Imagine leading without leaving yourself behind.
The Transforming Women's Leadership Program is a seven-day immersion in Chacala, México, wrapped in four months of guided practice — for women who have become the infrastructure everyone else stands on.
March through July 2027 | Immersion April 24 to May 1 | Capped at 30 Women
"Nanci's belief that we are and have always been enough is what differentiates this program from any other I've experienced. I've never felt more empowered to take charge of my own leadership, learning, evolution, and realize the kind of outcomes that I really want to see in the world."
— SE-AH-DOM EDMO
Executive Director, Seeding Justice
Portland, OR, USA
For the woman who holds space for everyone else.
Join a transformative experience where you can stop performing and start living again — because your impact is only as sustainable as your ability to care for yourself.
Lead in high-stakes rooms with grounded confidence — no longer performing strength while privately unraveling.
Stop being the hidden infrastructure. Responsibility is shared, agreements are clear, and the mission doesn’t depend on your self-sacrifice.
Navigate conflict directly (and with care) — feedback, tension, repair, and negotiation — without avoidance, collapse, or hardening.
Stop managing everyone else’s emotions as your job. You stay connected without rescuing, fixing, or carrying.
Rest becomes safe again. Your nervous system downshifts, your body recovers, and your leadership becomes sustainable — not heroic.
Be backed by women who understand the weight of the seat — not just to vent, but to practice a different way and bring it home.
Feel lighter and sharper: more space, more power, and more energy available for the impact (and the life) you’re here to create.
You don't need to be better at carrying what was never meant to be carried alone.
Maybe you've tried delegating, setting boundaries, or taking time off. Those things can help — but they don't address what you were taught you needed to do to be trusted, respected, and successful as a leader.
Many women learn to anticipate everyone’s needs, absorb tension, prove their competence, and keep going long after their bodies say enough. Workplaces and systems reinforce these patterns until self-sacrifice becomes synonymous with leadership.
You cannot think or train your way out of patterns that live in your body, relationships, and working conditions.
Lasting change takes supported healing practices, space to recognize what has shaped you, tools to respond differently, and a community to be held accountable and celebrated with loving support.
That's what the Transforming Women's Leadership Program offers.
Introducing the Transforming Women's Leadership Program
The Transforming Women's Leadership Program (TWLP) is a high-impact, Healing-Engaged Leadership experience for women leaders who are ready to stop functioning in survival mode.
This program is anchored by a deeply held, seven-day immersion where we do the work of deconstructing the patterns that have kept you trapped in over-responsibility.
We focus on providing you with the tools to build a sustainable, sovereign leadership practice.
This is the moment you stop waiting for permission to take care of yourself. You are here to reclaim your authority, your health, and your joy.
Lead with grounded confidence
Speak, decide, and show up with more clarity — even in rooms where you have been interrupted, underestimated, tokenized, or tested.
Interrupt over-functioning
Notice where you have become the hidden infrastructure for the team, organization, or family — and practice building shared responsibility without guilt or collapse.
Interrupt over-functioning
Notice where you have become the hidden infrastructure for the team, organization, or family — and practice building shared responsibility without guilt or collapse.
Navigate conflict with more clarity
Address tension, listen, repair, negotiate, and tell the truth without abandoning yourself or disconnecting from others.
Understand what happened without personalizing it
See how power, oppression, scarcity, identity, and old survival patterns shape behavior — your own and other people’s — so you can respond with more clarity and less blame.
Understand what happened without personalizing it
See how power, oppression, scarcity, identity, and old survival patterns shape behavior — your own and other people’s — so you can respond with more clarity and less blame.
Stop leading alone
Be held by a community of women leaders who understand the weight of leadership and are committed to practicing a more healing-engaged way forward.
Practice healing as leadership
Leave with tools and a roadmap for continuing the work in your leadership, relationships, organization, and life.
Practice healing as leadership
Leave with tools and a roadmap for continuing the work in your leadership, relationships, organization, and life.
What's Included
An immersion at the award-winning wellness resort, Mar de Jade in Chacala, Nayarit, México
Expert guidance from Nanci Luna Jiménez
Healing-Engaged Leadership practices you can continue using long after the program
Deep community with other female leaders carrying real responsibility
Integration support before and after the immersion
A roadmap for continuing the work in your leadership, relationships, organization, and life
And so much more!
Jessica
University Provost
This program has helped me get in touch with some deep-seeded hurts and the impacts of oppression, freeing up space for me to take on a stronger leadership role.
Genevieve
Non-Profit Advancement Director
This program has already had a huge impact on both my life and leadership! It has given me a deeper understanding of myself, helping me to heal past wounds and recognize the patterns that have been holding me back.
Tara
Non-Profit Executive Director
I can feel the benefits multiplying as I am integrating back to my life. The connections made, the stories shared and the invaluable material built a community I can continually be supported within.
Is TWLP right for you?
TWLP welcomes female leaders at any level — whether you're leading teams in an organization, spearheading community initiatives, or guiding your family through important decisions — because we recognize that leadership shows up in all aspects of life.
Our program is designed for those who are open to transformation and ready to embrace vulnerability as part of their leadership journey, regardless of their title or position.
Continue reading to see if this program is aligned for you to (re)emerge as the woman and leader you were always, already born to be!
