Our Vision
We envision a world where mission-driven organizations transform leadership and strategy into social progress, building a more just, joyful, and democratic society for generations to come.
Our Mission
Our mission is to equip mission-driven organizations and their leaders with the tools, strategies, and leadership capacity to create systemic change. Grounded in care, justice, and the power of diverse perspectives, we dismantle oppressive systems and create pathways to a more just, sustainable, and thriving society.
Our Founder and Principal
Phillipe M. Cunningham
Phillipe (fil-LEAP) Cunningham is the Founder and Principal of the Excellence in Changemaking Institute (ECI), where he partners with leaders and institutions to design and deliver transformative leadership experiences that drive meaningful social impact. ECI aims to strengthen the field of social impact leadership through innovative program design and the development of professional standards and credentials that recognize excellence.
In addition to leading ECI, Phillipe serves as Senior Director for Pluralism in Democracy at Urban Rural Action, directing Local Leadership Labs, a place-based initiative cultivating institutional leaders’ capacity to strengthen democratic renewal in politically contested regions while also increasing the effectiveness and impacts of their organizations. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Transgender Law Center, the largest national trans-led organization advocating for justice and liberation.
As a former Minneapolis City Council Member and Chair of the Public Health and Safety Committee, Phillipe advanced a broad policy agenda to expand equity and strengthen local government, leading initiatives in public safety, public health, environmental justice, youth development, and community engagement. As a seasoned civic leader and executive coach, he has designed and facilitated high-impact leadership development initiatives, like the Obama Foundation Leaders USA program and the Black Justice Fellowship, that embed justice into policies and practices, amplify community voice, and strengthen democratic participation.
Across his work, Phillipe equips leaders and institutions to align vision with practice, build professional and institutional capacity, and co-create solutions that translate community priorities into lasting structural change. His approach blends strategic foresight with hands-on facilitation, guided by the conviction that cultivating values-driven, changemaking leadership is essential to realizing a thriving, inclusive democracy in the United States.
Connect with Phillipe through our contact page.
*At ECI, we use the term 'diverse' to broadly and inclusively encompass underrepresented and often overlooked groups. This includes, but is not limited to, women, people of color, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, individuals from rural areas, first-generation college graduates or those without college experience, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, immigrants and refugees, survivors of violence, people from low-income backgrounds, religious minorities, the formerly incarcerated, and others whose lived experiences and identities enrich our collective understanding.
Our programs and services are transformative for all, intentionally centering those at the margins and challenging dominant leadership paradigms and traditional approaches to leadership development.