About.
Since our inception, Phronesis Network has been committed
to building healthier communities.
Deborah and Rachel built their first initiative together in 2017 and have been partnering ever since.
They strongly believe that the most resilient kind of leadership prioritizes shared governance. Through values-based talking and transformative listening, institutions will not only endure, they will lead their communities for generations to come.
Our name is inspired by the ancient Greek idea, popularized by Aristotle, of phrónēsis or practical wisdom. Such wisdom requires not just knowing what is right, but putting that "right" into action. In our increasingly connected world, such wisdom thrives through networks of people and institutions committed to leveraging conflict to build healthier communities. It's in maximizing conflict, rather than avoiding it, that we become stronger and more resilient.
Rachel Rains Winslow, Ph.D.
Principal, Co-Founder
Rachel is a U.S. historian specializing in policy, political culture, and social change. She currently collaborates with the Kettering Foundation, the Gaede Center for the Liberal Arts at Westmont College, and the National Policy Consensus Center at Portland State University. Before consulting, she was faculty at Westmont College, Founder and Director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Co-Founder/Co-Director of the Center for Dialogue and Deliberation.
She earned her Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
She loves her husband, two boys, David Austin roses (thanks to Deborah), and sourdough bread.
Deborah Dunn, Ph.D.
Co-Founder
Deborah is a professor of Communication Studies at Westmont College, and director of the Center for Dialogue and Deliberation. She studies grassroots peacemaking organizations and regularly takes students abroad to study conflict and reconciliation.
She earned her Ph.D. in communication from the University of Southern California.