Are you a woman in need of a break for meaningful rest, connection, and joy?

Are you watching the rapid erosion of women’s rights and freedoms with growing concern, wondering what kind of world your daughters, granddaughters, nieces and mentees will inherit?

Do you long for women to unite across difference and stand together, yet feel the divide between us keep growing?

Are you ready to be part of the change?

Picture this: Five days on a Caribbean island bathed in golden light, where you can finally exhale. No pressure. No judgment. Just radical rest, meaningful connection, and joy that lingers long after you leave, shared with women who believe, like you, that healing the divide between women of color and white women is both urgent and possible.

Welcome to the Interracial Sisterhood Retreat in Barbados, a warm, intentional space where women of all backgrounds gather to connect deeply, reimagine what’s possible, and co-create a better world together.

This is more than a getaway. This is something you need now.

A sanctuary for women like you: leaders who care deeply about justice, belonging, and building a future where all women and girls thrive.

This experience offers what your heart has been longing for: a sacred container for healing, courage, and transformation, an antidote to division and isolation.

If this speaks to your soul, answer the call. Your place at the table is waiting.

But there’s only a few of them, so secure yours now. Join us November 6-10, 2025 in Barbados.

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Five Days in Paradise with Purpose: Barbados

Step out of your daily grind and into five sun-soaked days of crystal-blue waters, lush landscapes, and soul-nourishing sisterhood.

Barbados isn’t just breathtaking, it’s powerful. The island was the first Caribbean nation to declare indepdendence from Britain, and its culture is rooted in resilience, self-determination, and Black brilliance, values we’ll embody as we heal and reimagine true sisterhood.

Together, guided by compassionate facilitators, we’ll share stories, bridge divides, and build trust across lines of race, generation, and experience all while savoring the richness of Bajan life. We’ll indulge in the world-class Barbados Food and Rum Festival, a Sunset Luxury Dinner Catamaran Cruise, Oistin’s Fish Fry, and gourmet meals prepared by Adrian, our private chef at the villa. Your senses will come alive as you enjoy authentic flavors and vibrant culture.

And because Barbados is outside of the hurricane belt and one of the safest Caribbean destinations, you can relax fully, knowing you are cared for, We’ll even pick you up at the airport and drop you off.

Come to Barbados and leave renewed, reconnected, and ready to lead with love.  

Sound like what you need right now?

There’s only 14 seats available and four of them are taken.

Complete your Guest Agreement here and make a deposit by clicking on the button below to reserve your space now.

What is an Interracial Sisterhood Retreat and who is it for?

An Interracial Sisterhood Retreat is for women who are serious about healing the racial divide among women and building true interracial sisterhood and solidarity.

An Interracial Sisterhood Retreat is a space for women to heal ourselves, heal our relationship with each other, so we can unite across difference to secure our collective safety and freedom. The Interracial Sisterhood Coalition is an online membership community for women committed to building trust and solidarity among women. We are changemakers and cyclebreakers who refuse to pass the work of changing racial dynamics among women to the next generation.

History: Karen Fleshman, a white woman antiracism educator, saw a need to create a safe space for women to meet each other outside of the workplace. She began hosting events throughout the United States in 2017, inviting women to listen to each others' stories and learn how to relate across difference as equals. During the pandemic, she cofacilitated online events and group coaching cohorts.

Participants always have the same request: we need more time together, so in 2023 she cofacilitated the first Interracial Sisterhood Retreat in Miami and in 2024 the second Interracial Sisterhood Retreat in San Francisco.

She is delighted to work with Michelle C. Ifill and Estela Rodriguez Botello to bring the Interracial Sisterhood Retreat to Barbados for the first time.

The Interracial Sisterhood Retreat is for women of color who are:

• Longing for a space where your voice, experiences, and wisdom are honored and centered

• Tired of carrying the emotional labor of educating white women on the history and current context of women of color and racial divides

• Ready to rest, restore, and connect deeply with other women of color and with white women committed to real change

• Seeking authentic sisterhood—not performative allyship

The Interracial Sisterhood Retreat is for white women who are:

• Committed long-term to doing the work that builds trust and accountability among women

• Aware that racial division harms us all and ready to be part of the solution

• Seeking authentic, equal relationships with women of color built on respect, not saviorism

It is highly recommended that white women coming to the Interracial Sisterhood Retreat participate in Karen Fleshman’s “Becoming Trustworthy” online small group coaching program for white women. Learn more and register here.