THIS PROGRAM IS FOR FEMALE
LEADERS WHO:
✔️ Are open to the process of transformation
✔️ (Want to) embrace vulnerability as part of your leadership
✔️ Are willing to do hard, even scary, things
✔️ Seek a community of female leaders, where you get and give support
✔️ Value social justice and equity in your leadership
✔️ Can free up your schedule to be away from work and life demands for an entire week and complete all program elements
✔️ Value a chance to restore and practice healthy ways to honor your female body
✔️ Understand that oppression is impacting your life and want a way to heal
✔️ Recognize that your thriving is interconnected to the thriving of those around you
✔️ Keep your commitments, even when it’s not easy to do so
This program
is not
for you if you:
❌ Want a checklist or quick fix
❌ Think the problems or challenges you are facing are only external (outside of you)
❌ Are resistant to doing emotional healing in community
❌ Don’t feel ready to commit fully to all aspects of the program
❌ Know you won’t follow through when things get hard (struggling is OK!)
❌ Can’t see yourself accessing the support of a community of female leaders—or contributing support as part of that community
❌ Don’t think sexism has impacted you as a female leader
❌ Are uninterested in examining institutional power and social injustice
❌ Aren’t open to embracing yourself as a powerful, fierce female leader who deserves support and care!
Female leaders have shared the very real barriers and challenges to saying “yes” to this program.
We hear you. We understand how committing to this program might be especially challenging for moms (especially moms of very young ones), caregivers, small business owners, and non-profit leaders.
Moms & Caregivers
Mothers and caregivers have shared with us what it would mean to be away from your family for the week-long retreat, including missing special occasions or milestones like graduations and birthdays. Some of you have expressed how essential your caregiving is to your children, your partners, and/or your parents. You simply can’t imagine being away for that long. (Or if you dare to imagine it, you don’t feel like it will go well or that others will step up in your absence.)
We trust your thinking about what is best for you and your family. You know the situation you are in better than anyone. Our wish for you is the wisdom to discern whether and when this program is right for you; and the patience to wait another year if that makes the most sense!
We also know by the end of program, you will gain invaluable insights, healing, and attention for how you show up in your family, for yourself and for them. We hope you’ll consider putting on your oxygen mask first.
Small Business Owners
As a small business owner, Nanci understands the costs of a program like this isn't just about the fees. It’s about all the hours of work in your business you're not doing that cannot be “made up.”
We also know that every time we've made the decision to invest in ourselves in this way, we have seen the benefits multiply in our leadership. We have come to understand how our injury is running through (and sometimes running!) our business. We hope you will consider making the decision to heal with us and experience the rippling impacts on your business first-hand upon your return. (Also, what small business owner doesn’t long for ongoing support? That’s built into this program!)
Non-Profit Leaders
We have listened to non-profit leaders share your exhaustion and burn-out. It’s not your imagination that you're understaffed, under-resourced, and overwhelmed by the unrealistic expectations on you, especially as a female not-for-profit leader, and in particular if you are also an indigenous, Black, and/or woman of color.
These leaders face overwhelming expectations—reshaping culture, increasing funding, raising salaries, expanding impact, and supporting staff development—while constantly code-switching. The barriers to sustaining nonprofit leadership intensify for women of color, who face higher standards than previous generations while working in chronically underfunded organizations with little capacity for innovation or strategic initiatives.
Are you strategizing your exit? Are you overworking while wanting to quit? Are you more isolated than ever before and trusting fewer and fewer with your challenges? Do you feel like there’s no support out there? There is.
We understand the extra effort it will take for you to convince your board that investing in your leadership to be part of this program is worth every cent (and more) for your health and the health of the organization. If you being away for one week will threaten the collapse of a service, program, or the organization itself, you’ve got a problem that needs tending. And we hope you’ll consider coming into a circle of fellow female leaders who will hold your confidence as you rebuild your ability to trust and flourish again.
What Makes TWLP Different?
You've probably already tried things that only helped short term.
❌
Therapy helped you understand your story, but didn't give you a framework for connecting leadership, power, oppression, and healing
❌
Executive coaching helped you think through decisions, but didn't touch the deeper patterns of over-responsibility, self-doubt, caretaking, or fear.
❌
Leadership conferences inspired you, but left you alone to figure out how to apply everything once you returned to the same conditions.
TWLP is different because it doesn't treat your leadership challenges as merely tactical.
Instead you'll get to the root of the patterns you learned to survive and the systems that shaped those patterns.
You'll release the emotion you've had to hold alone with a healing practice that makes new choices possible.
TWLP is not only about what you learn.
It's about who you become.
"This isn't like anything else I've ever done in the leadership space. As much as it sounds woo-woo with feelings and emotions, it makes you a better worker, a better person, a better human — and that translates at work and in every aspect of your life."
— JANETH CANO
Director of Programs and Training, HWC
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Women love this program — 20% return to deepen their practice year after year
You can hear more about their experience in our written and video testimonials.
TWLP gathers at Mar de Jade in Chacala, Nayarit, México — a wellness center rooted in community, sustainability, and care.
The land, ocean, food, rhythm, and community of Mar de Jade create a powerful container for the work of TWLP. Away from the constant urgency of everyday life, you have space to notice what has been running you, release what you have been carrying, and remember what it feels like to be fully human in your leadership.
