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A Love Letter to Our Girls
GOC COLLECTIVE exists because our girls have always deserved more than the world has offered them.
More than programs patched together.
More than spaces that tolerate their brilliance but do not celebrate it.
More than systems that study them but do not see them.
My work began long before I had a title.
It began with the little Black girl I once was—
curious, tender, powerful, and searching for mirrors that reflected her magic back to her.
It began with my daughter, Jaclyn—
a Girls Inc. girl who taught me how the world reshapes itself
when a Black girl feels safe enough to shine.
It began in church basements, community centers, mentoring circles, classrooms, and boardrooms—
where I watched girls of color walk into spaces built for everyone but them
and still rise.
So the GOC COLLECTIVE is
a home for their stories,
a sanctuary for their healing,
a compass for their leadership,
a movement for their liberation.
I am the Chief Visionary Officer, yes—
but in truth, I am a witness.
A witness to what happens when a girl of color
is finally met with the care, the mirrors,
and the community she has always deserved.
We are here to honor them.
We are here to change the narrative.
We are here to build futures worthy of their names.
--Desiree Robertson, Founder & Chief Visionary Officer
from the GOC Founder
We Are the GOC COLLECTIVE: A CAPACITY-BUILDING HUB & CONVENER
GOC COLLECTIVE INC unites women and girls of color across the U.S., the Global South, and beyond through healing-centered programming that centers wellness, mentorship, storytelling, and systemic change. We don't deliver services TO communities—we build power WITH them.
What We Build
GOC COLLECTIVE INC. strengthens the entire ecosystem serving women and girls of color. We're not a direct-service program—we're the hub that builds capacity across the field through training, research, resources, networks, and convenings.
We Build Capacity At Every Level:
Individual Capacity Certification and training for practitioners in healing-centered approaches
Organizational Capacity
Implementation support, curriculum, evaluation tools, and coaching
Field Capacity Research, knowledge production, and standards of practice
Network Capacity Learning communities, peer exchanges, and coalition-building
Movement Capacity Convenings, narrative change, and collective power
How We're Different
We Don't Just Train—We Build Ecosystems
Traditional professional development offers one-time trainings that don't create lasting change. We operate differently.
When you engage with GOC COLLECTIVE, you're not attending a workshop—you're joining a comprehensive support system:
✓ Rigorous certification and skill-building ✓ Ongoing coaching and technical assistance ✓ Digital resources and curriculum libraries ✓ Monthly practitioner learning communities ✓ Annual convenings and field-building gatherings ✓ Research and continuous improvement support
We Don't Work Alone—We Convene Movements
Isolated practitioners and organizations struggle. Connected ones thrive.
We bring together people and organizations across cities, states, and countries who share commitment to healing-centered, culturally responsive approaches. Through convenings, networks, and sister-city partnerships, we create spaces for collective learning and coordinated action.
Our Mission
To empower women and girls of color through wellness, mentorship, narrative liberation, and co-created systems of change—locally and globally.
Vision to Action
Co-create and build the capacity of individuals, organizations, and the field to create healing-centered spaces and leadership pathways for women and girls of color—transforming practice through training, research, community-building, and collective power.
The G'CIRCLE™ Framework Our Proprietary Approach
The CIRCLE™ Framework
The G'CIRCLE™ Framework is a culturally responsive, healing-centered approach that builds leadership and power for women and girls of color through intergenerational, restorative, collective, and empowering practices.
Grounded in healing justice, cultural responsiveness, and power-sharing, G'CIRCLE™ integrates traditional wisdom with contemporary practice.
We've piloted a version of G'CIRCLE™ across five states since 2024. Now we're scaling through certification, implementation support, and field-wide convening.
© 2025 GOC COLLECTIVE INC. CIRCLE™ is a trademarked framework.
