BigBearBrown Owner Patrick Brown is an inspired leader and advocate working in partnership to improve outcomes for a better world Patrick is grounded in a people centered approach and creates powerful containers for individual and collective transformation. By braiding together behavioral science, mindful embodiment practices, leadership development, and multiple wisdom traditions, his unique offerings create alignment and improve confidence for impact.

Who is Patrick Brown?

Born in Chicago, Patrick was raised by his Irish social worker mother and Black community activist father. Patrick’s father Ron, was a large and funny man from Cleveland Ohio. He was a Baptist preacher who told great stories of being in the riot at the1968 democratic national convention, and worked with the Black Panthers to use the Black churches on Chicago’s West side to run community programming. He lived through deployment in Vietnam as a Green Beret medic, and struggled with that trauma. Patrick carries in him Ron’s commitment to Black liberation, love of music and outsized laugh. Ron passed away when Patrick was five. Patrick’s mom Patricia, was a powerful feminist, labor organizer and with eclectic interests and hobbies. Patrick carries in him her natural curiosity, willingness to fight for what’s right and deep belief in spiritual practice as part of a full life. Patricia was Patrick’s first meditation teacher, she passed away in 2015. As a mixed race child, Patrick’s need to understand and fight racism comes from a personal place. Destroying white supremacy and eliminating anti Blackness is core to the work he does. Patrick was raised in a family of strong compassionate women with deep values and integrity. Patrick is a commitment to justice and movements that improve material conditions for Black people and other marginalized communities. 

Patrick began his career in workforce development for the formerly incarcerated. His family lineage of teachers, social workers and organizers created a deep value for him to be of service in the world. Lived experience as a Queer Black man fueled his passion for justice and equity, while he organized to change the material conditions in his communities. As an artist activist Patrick was very successful creating impactful programs like “Greencorps Chicago”, and campaigns that brought resources where they were needed on the south and west sides. While studying at DePaul University, he developed the belief that the best way to mitigate systems of oppression was through the autonomy created with fair wages. Patrick invested years building and running a national network of programs that trained folks into environmental and green jobs careers. After more than ten years in this work, he found himself burned out and in need of real change. His work with Green jobs was highlighted the Van Jones book “The Green Collar Economy”.  Patrick was invited into a“ Green For All Fellowship” in Oakland California that would change the trajectory of his career. Within the fellowship, Patrick worked with a cohort of amazing leaders focused on protecting the environment and lifting people out of poverty through the “Movement for Green Jobs”. Equal parts training and inspiration, these leaders used art and music to build power in community. They learned and practiced advocacy skills while running national campaigns to shape federal policy. They never missed the chance to celebrate and keep joy at the center of a strategy and that really shaped how Patrick thought about transformation. This work was so powerful, that Patrick moved to Oakland to continue learning and building. 

The next few years, Patrick became focused on understanding how people and communities transform. When conditions are difficult, what determines if one is resilient or not? Which political tools were used to sustain movements for change and liberation? As Patrick began to heal his own burnout, he developed a theory, including practices, that he would test and iterate in community. People are resilient when they have connections to each other. Communities thrive when they have shared experiences and goals. When an individual understands what their purpose is, they can do the work that strengthens them to serve a movement. At the center of his theory was the need for space to reflect, align and move with intention. Practices that support this include mindfulness, embodiment and somatics. Patrick continued learning, including training in meditation and mindfulness. Patrick practiced with teachers like Larry Yang and Gina Sharp at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and traveled to through India, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand to study and practice. The practices he learned connected him to a deeper source of strength within himself. Awakening elements of healing with movement like tai chi and dance was like learning a new language for empowerment and transformation. It was within somatic practices, a pathway began to reveal itself.  There was a pathway here towards an inexhaustible source of inner power that could sustain one’s resilience. This theory would become a pathway, with tools, for the work ahead.

Inspired by his own experience as a fellow, Patrick found purpose in work for the next eleven years at The Greenlining Institute Leadership Academy. In partnership, he did the work of building systems for annual national searches, custom systems for hiring and supervision and creating programming for early career professionals. The Greenlining Academy is a hub for advocates working across sectors, to drive policy and create better racial equity outcomes in California. Working with hundreds of brilliant participants, Greenlining’s Leadership Academy plays an important role in shaping leaders with the skills and capacity to fix policy and improve outcomes in communities. Working with Claudia Paredes and other leadership development professionals, Patrick is deeply proud of the unique programming they created. The programing was focused on the existing internal leadership that exists within everyone. Challenging any didactic approach or deficit based pedagogy, participants were active participants in determining their growth trajectory. Practices were introduced to improve their intuition and connection to ancestors. These technologies created a deeper understanding of self, and increased confidence when speaking truth to power. For eleven years Patrick and his team experimented and calibrated tools to support self awareness, healthy culture and intentional impact. 

The sharpening of practices and tools Patrick developed in the Academy, would serve Patrick in his new role as consultant working with government agencies, non profit organizations and corporations focused on creating better outcomes for their staff and clients. Patrick left the Greenlining Academy in 2018 to work with a series of mid sized consulting firms. Specializing in organizational development, Coaching and facilitation, he love to partner and create work with people and organizations making change in the world. 

Patrick lives on the unceded land of the Ramaytush Ohlone in Oakland with his Huzbear Randy. He loves growing food, beekeeping, being with the Redwoods and near the Ocean. He spends his time traveling the world, deepening his buddhist practice and connecting with family and friends over meals and crafting. Patrick is a proud Janet Jackson stan and enjoys the DEEPEST of Housemusic sets when home in Chicago.