Participants are required to book their accommodations directly with Mar de Jade and can choose from single or double accommodations and a variety of room types, as availability permits.
More information and a link to book your room will be included in your registration confirmation email.
Resort Amenities
Large swimming pool, wading pool, and beach-side jacuzzi
Fresh, delicious meals with vegan and vegetarian options using ingredients from Mar de Jade's organic farm, El Rancho
State-of-the-art, fully equipped gym
Open air, ocean-front guest lounge area with free Wi-Fi and complimentary books
Brand new gift shop with curated, hand-crafted art and unique gifts from different regions in México
Secluded beach areas with hammocks
Complimentary beach towels, herbal teas, fresh fruit, and water available all day
Spa treatments*
Excursions and activities*
*Additional fees apply.
Your stay at Mar de Jade directly supports their Community Projects: health and wellness, youth education, sustainability, and micro-industry programs.
Your TWLP Journey
Program Orientation & Kickoff
Wednesday, March 10, 2027 | 11 am - 1 pm Pacific Time
|
For First Timers: Traveling to Chacala Info Session
Tuesday, March 16, 2027 | 11 am - 12 pm Pacific Time
|
Healing-Engaged Leadership Foundations Part I
Wednesday, March 24, 2027 | 11 am - 1 pm Pacific Time
|
Healing-Engaged Leadership Foundations Part II
Wednesday, March 31, 2027 | 11 am - 1 pm Pacific Time
|
Don't Be That Tourist Pre-Travel Session
Wednesday, April 7, 2027 | 11 am - 1 pm Pacific Time
|
In-Person Immersion at Mar de Jade
Saturday, April 24 - Saturday, May 1, 2027
|
|
Final Group Coaching Session & Program Closing
Wednesday, July 7, 2027 | 11 am - 1 pm Pacific Time
Before the immersion
Complete registration and receive confirmation details
Book lodging directly with Mar de Jade
Attend required orientation / preparation sessions
Connect with the cohort and LJIST team
During the immersion
Gather in person at Mar de Jade
Participate in guided Healing-Engaged Leadership sessions
Practice listening and emotional healing tools
Build relationships with peer leaders
Experience rest, spaciousness, reflection, movement, and restoration
Develop insight into your patterns, power, leadership, and next choices
After the immersion
Continue integration with follow-up support and group coaching
Practice Listening Partnerships and leadership application
Stay connected with your community of Healing-Engaged female leaders
Return to your organization, family, and life with a clearer roadmap for continuing the work
Your Investment
TWLP is a high-touch, immersive leadership experience for women doing purpose-aligned work.
When you consider the cost of continuing as you are — the burnout, the health impacts, and the potential for losing the career or business you've worked so hard to build — this transformational leadership program pays for itself.
This isn't a personal luxury expense. It is a strategic investment in the longevity of your leadership and the future of your organization.
You are paying for a professional-grade container, set of teachings and healing practices, and guidance that changes the trajectory of your work and your life, providing you with a level of support and community that generic executive coaching or canned “leadership development” programs simply cannot touch.
This is an investment in the leader you are becoming — and in the world your leadership is here to help create.
$5,499
plus travel expenses
Your Enrollment Includes:
The full TWLP program experience
Expert facilitation and coaching from Nanci Luna Jiménez and the LJIST team
Healing-Engaged Leadership foundational workshops
Immersion at Mar de Jade
Follow-up integration support and group coaching
Participant materials and resources
Lifetime access to the TWLP community of Healing-Engaged female leaders
Payment Plans Available on Enrollment Page →
Fee does not include your stay at Mar de Jade. Please budget $1,200-$2,900 for your room and board depending on occupancy and room type preferences.
Need Support Justifying Your Participation?
Many of our participants secure funding through organizational budgets or board-approved initiatives.
Download our TWLP Justification Toolkit to help make the case that your wellbeing — and banking on your leadership — is a non-negotiable asset to your organization's mission.
Sponsor the Next Generation
If you are a CEO, Executive Director, board member, supervisor, mentor, or organizational sponsor, TWLP can be a powerful investment in a high-potential woman leader who is ready for deeper support.
Sponsoring a participant in TWLP says:
Your leadership matters.
Your sustainability matters.
We are not asking you to become powerful by burning out.
We are investing in the whole leader you are becoming.
"I could tell that I was being an extractive boss. Being in integrity with my leadership meant I needed to shift something... I knew that investing in and giving back to our people is the best investment.”
— LINA STOVER
Executive Director, HWC & LJIST Apprentice
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Guided by Nanci Luna Jiménez
Nanci is the founder of the Luna Jiménez Institute for Social Transformation (LJIST).
For more than 30 years, Nanci has supported people and communities to heal from the impacts of oppression, reclaim connection, and build the human relationships required for social transformation.
Her work is grounded in a radical belief: people are good, healing is possible, and oppression can end through connection, emotional healing, and sustained practice.
In TWLP, Nanci brings this work directly to the lived reality of female leaders carrying visibility, responsibility, systemic barriers, and deep commitments to change.
TWLP is supported by a team of LJIST apprentices, associates, staff, and a growing bench of returning participants.
AMEL BOUCETTA
PROGRAM ASSISTANT
Aberdeen, Scotland
Amel is the primary Program Assistant, supporting Nanci to lead the program sessions and immersion.
