationships alive outside of work’s transactional flow.
Through stories, practical tools, and neuroscience-backed insights, you’ll learn how to create a culture where every interaction is a chance to lead a little, mentor a lot, and grow together.

A practical and inspiring session on using Capoeira principles to build flexible, empowering mentorship systems in innovation networks.

Agenda:

  1. Welcome & Story — Capoeira as a culture of embedded mentoring
  2. Pillar 1: Ginga — Creating readiness & mutual invitation
  3. Pillar 2: Ancestralidade — Activating existing knowledge networks
  4. Pillar 3: Quilombo — Designing resilient, supportive micro-communities
  5. Pillar 4: Convivência — Building informal rituals & shared spaces
  6. Evidence Base — Why this works (neuroscience, positive psychology, organizational design)
  7. Practical Toolkit — Immediate actions for your team/community
  8. Q&A + Call to Action

What will you learn?

  • How to use role fluidity to empower both mentors and mentees.
  • Embodied techniques to enhance trust and adaptability.
  • Strategies for sustainable, engaging mentoring cultures.
For who:

  • Innovation leaders
  • Mentoring program coordinators
  • Startup community managers
  • HR and L&D professionals
Also suitable for:

  • Coaches, educators, and creative facilitators
  •  Leaders in innovation hubs
  • Community managers in accelerators & coworking spaces
  • HR & L&D professionals
  • Team leads in creative and R&D teams
  • Anyone working in cross-functional, fast-moving teams

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