Brandon WilliamsCraig, Ph.D. is co-founder and CEO of the Bay Area nonprofit Association Building Community, or ABC (ABCglobal.net), on faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute in the Depth Psychology Somatics Department, and recently served as Communications Director for a theater and community arts venue in Oakland, CA.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, his first career was in performance, in both the professional regional and touring theater, and as a vocalist in jazz and liturgical music. His Ph.D. in mythological studies and depth psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute combines psychology, literature, and religious studies to demonstrate the indispensable interoperability of the humanities with social science and organizational development. His teaching and research focuses on the history and literature of psychology, the psychology of literature, the embodied (somatic) psychology of belief, the narrative construction of culture, The Myth of Peace, and the Process Arts.

Brandon has extensive experience contributing to the leadership of and teamwork within private and public institutions, has accepted executive positions corp-to-corp and as a contractor or employee, offers leadership and facilitation training, and has worked in the study of peace and conflict since 1998, as well as providing curriculum development, conflict education, and community mediation services.

Brandon Sensei is a 5th degree blackbelt in aikido. He is founder/Chief Instructor of Free Aiki Dojo, and served as Chief Instructor of Golden Bears Aikido at UC Berkeley. He is also an un-ranked (not yet licensed to teach) member of the Takamura ha Shindo Yoshin Kai, a classical budo ​school (koryu) directed by Toby Threadgill, which includes weapon training and tactics associated with the warrior class of late Edo period Japan. This style of jujutsu ​influences his aikido and all of his martial and somatic learning.

Brandon's body-based facilitation method, called Martial Nonviolence, pairs traditional aikido, professional theater techniques, and real-time facilitation, and is the heart of the work presented and developed at Culturesmith.com. His somatics students learn to Embody Nonviolence through somatic conflict resolution. His clients focused on leadership, management, and administration practice Conflict Done Well. MNv also powers an internationally funded Peace Practices curriculum being offered by ABC and practiced by students from 4 to 84 years of age in Montessori, public, and private schools. Brandon resides in Texas with his wife and two children, and consults nationally and internationally.

To request a seminar, please visit https://goo.gl/forms/1zXJiCOaJ63BgJrz2