MELISSA MILLER
PROGRAM ASSISTANT
Portland, Oregon, USA
As LJIST's Vice President, Melissa is the co-founder and co-designer of TWLP and leads the TWLP Leadership Team.
BRIANNA ZÚÑIGA
PROGRAM SUPPORT
Portland, Oregon, USA
As LJIST's Client Care Manager and Executive Assistant, Brianna brings deep care to program participants.
VICTORIA TUNG
PROGRAM SUPPORT
San Mateo, California, USA
Vicki leads social justice policy in Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C.
EILEEN WEBB
PROGRAM SUPPORT
Buxton, Maine, USA
Eileen is an internationally recognized digital strategy expert, author, and speaker.
LINA TRASLAVIÑA STOVER
PROGRAM SUPPORT
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Lina is a non-profit leader with deep commitment to address inequality.
Still have questions?
We're so glad you asked!
Please review the video introduction to the program below as well as answers to our frequently asked questions.
If you don't see the answer to your question, please review Mar de Jade's FAQ, email us at [email protected], or book a call with our team.
Transforming Women's Leadership Program FAQs
What are the program commitments?
In addition to the live sessions listed in the TWLP Journey section above, your commitment also includes:
• Completing approximately 1-2 hours of pre-work before the retreat: watching short videos, reviewing handouts, completing reflections. This pre-work will be shared no later than two weeks before we gather in -person in Chacala.
• Completing ten (10) weekly 1-hour Listening Sessions, scheduled between you and your assigned Listening Partner between the immersion and the Program Closing.
• Participation in our private WhatsApp Group. We ask each participant to set up a WhatsApp account as soon as you are registered, if you do not already have one. LJIST will communicate and coordinate with the cohort via WhatsApp. We ask everyone to set their phone to receive WhatsApp notifications for this group from March (Program Orientation) through July (Final Group Coaching Session).
Am I required to participate in all the program activities?
We strongly encourage all participants to attend all virtual sessions both before and after the immersion. These sessions are not “extra” — they help you build the relationships, shared practices, and preparation that make the immersion week more powerful, supported, and integrated.
During the in-person immersion, retreat sessions are required unless illness onsite prevents you from attending.
We will not approve arriving late or leaving early. Please plan travel accordingly — depending on your flight times, you may need to book lodging the night before you arrive at Mar de Jade and/or the night after the immersion ends. (See the Travel FAQs below for guidance on booking flights and ground transportation.)
What is the retreat schedule?
Open, unstructured time is one of the most radical things for female leaders to have in their lives.
We designed this program with that goal in mind.
Each day, we will either meet for a morning session or an afternoon session, but never both.*
On the days we meet in the afternoon, you will have time to sleep in, attend a yoga class, go for walk on the beach, take a morning swim, take a swim lesson, schedule a massage or acupuncture appointment, participate in one of the LJIST optional sessions, or join one of the local excursions.
On the days we gather in the morning, you can take an afternoon nap on an ocean side hamaca, read a book, visit with your roommate or fellow retreatants, stroll into Chacala, go for a dip in the ocean, take a swim lesson, schedule a massage or acupuncture appointment, participate in one of the LJIST optional sessions, or join one of the local excursions.
Evenings are also unscheduled except for Sunday evening when participants will attend a 75-minute Restorative Yoga class. (No prior yoga experience necessary!) There will be other optional activities in the evenings, some offered by LJIST, some by fellow participants, and on Thursday Mar de Jade offers salsa lessons. 💃🏽
All optional activities or sessions have an additional fee.
Participants are expected to arrive on Saturday, April 24. Our Opening "Bienvenida" Session begins at 5:45P (Mexican Pacific Time). (See "Travel FAQs" to transportation scheduling tips to ensure you arrive in time.)
Each full day (Sunday-Friday) will include the following elements:
• 8:30 am: Breakfast
• 9:45 am - 1:15 pm: Meeting or Open Time
• 1:30 pm: Lunch
• 2:45 pm - 6:15 pm: Meeting or Open Time
• 6:30 pm: Dinner
• Evening: Listening Partnership sessions, Restorative Yoga (Sunday only), and other optional activities.
Participants depart the following Saturday, May 1.
*Unless you opt-in for an optional paid add-on session. Paid registrants will learn more about these opportunities by April 2027.
Is this a networking program?
This is a deep personal healing and transformational journey, not a networking opportunity. While many leadership programs focus on strategic relationship-building and professional networking, TWLP intentionally creates a different kind of space. We invite you to temporarily set aside your professional titles, roles, and workplace agendas to fully engage in personal growth and authentic connection.
During TWLP, you won't be:
• Working on specific workplace projects or challenges
• Building strategic professional relationships
• Expected to share or leverage your professional expertise
• Focused on consulting or advising other participants
Instead, you'll be:
• Engaging as peers on a shared healing journey
• Building authentic connections free from professional pretense
• Supporting each other's personal growth without attachment to outcomes
• Creating a community based on genuine presence and understanding
This intentional shift away from networking allows participants to be more vulnerable, authentic, and present with themselves and each other. The relationships that develop are grounded in shared humanity rather than professional utility.
Is this a “Train the Trainer” or certification program?
