Maija West on INNOVATION (CreativeMornings MRY)

In this presentation on INNOVATION, Maija Danilova West offers a radically refreshing thesis: the most innovative act of our time is not new technology, but rebuilding cultures of trust rooted in ecological governance and the timeless leadership traditions of Matriarchs and Peacemakers. Drawing on insights from her recent conversation on The Well Woman NPR Podcast, Maija explores what it means that, “innovation starts with learning to trust ourselves as we navigate and reshape the systems we live in.” while generating new possibilities from the spaces in between them. She highlights four essential commitments—lineage work for everyone, questioning inherited identities like “white,” learning to be a good guest, and taking full responsibility for one’s life—as core innovations that restore agency and relational integrity.

As a Latvian/US dual citizen, former attorney, peacemaker, and author of Matriarch Makeover: A 30 Day Invitation, Maija has spent decades supporting women leaders, Indigenous communities, and survivors of harm—and her work illuminates why ecological, lineage-centered leadership is not nostalgic, but urgently futuristic. She shares her own turning points: the burnout and spiritual crisis that forced her into deeper healing, the “aha” moment that revealed the cost of disassociation among women, and the power of circles, aunties, and kinship networks that helped her rise again. Together, these stories show that innovation thrives when women trust their intuition, reconnect to ancestral values, and build communities where everyone can show up fully.

Ultimately, Maija invites leaders to understand that trust, relationship, and responsibility are not soft skills—they are structural technologies that determine whether our systems collapse or regenerate. The call to action is simple and profound: follow the Matriarchs, honor the Peacemakers, and remember that the future depends on the quality of the relationships we build today.