Aang Lakey is the visionary Founder and CEO of Increasing Consciousness, as well as an executive leadership advisor and organizational development strategist with 18+ years of experience helping senior leaders and complex organizations improve leadership effectiveness, organizational culture, workforce engagement, and performance.

Their experience spans government, defense, and mission-driven institutions, combining behavioral assessment, systems thinking, leadership development, and organizational transformation to drive measurable outcomes.

Their work empowers leaders to recognize their influence and the ripple effect they create in their teams and communities, with a focus on dismantling systemic biases and fostering sustainable, inclusive environments.

As the Founder & CEO of Increasing Consciousness, their mission is to facilitate global equity by raising the consciousness of world leaders, helping them become conscious stewards who lead with presence, relational integrity, and equity in practice.

Aang empowers executives, people-centered leaders, and entrepreneurs to move beyond surface-level change efforts and embody equity-centered leadership that transforms people and systems from the inside out.

🔹 What Aang Does
     •  Advise executives and leadership teams on culture, performance, and organizational effectiveness
     •  Coach senior leaders navigating growth, change, and complex leadership challenges
     •  Facilitate leadership development, team effectiveness, and organizational transformation initiatives

🔹 Who Aang Works With
     •  Executives and leadership teams seeking to strengthen culture, performance, and leadership effectiveness
     •  Organizations navigating growth, transformation, or workforce challenges
     •  Mission-driven leaders committed to creating lasting organizational impact
     •  People centered leaders seeking deeper, sustainable change within their organizations

🔹 Why It Works
     •  Aang brings 18+ years of experience in leadership development, organizational culture, and workforce engagement
     •  Aang's approach combines systems thinking, behavioral insight, and practical leadership strategies
     •  Clients gain clear insights, actionable solutions, and sustainable improvements in leadership and culture

Mission

Aang is on a mission to increase global consciousness through leaders and changemakers facilitating meaningful equity work across the world. Leaders influence everyone around them through their thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, and actions — and helping them embody consciousness practices that build body, emotional, social, and systems intelligences naturally encourages others to do the same.

Core Values

Authenticity   |   Service   |   Kindness   |   Equity

A Journey Rooted in Resilience

Aang's path to conscious leadership was forged through lived experience. Their story of overcoming childhood poverty and trauma became the foundation for a vision of fostering connection and compassion in organizations and communities. From military and federal service to entrepreneurship, Aang's career reflects a powerful narrative of resilience, advocacy, and transformative leadership.

As a former Senior Advisor for Inclusive Leadership and Employee Engagement and Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, Aang navigated complex organizational landscapes, championing transdisciplinary approaches and centering the intersectionality of oppressions within institutional frameworks. They have spent their career advocating for marginalized voices, breaking down barriers, and reshaping systems to prioritize human dignity and inclusivity.

The Increasing Consciousness Approach

Through Increasing Consciousness, Aang guides leaders in embracing reflexivity, congruence, and presence — the key practices that align actions with values and foster authentic, impactful leadership. Their approach integrates an extensive background in social justice, executive leadership, and violence prevention, bridging the gap between knowledge and practice to cultivate leaders who embody the change they wish to see.

Aang's work empowers leaders to recognize their influence and the ripple effect they create in their teams and communities — with a focus on dismantling systemic biases and fostering sustainable, inclusive environments built on psychological safety and belonging.

Speaker & Thought Leader

An accomplished speaker and thought leader, Aang has shared their insights at prominent conferences including the Europe and Africa SHARP Symposiums, Korea SHARP Symposium, and the National Sexual Assault Conference. Their groundbreaking work has been recognized with numerous accolades, including Army Commendation Medals, Federal Employee of the Year Awards, the Provost's Courage Award, and state-based advocacy honors.

Education

• Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice — Norwich University
• Master of Social Work — University of Vermont
• Master of Science in Human Relations and Organization Development (Executive Leadership focus)

Aang continues to integrate these diverse fields of study into their coaching and consulting practice, promoting a holistic approach to leadership that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental to organizational success.

Work With Aang

Whether you're an individual leader ready to deepen your self-awareness or an organization committed to building a more equitable culture, Aang offers workshops, assessments, workbooks, and coaching designed to meet you where you are.  

Explore the Conscious Coaching Package →
Browse Workshops →
Take the Leadership Consciousness Assessment →