TWLP is neither a "Train the Trainer" nor certification program. TWLP is a transformational leadership experience that centers your healing and growth. Just like you wouldn't become a yoga teacher after taking one class, please do not take the learnings and practices from this program and attempt to teach or lead them. The program is designed for you to integrate the learnings into your own life and leadership through developing your personal practice.
As you embody these tools, you'll naturally influence others through your transformed presence and leadership. Don’t underestimate the impact on those around you as you fully incorporate these teachings in your own life.
Nevertheless, we understand why you would want to implement these practices and introduce these frameworks in your workplace. We have seen the transformative effects of doing so when done well. We have also witnessed the impacts (and been called in to do the clean up) when it has not been done well or with the expertise that LJIST brings.
If you're inspired to implement TWLP learnings or practices in your organization, we welcome conversations about partnership, licensing, or other collaborative opportunities that honor our intellectual property while supporting your goals.
If you are interested in deepening your practice by joining the LJIST TWLP team, we are happy to talk about that possibility. Note: only TWLP graduates will be considered for this option.
Is TWLP only for nonprofit leaders?
No. Many participants come from nonprofits, education, philanthropy, public-sector, and mission-driven organizations, but the program is also relevant for founders, consultants, social entrepreneurs, healthcare leaders, corporate leaders, and sponsored emerging leaders.
Is this program for me if I am not an Executive Director or CEO?
Yes, if you are carrying meaningful leadership responsibility and are ready for deep practice, this program is for you.
TWLP welcomes female leaders at any level — whether you're leading teams in an organization, spearheading community initiatives, or guiding your family through important decisions — because we recognize that leadership shows up in all aspects of life.
Our program is designed for those who are open to transformation and ready to embrace vulnerability as part of their leadership journey, regardless of their title or position.
Who can participate in this women's leadership program?
We define sexism as the systematic and institutionalized oppression and dehumanization of females; using sex and reproduction as the pretext, excuse, and justification for the oppression.
This program is designed to support females (including non-binary, transgender, and intersex people who identify as and were raised as female) to name, understand, and heal from the pervasive impacts of sexism on their lives and leadership.
We distinguish sexism from gender-based oppression including heterosexism and transgender oppression. Despite their important intersections with sexism, these oppressions require a distinct body of healing and will not be the focus of this program.
How diverse will the program participants be?
LJIST hopes to gather a diverse group of women across "race", ethnicity, nationality, languages spoken, ages, class background and current socio-economic status, sector, religion, ability, and other identities.
If you are a female who has more than enough financial resource, identifies as White, gentile, and from the Economic North, we encourage you to support another female from your life who doesn't share these identities with you to register and attend this program.
You can do this by sponsoring her directly.
Fun Fact: Any individual who earns more than $33,000 annually in the US is considered part of the 1% globally. 🤯💰
If we don't get a diverse group of participants initially, we may temporarily close registration to the public so we can make direct invitations to our community members.
If the program sells out, there will be a waitlist. We may also choose to invite participants from the waitlist pool to ensure a diverse mix of participants.
Why México?
We gather at Mar de Jade because the location is not incidental to TWLP — it is part of the program’s design. The ocean, nourishing food, slower rhythm, and intentional spaces help interrupt the urgency that shapes so much of women’s leadership. They create room to breathe, listen more deeply, reconnect with the body, and practice a way of leading that is less braced, hurried, and alone.
Mar de Jade is also much more than a beautiful retreat center. It is a community-based initiative rooted in Chacala. Founded by Dr. Laura del Valle to help sustain a local health clinic, its work has grown to support education, regenerative agriculture, vocational training, sustainability, and other community projects.
Our partnership allows TWLP to support this larger vision while building relationships with Mar de Jade’s women leaders and the local Chacala community.
For Nanci, this relationship is deeply personal. She considers Chacala one of her home communities and has written about how the place has helped her reconnect with her maternal grandparents’ homeland, her Mexicanidad, and her Indigenous Wixárika heritage. Read Nanci’s story about our relationship with Mar de Jade and its community projects.
We come to México as guests, not as consumers of a fantasy escape. Participants are invited to enter this place and these relationships with respect, humility, reciprocity, and care.
Payment FAQs
What's included in the program fee?
The LJIST registration fee includes the full TWLP program experience including virtual pre- and post-immersion session, immersion programming, integration support, participant materials, and access to the TWLP community.
The following are not included in your LJIST program registration:
• Airfare to/from PVR
• Ground Transportation to/from Chacala*
• Lodging*
• Meals*
• Spa Treatments*
• Excursions*
• Optional LJIST activities
Any item in the list with an * can be arranged directly with Mar de Jade.
What if my organization won't fund international travel?
Of the total registration fee, $4,000 is for the retreat in México. The fee for the virtual components is $1,499.
If you would like to use professional development funds to cover the virtual components of the program and pay the rest personally, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we will send you a custom registration link to split the payments.
How do I justify this investment to my organization or board?
TWLP is leadership development, retention support, burnout prevention, conflict-capacity building, equity practice, and executive sustainability work.
If your organization depends on your leadership, investing in your ability to lead sustainably is not separate from the mission — it protects the mission.
Download our TWLP Justification Toolkit — Coming soon!
What's the cancellation policy?
LJIST registration fees are non-refundable.
Before January 15, 2027, you can transfer 75% of your registration fee (minus a 25% Administration Fee) to the next year (limit 1 year extension) or to another participant (who will need to pay the 25% admin fee to make their registration whole).
