Emotional & Relational Intelligence Mastery for Visionary Leaders, Teams, and Individuals

Benjamin WhitehurstFounder & CEO, Navigate Change, LLC
MBA | Co-Founder, Founder Readiness Institute™ | EQ/RQ Expert | Facilitator of Authentic Connection | Vertical Development Coach
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Benjamin Whitehurst, Executive Coach & Authentic Relating Facilitator

About Benji

Benji Whitehurst:
Benji Whitehurst is a transpersonal psychologist, relationship coach, and leadership facilitator specializing in emotional intelligence, relational dynamics, vertical development, and conscious leadership. As founder of Navigate Change, LLC and co-founder of Founder Readiness Institute, Benji integrates transformative practices drawn from transpersonal psychology, meditation, and authentic relating to deliver coaching, workshops, and retreats focused on deeper self-awareness, meaningful human connection, and organizational resilience.

Grounded in 20+ years of contemplative and integral practice, Benji brings a uniquely calm and centered presence to leadership teams, guiding clients toward genuine transformation—not simply superficial behavioral changes. His approach draws from rigorous training, including a Master’s in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University (2014), an MBA and Certificate in Business Analytics from North Carolina State University (2025), and advanced certifications in Integral Circling, Authentic Relating, and Men’s Tantra.

A former Peace Corps volunteer fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and Kaqchikel Mayan, Benji’s international perspective enriches his facilitation, helping diverse teams navigate complex cultural and interpersonal dynamics. He actively contributes to Integral Theory and vertical development communities, translating sophisticated developmental frameworks into practical applications that empower individuals and organizations.

Benji resides in Durham, NC, where he continues to build innovative relational leadership practices, supporting individuals, teams, and communities in realizing deeper authenticity, resilience, and growth.

Benjamin Whitehurst, MA, MBA is a facilitator and leadership coach specializing in Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Relational Intelligence (RQ), and the co-founder of the Founder Readiness Institute™ (FRI)—where he co-developed the Founder Readiness Level™ (FRL) assessment—currently in beta—to support startup leaders in navigating complexity through relational maturity.

Benji holds a Master’s in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University and an MBA from North Carolina State University, and brings over two decades of training in Integral Theory and Adult Developmental Psychology (Ken Wilber, Robert Kegan, Frederic Laloux). His coaching bridges systems thinking, emotional development, and embodied presence.

With five years of fieldwork and cross-cultural facilitation throughout Latin America—including Peace Corps service in Guatemala and several hundred industrial site visits across the Americas—Benji combines a rare depth of lived global experience with practical insight. His clients—ranging from startup founders and executive teams to transformational community leaders—value his calm, intuitive presence and capacity to turn relational breakdown into breakthrough.

Benji’s approach synthesizes rigorous academic training, global systems fluency, and developmental coaching to help individuals and organizations build trust, deepen collaboration, and grow in conscious complexity.

My coaching isn’t about surface-level fixes. I work with clients to shift how they see themselves and others—at the identity level—so real change becomes inevitable. I don’t just teach emotional intelligence; I create immersive, embodied experiences that help you rewire relational patterns and expand how you show up in connection.

If you’ve outgrown quick fixes and want something deeper—something that actually changes how you lead, relate, and respond to challenge—you’re in the right place. The leaders I work with walk away with more than new habits. They leave seeing their relationships, teams, and life through a more grounded, empowered lens.

Ready to explore EQ/RQ mastery with Benji?
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My Personal Story

From Personal Struggle to Relational Mastery

I didn’t set out to become an expert in emotional and relational intelligence—at least, not consciously.

You might barely recognize the person I am today from where I began. For nearly three decades, I lived with struggles many of my clients now face: loneliness, anxiety, toxic relationships, and a deep sense that something was profoundly wrong. I kept attracting difficult people and workplaces—painful echoes of my early life. And I was stuck in my head—full of books, but not fully here.

Despite years of therapy, spiritual seeking, and relentless self-improvement, the core patterns didn’t budge. I tried everything. I was trying—really trying—but nothing reached the deeper layers. I felt stuck and at my wit’s end.

The shift didn’t come from trying harder—but from committing more deeply.

I stopped chasing surface solutions and began investing in practices, teachers, and communities that could truly meet me. I chose depth over discipline, presence over performance. I found mentors who could guide transformation from the inside out—and gave myself fully to the work.

As I deepened into meditation, breathwork, Tantra, and subtle energy practices, change began to happen. Sometimes slowly. Other times in powerful waves—after a retreat or healing session, I’d emerge entirely different, never looking back. One of the most profound of these came after a 20-day shamanic journey in Peru that deeply healed my childhood wounding and helped me reset my life.

From this deep commitment, good things began to flow.

I found my first long-term, healthy relationship at age 38 after years of loneliness. I completed my MBA. I launched and grew a business grounded in meaning and service. I learned how to sit calmly through life’s storms, connect authentically, and—most importantly—discovered my passion for guiding others through their own emotional and relational breakthroughs.

These experiences taught me something I now hold as core truth:
Transformation doesn’t have to take forever.

With the right guidance, the right environment, and the right level of commitment, change can happen faster than you think. I’m profoundly grateful to have worked with some of the most skillful teachers and healers in the world—and I want that same level of possibility and freedom for you too.

If my story resonates with yours, let’s explore how we might work together.

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I’m a lifelong learner who seeks out the most challenging, transformative training available—and I love integrating it all into practical, life-changing work with my clients.

  • 2014: I completed a rigorous 3-year, in-person Master of Transpersonal Counseling Psychology at Naropa University, including a 900-hour internship focused on group psychotherapy and Level I training with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (trauma work).

  • 2015: I studied systems theory and group leadership in the 17-Day Comprehensive Training with Matrix Leadership Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

  • 2017: I completed the 9-month Train-The-Trainer (T3) Circling Immersion at the Integral Center—one of the most advanced facilitator trainings in the field of Authentic Relating.

  • 2022: I earned a 3-year, 21-day Diploma in Tantra through Tantra4GayMen. Since 2019, I’ve participated in 30+ additional days of immersive Tantra retreats.

  • I also have deep training in yoga, qigong, breathwork, meditation, mediumship, dreamwork, and Spiritist energy healing.

  • 2025: I just completed my in-person MBA at NC State University, where I focused on turning meaningful ideas into viable businesses. I now help other leaders do the same—bridging heart-centered vision with strategic execution.

  • 2025+: With the MBA complete, I’ve started training in Jiu-Jitsu (because embodiment matters!). I’m also continuing to deepen in Tantra, Authentic Relating, Dreamwork, and other modalities—while co-creating a new venture, the Founder Readiness Institute.

  • I’ve read over 550 nonfiction books in my field—and studied hundreds of white papers and research articles—to ensure my work is grounded in evidence-based practices, integrative theory, and timeless wisdom traditions.

My leadership style is both professional and relational. I bring a grounded presence, cultural sensitivity, and cutting-edge relational practices to everything I do. Whether you’re seeking private relationship coaching, attending a transformational retreat, or bringing me in to support your team’s relational dynamics, you’ll receive high-integrity, customized support you can count on.

If something here speaks to you, let’s explore what’s possible.

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