AI Can Simulate Empathy. It Can’t Develop It.
The workplace is transforming faster than people can adapt. AI handles tasks — what it can’t do is develop the attunement, discernment, and emotional resilience that make professionals effective with other humans. While AI continues to automate what’s on the surface, the skills that live inside — the capacity to lead, connect, and adapt — are becoming more valuable, not less. This is the “interiority problem,” and it’s what our workshops address.
Duncan Tree Ventures (DTV) delivers the In The Middle (ITM) workshop program — a 5-week emotional intelligence and leadership development experience. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and your presence in the world, and guided by iPEC’s Energy Leadership Index (ELI) Assessment, we meet you where you are and build from there. We don’t just teach concepts. We build the irreducible human capacities that no algorithm can replicate.
Wholeness Is the Foundation
Our work is organized around Duncan Tree’s Four Pillars of Wholeness — an integrated framework that addresses the complete professional, not just their résumé.
Physical Wholeness
Brain health, healthy lifestyle, mindful eating, and sleep as a wellness pillar. The body is the doorway to all other work.
Emotional Wholeness
Self-awareness, trust, vulnerability, and connection. The heart of the ITM program — building support systems and emotional vocabulary.
Spiritual / Mindfulness
Gratitude, meditation, alignment, and intergenerational wisdom. The integrating thread that weaves through every other pillar.
Financial Wholeness
Debt freedom, credit literacy, emergency funds, and career resilience. Practical tools for getting back on your feet.
Stories of Wholeness
The most direct path to understanding this work is to hear Ouida’s voice. Three seasons of conversations on emotional intelligence, leadership, and the human skills that make professionals irreplaceable — on the Duncan Tree Podcast with Ouida.
Who We Serve
Professional Associations
Workshop the human skills that make your members irreplaceable. Differentiate your Professional Development (PD) offerings and attract younger members.
Organizations & Institutions
Evidence-based professional development with measurable outcomes. In-person, virtual, and hybrid delivery options.
Individuals in Transition
Navigate career transitions with emotional intelligence and practical tools. Build resilience for what’s next.
Invest in One Person’s Wholeness
Your investment supports workshop delivery, coaching development, and professional growth for individuals navigating life’s most critical transitions.
| Investment | What It Supports |
|---|---|
| $7,500 | Targeted workshop development and design |
| $5,000 | Detailed workshop outline with materials |
| $2,500 | High-level workshop outline development |
| Donate what you wish | General program support |
Ready to invest in the human skills that matter most?
Whether you’re a professional association, an organization, or an individual — there’s a place for you here.