After January 15, 2027 cancellations will be non-transferrable and non-refundable.
See Mar de Jade's FAQ to review their booking and cancellation policies. NOTE: Their policies are not the same as LJIST's.
Is there a payment plan?
Yes! Check the enrollment page for available payment plans.
You will receive a confirmation email with a PDF receipt from [email protected] every time your payment goes through. Save them for your records.
Make sure your credit card or whatever form of payment you are using has sufficient funds or credit limit for this payment to clear each month for the payment plan duration.
Also, verify your credit card won't expire before your payments for this program are completed. If your credit card will expire during this time, update your credit card in your online account before it expires or as soon as you receive a payment failed notice. We will assess a $50 fee to cover staff time if we need to contact you regarding expired credit cards and collect your missed payment.
If you are not able to join us after you register, you will continue payment installments until the registration fee is paid in full. Your registration is transferable before January 15, 2027. After that deadline, cancellations will be non-transferrable and non-refundable.
What happens after I sign up?
Once you submit your payment, you’ll be directed to a confirmation page that outlines your next steps.
You will also get a confirmation email from [email protected]. If you don’t receive this email within 1 hour of registering, check you “Spam” and “Junk” folders. If you find the email there, move the email to your "Inbox." Also, add [email protected] to your “Safe Sender” list so you’ll receive future communications about this program directly to your inbox. If you don't see the confirmation email in either of these folders, please contact the LJIST Office via email at [email protected], US phone number +1 (503) 281-5570 (text, WhatsApp, or phone call) during our regular business hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30A-5:00P Pacific US time.
If you change jobs or prefer to receive program communications at an email address different from the one you used to register, please email [email protected] with the new email address right away. Promptly updating your contact information will ensure you don’t miss crucial information to support your participation in this program! We cannot guarantee you will get all information if you don't update us swiftly. (#notswifty, as in Taylor 🎵😅)
If you paid the fee in full, you will receive a receipt of payment. Please hold onto it for your records.
If you select a payment plan option, you will be charged monthly on the same date and will receive a receipt for each payment via email. (See the payment plan FAQ above for more details.)
Once you register with LJIST, you still need to reserve and pay for your room and boarding at Mar de Jade. The LJIST program fee does not include your lodging or meals at Mar de Jade. All participants are required to stay at Mar de Jade for the full duration of the retreat in México—from Saturday April 24 through Saturday May 1 (seven nights total). We cannot make exceptions as this is Mar de Jade's policy. Booking information for Mar de Jade will be included in your registration confirmation email. There are a range of room types and prices to fit many budgets and levels of accessibility. Mar de Jade requires a 50% minimum deposit to secure your room. If you don’t reserve your room you may not get the room of your choice or may end up in a shared room, possibly with a participant from a non-LJIST Program or someone not of your choosing.
It’s not too soon to book your flights! You will fly in and out of Puerto Vallarta (PVR). Please give yourself a minimum of 2 hours travel time from the airport to Mar de Jade and at least an hour to get through Customs for your arrival. Our opening session starts at 5:45 pm (Mexican Pacific Time) so please plan to arrive at Mar de Jade no later than 4:30 pm to be present for our first gathering. *You will need to adjust for the time difference between Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco which is on Central Standard Time, an hour later than Chacala, Nayarit which is on Pacific Standard Time.
Mar de Jade will coordinate ground transportation to and from Puerto Vallarta. Mar de Jade will circulate a form prior to our arrival to collect your flight information and schedule your rides. They will arrange for your pick up (4/24/27) and drop off (5/1/27). Costs varies between $30-$100, depending on the number of retreatants in your shared ride. If you are arriving earlier or staying later in Chacala, please contact LJIST via email at [email protected], US phone number +1 (503) 281-5570 (text, WhatsApp, or phone call) during our regular business hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30A-5:00P Pacific US time and we will share the name and number of a local taxi driver.
Add the calendar holds in your confirmation email to your calendar. You will not receive direct calendar invites from our office for the sessions, but we've made it easy to add all sessions using the link.
Complete the Participant Intake Form to share more about yourself with our team. (You'll receive this after you sign up.)
Make sure you have a valid Passport. In the US this means having at least two blank pages and an expiration date that is at least 6 months after travel will be completed. Also, gather other important international travel documents. We recommend purchasing travel insurance.🛂
Set up a WhatsApp account, if you don't have one already.
Do you offer scholarships?
We do not have a scholarship program. However, we have a team of women to support other women with fundraising, an important leadership skill. Email us at [email protected] if you'd like to be put in touch with them to think creatively about financing.
Lodging & Food FAQs
Do I have to stay at Mar de Jade?
Yes. Participants are required to make their accommodations with and stay onsite at Mar de Jade.
You will receive more information and a link to book your room in your registration confirmation email.
If I'm registering individually, can I get a roommate?
If you would like to book a double room but don't have a fellow participant in mind, please email us at [email protected]. We will put you in touch with other participants who have made the same request. Mar de Jade requests that you confirm your roommate before calling to book double accommodations, though you will still be able to pay separately.
Please note: if your roommate cancels and you are unable to secure a replacement, the remaining guest will still be responsible to pay the difference in rate for a single.
Space permitting, you may also be able to book a bed in a women's loft dorm. Mar de Jade may place you with women from other retreats happening during the same week as LJIST's Transforming Women's Leadership Program.
