Valerie Brown is an author, Buddhist-Quaker Dharma teacher, facilitator, and executive coach specializing in leadership development and mindfulness practices with a focus on diversity, social equity, inclusion, and environmental justice. A former lawyer and lobbyist, Valerie transformed her high-pressure, twenty-year career into serving leaders and nonprofits to create trustworthy, authentic, compassionate, and connected workspaces. She’s passionate about designing immersive experiences that connect people to the natural world with a sense of joy, gratitude, and social responsibility. Her books include Hope Leans Forward, Braving Your Way Toward Simplicity, Awakening, and Peace (Broadleaf Books, 2022) which received the Nautilus Gold Award for Eastern Spirituality, and co-author of Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy, and Liberation (Parallax Press, 2024), and Love is Liberation: Five Contemplations for Daily Ethical Living (Parallax Press, 2026).