Our Story
Anti-Racism Educators
At Culture Builders Coop (CBC), we center the marginalized, shift power to stakeholders, and transform organizations and outcomes, especially for Black and brown staff, families, and local residents.
Our work includes:
- Delivering Belonging, Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (BEID) training
- Leading nonprofit leaders through strategic and succession planning processes
- Coaching grassroots leaders
- Facilitating communities of practice
In commitment to long-term movement building, we work with leaders on engagements that ensure the creation of sustainable infrastructure for racial justice.
Founded by Maria Fernandes-Dominique (she/ela), an anti-racism educator, facilitator, grassroots leadership coach, and nonprofit consultant with deep ties and connections in the Greater Boston area.
Born on Praia, Cabo Verde and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, she brings to this work her experience as a Black immigrant raised by a single mother, a community organizer, and grassroots leader with a passion for cooperative economics, housing, education, health, and wellness, as well as her skill as a creative and effective advisor on race, racism, and trauma.
In direct response to the murder of George Floyd and national racial unrest that ensued, Maria launched Culture Builders Coop (CBC) as a diverse network of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and white anti-racism educators working with organizations and leaders intent on building anti-racist organizations in a collaborative and non-exploitative way.
At CBC, we believe…
- That safe and trust-based relationships are critical for a meaningful and sustainable culture change.
- In honoring liberatory languages, practices, and outcomes.
- In a racial justice approach that moves beyond performative DEI trainings to more effectively address harm, shift power, and create opportunities for repair.
We focus on centering marginalized communities, empowering stakeholders, and transforming organizations and outcomes, especially for Black and brown individuals.