Can I bring my family?
While we understand the desire to bring family members or non-participant partners, TWLP is designed as an immersive retreat experience in an all-female, adult learning space. To create the most transformative environment possible, we ask participants to attend without non-participant family members or friends. This allows you to:
• Fully engage in your personal growth journey without external distractions
• Maintain the integrity of our women-only healing space
• Build deep connections with other participants during shared meals and informal moments
• Give yourself the gift of dedicated time for self-reflection and transformation
After the retreat concludes, you're welcome to extend your stay in the beautiful Chacala area. In fact, every participant who has done this highly recommends this. One option for extending your stay could include having your family join you then. This can be a wonderful way to integrate your retreat experience while sharing the magic of the Mexican Pacific coast with loved ones.
If you'd like to arrange post-retreat accommodations, you can reach out to Mar de Jade directly to see if they can accommodate your request. If you prefer alternative lodging options that are suitable for families, ranging from beachfront hotels to vacation rentals, please reach out to us.
What is the food like?
Three meals per day are lovingly prepared from scratch using fresh, local and whenever possible, organic produce and ingredients. Many vegetables, fruits and legumes come from Mar de Jade’s own 17-acre organic farm. The menu is mainly vegetarian with chicken and seafood options and there is always an aqua fresca (or "fresh water") at every meal which features a seasonal fruit in a water base.
The cooks prepare flavor-filled food that is not too spicy to appeal to most palettes. There are always home-made salsas and hot sauces available to add more heat.
During designated times, meals are served buffet style in Mar de Jade’s beautiful open air oceanfront dining room. Outside of meal times, you can find fresh fruit, herbal teas, and water in the dining room. For those early-risers looking to break fast before the buffet opens, you can find fresh-baked bread ready for toasting as well as locally-made peanut butter and low-sugar home-made jams for topping. Qué rico!
Although all your meals are included with your Mar de Jade stay, you are welcomed to pay out-of-pocket for meals or snacks in Chacala, a short walk up the beach.
What excursions does Mar de Jade offer?
Depending on the season, Mar de Jade staff can arrange a number of excursions and activities for you or a small group. Please click here to learn more.
What are the room types and costs?
Mar de Jade offers four distinct room types to accommodate different preferences and budgets. All rates include seven nights of accommodations, three buffet-style meals per day, and taxes.
Room Types and Pricing:
Ocean Room with Private Balcony or Terrace: $3,100 Single / $2,050 Double per person
Garden Room with Private Balcony or Terrace: $2,700 Single / $1,800 Double per person
Guest Room with Garden or Jungle Views: $2,150 Single / $1,500 Double per person
Women's Dorm Room (Shared room with up to 4 women): $1,200 per person
An additional person can be added to a double room for an extra $900 per person, increasing the total room cost accordingly.
Note: The rates listed above do not include specialty drinks, spa treatments, excursions, transportation, or gratuities.
Participants must book their accommodations directly with Mar de Jade by January 15, 2027. Booking information will be included in your LJIST registration confirmation email. Rooms are assigned on a first-reserved basis, so early booking is encouraged for the widest selection of room types.
Mar de Jade requires a 50% deposit to secure your reservation, with the balance automatically charged two weeks prior to arrival.
What is required to book my room with Mar de Jade?
When you register with LJIST you will receive a confirmation email with instructions to book your accommodations directly with Mar de Jade (online, by phone, or by email).
Mar de Jade will require a 50% deposit with a Visa or Mastercard to secure your booking. The balance of the room will be automatically billed to the credit card on file two weeks prior to arrival.
Rooms are assigned on a first-reserved basis and guests are encouraged to book early for a wider choice of room types and occupancy.
You will need to book your room by January 15, 2027.
See Mar de Jade's FAQ to review their booking and cancellation policies. Their policies are not the same as LJIST's.
What should I pack?
For LJIST: Be comfortable! Bring clothing that allows you to sit on the floor and shoes you can quickly remove (the meeting room is a no-shoe space). We'll make announcements in advance of specific items to bring with you for certain activities and cover this question in more detail during the mandatory Orientation Session. We'll provide any workshop materials you'll need.
For the resort, some suggested items include:
• Comfortable clothing and layers, including a wrap or light-weight jacket
• Reusable water bottle to fill up with purified water provided at Mar De Jade
• Reef-safe, biodegradable/mineral based sunscreen (Skinnies, Alba Botanical, and Sun Bum are great brands!)
• Mosquito repellent
• Hiking poles (if you plan to go to the caldera)
• Earplugs & eye mask (for sleeping, especially if sharing a room)
• Fitness clothes
• Sunglasses
• Sun hat
• Bathing suits
• Swim goggles and cap
• Sarong/pool-wear
• Sandals, flip flops/comfy tennis shoes for hikes, water shoes for the boat ride, etc.
• Personal hygiene items
• Any medications/supplements you use
• Camera
• Headlamp/small flashlight
• Small day pack
• Cash, ATM card, and credit card
• Passport and other travel documents
• Health insurance card
• Bandanas
Is Mar de Jade Accessible?
Our sessions will take place in El Mar. Located on the second floor of the main building, this 1,850 square foot hall has a stunning view of the ocean and a large terrace. You will need to be able to climb one flight of stairs to access the space.
