#32 Rachelle Sampson & Bennet Zelner: The Connected Leadership Study

Welcome back to The Trip Report Podcast, a production of Beckley Waves, a Psychedelic Venture Studio.

Today, I am speaking with Dr. Rachelle Sampson and Dr. Bennet Zelner, the primary investigators of The Connected Leadership Study.

Rachelle and Bennet are both faculty at the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and share a deep interest in how psychedelics might catalyze systems change in leadership and business organizations.

Rachelle’s career began as a corporate attorney, but she soon pivoted and earned her PhD in business economics, focusing on environmental sustainability and corporate strategy. 

Bennett, on the other hand, began his career studying traditional economics, but his work felt increasingly disconnected from real-world applications. In psychedelic circles, Bennett is known for the Pollination Approach— a model for delivering psychedelic-assisted mental healthcare that draws inspiration from ecological principles.

Together, Rachelle and Bennett are exploring how psychedelics can impact leadership decisions and foster deeper alignment with more sustainable and regenerative business practices.

In this conversation that took place in July, we discuss:

* How psychedelics sparked both Rachelle and Bennett’s interest in systems change.

* The challenges and potential of integrating psychedelics into leadership development.

* Their ongoing research in the Connected Leadership Study, examining how psychedelics influence decision-making, creativity, and leadership.

* Insights from their pilot cohort of leaders who participated in a psilocybin retreat.

* And much more.

And now, I bring you my conversation with Rachelle Sampson and Bennett Zelner.

Listen to the episode on Substack, Spotify, Google or Apple.

Credits:

* Hosted by Zach Haigney 

* Produced by Zach Haigney, Erin Greenhouse, and Katelin Jabbari

* Find us at thetripreport.com

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Theme music by MANCHO Sounds, Mixed and Mastered by Rollin Weary

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