Mar de Jade is not fully wheelchair accessible as there are areas where steps are unavoidable and some ramps are not to grade. However, most public areas and some ground floor rooms can be accessed via ramps.
Please contact Mar de Jade to discuss your particular needs.
Can I request dietary accommodations?
Mar de Jade can accommodate vegan requests and food allergies like gluten free, dairy free, peanut free. Special dietary needs (outside of those listed above) that require extra time to prepare may be charged an additional rate.
When you book your lodging for the retreat, please make these requests with Mar de Jade directly.
Travel FAQs
What airport do I fly into?
The closest airport to Mar de Jade is Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. Use this airport for your air travel. Airport code: PVR.
All major US carriers (Alaska, American, United, Southwest, Frontier) as well as Mexican, Canadian and some European charter flights serve Puerto Vallarta. There are many daily nonstop and connecting flights from US, Canadian and Mexican major cities.
What time should I arrive and depart?
Check-in at Mar de Jade is at 3 pm on Saturday.
Check-out is at 11 am on Saturday.
You can arrange ground transportation to and from PVR with Mar de Jade directly when booking your accommodations.
Please make your travel arrangements to ensure you will arrive at Mar de Jade no later than 4:30 pm on Saturday, to not miss our Opening "Bienvenida" Session and dinner with the group.
Where should I exchange money?
Depending on your bank, you can order and exchange your local currency to pesos before you leave home.
Another option is to use the Casas de Cambios (Money Exchange), which can be found at the airport before you board or once you land in PVR. There will be fees for these currency conversions.
A third option is to withdraw money at an ATM once you have arrived in México. You can do this at the airport or at one of the three ATMs in Chacala. Keep in mind there will be fees and taxes on these withdrawals and, depending on your bank, fees for using an out-of-network ATM as well as a foreign transaction fee.
It may be worth you time to research these fees in advance and/or inquire whether your bank will waive or refund some or all of these fees.
We recommend changing about $100 USD to pesos, with the rest of your cash brought in US dollars. Mar de Jade cannot exchange currency (only official exchange places can do this).
What is the weather like?
Chacala is located on the Pacific Coast in Nayarit in the Tropic of Cancer. The weather and vegetation is tropical with warm ocean water suitable for swimming year-round. The dry season is from November through May; days are usually warm (around 80 F), with cooler mornings and evenings in the winter months (around 65–70 F).
How do I get to Mar de Jade from the airport?
After you purchase your airline ticket, Mar de Jade will arrange ground transportation with you directly when you book your lodging with them.
The cost of the transport can range from $30-$100 each way depending on the number of people in your shuttle.
Bring cash to pay the driver and for the tip
What kind of money should I bring?
Bring enough cash (USD or Mexican pesos) to cover ground transportation from/to airport, gratuities, optional excursions and on-site spa services. $300-$400 USD (equivalent in pesos) should be plenty.
Click here to check the current conversion rate to Mexican pesos.
It's easier to use Mexican pesos and you'll also get a better exchange rate. That said, US dollars are widely accepted in México, so you are welcome to bring US dollars if that is your preference.
Please note that many vendors do not accept credit cards. You cannot use your credit card to pay for: Mar de Jade excursions, LJIST optional activities, shopping in town or at the market, gratuities.
Small safes will be provided in the room for your valuables, cash, passports, etc.
What documents do I need?
Immigration regulations require that you have a valid passport for travel to México. It's important you confirm what qualifies as "valid" in your country of origin.
If you have a US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand or European passport you will be granted a tourist visa once you arrive in México and pass through customs. If your passport is from another country, please check online for any other visa requirements. Most tourist visas are issued for 30 or 90 days. However, you can ask the immigration officer to make it for up to 180 days if you plan to stay longer in México.
Keep your tourist visa in a safe place, as you will need it upon exiting México. If you lose your tourist visa you need to be at the airport 4 hours before your flight on your departure day and pay a $30 USD fine.
There is a possibility that more documentation related to COVID will be required for entry and that information will be shared with participants closer to the retreat.
Is this area of México safe to visit?
We appreciate your concern for safety in México. Although we understand that drug-related violence has been extensively reported in the U.S. press, we want you to know that it is mostly confined to the border with the United States and a few cities and towns within the areas of drug production.
The entire coastline between Puerto Vallarta and Chacala is extremely safe and continues to receive millions of visitors each year. Local and state law enforcement are closely monitoring and ensuring safety in this area which relies on tourism as the most important sector of the economy.
Chacala is a small fishing town where visitors and residents alike feel safe to walk at any time during the day or night. Children and families play in the area without fear. For a comparison you might think of going to Big Sur or Lake Tahoe and wondering if violence in Los Angeles is something about which to be concerned. Mar de Jade has never had or known of a guest or a tourist in their area having any safety issues related to violence in the last three decades Mar de Jade has been open.
Your leadership matters too much to keep running on empty.
You aren’t here just to keep things from falling apart.
You are here to lead change.
To build what is more just, more human, more connected, and more life-giving.
To leave the world better for your children, all children, your community, your ancestors, and the generations still coming.
And you do not have to do that by abandoning yourself.
TWLP is an invitation to be backed, witnessed, challenged, supported, and transformed — alongside other female leaders who are ready to do the work.
If you feel the pull, we invite you to take the next step.