Are you serious about healing the racial divides among women and not passing the challenges we face today to the next generation? Join us in Barbados! Complete your Guest Agreement here and make a deposit by clicking on the button below to reserve your space now.

Villa La Maison Michelle

At the heart of Interracial Sisterhood is a simple, radical practice: center, follow, and support Black women. For centuries, Black women have been denied ownership, autonomy, and recognition. By holding our retreat at La Maison Michelle, a luxury private villa owned by Michelle C. Ifill, a Black woman, you’re actively rewriting that history.

Your presence and investment do more than secure your spot in paradise, they affirm the brilliance, creativity, and leadership of Black women, whose labor has advanced all women for generations. This is more than luxury. It’s an act of sisterhood and justice.

La Maison Michelle offers something truly transformative: world-class elegance curated through a Black woman’s lens. Every detail reflects intention, empowerment, and cultural authenticity, creating an environment that is both restorative and revolutionary.

Here, we can build intimacy and trust, free from the microaggressions and patriarchal dynamics that often show up in luxury spaces. This is a sanctuary for courage, connection, and change.

We’re not just gathering to chit chat. We’re dismantling old patterns and co-creating a future rooted in shared power, mutual respect, and joy for all women.

These are the elegant and comfortable suites that await us at La Maison Michelle. But there’s only 14 spaces and four of them are already reserved.  

To claim this once-in-a-lifetime experience, complete your Guest Agreement here and make a deposit by clicking on the button below to reserve your space now.

Chef-prepared culinary delights

Another important practice of Interracial Sisterhood is to break bread together. Often the most meaningful conversations unfold around the table. Your body deserves the same nourishment as your soul and Adrian, our private chef, delivers just that, on-site at the villa. He will even show us how to prepare Caribbean classics so you can bring the magic home.

Throughout the retreat, you’ll savor :

🍳 Sumptuous Brunches – Freshly prepared each morning, featuring vibrant tropical fruits, local delicacies, and hearty favorites to energize your day.

☕ Elegant High Tea – An afternoon ritual of relaxation with delicate bites, pastries, and fine teas, offering the perfect pause between sessions.

🌅 Al Fresco Dinners – As the sun sets over the Caribbean Sea, enjoy multi-course dinners outdoors under the stars. Each dish blends fresh, locally sourced ingredients with creative flair, reflecting the rich flavors of Barbados.

Every meal is crafted with intention to delight your senses, fuel your body, and create opportunities for connection and conversation around the table.

There’s only 14 seats around the table, and four of them are already reserved- reserve yours today before they’re all gone.

What you’ll take home from the Interracial Sisterhood Retreat

When you leave Barbados, you won’t just return with memories, you’ll return transformed. You’ll carry:

✔ Authentic friendships rooted in trust, love, and accountability that extend far beyond the retreat
✔ A renewed mind, body, and spirit, deeply rested and ready to show up fully in your life and work
✔ Practical tools and embodied practices for building interracial sisterhood in your community and workplace

✔Strategies and confidence to lead courageous conversations at work and in life
✔ Skills to build bridges where others see barriers
✔ A bold, shared vision for a world where every woman belongs and the lived experience of what it feels like to create that world together

Post-retreat we will gather for a debrief video call and you can join the online Interracial Sisterhood membership community to keep in touch.

This isn’t just a retreat. It’s the beginning of something bigger: lasting connections, personal transformation, and the skills to lead change with love.

Meet your co-facilitators

The Interracial Sisterhood Retreat is led by three women who embody the power of unity across race:

🌺 Karen Fleshman – The Visionary & Connector
Founder of the Interracial Sisterhood Coalition, and of Racy Conversations, Karen is a renowned speaker, workshop facilitator, and coach. Her mission is simple yet profound: to unite women across difference so we can secure our collective safety and freedom. Karen creates a guilt-free, compassionate space where women can have honest conversations and build deep trust. This is the first international Interracial Sisterhood Retreat and she is thrilled to work with Michelle and Estela.

🌺Michelle C. Ifill – The Host & Groundbreaker
CEO of La Maison Michelle, a stunning villa in Barbados, is an Executive Coach and Host of career and wellness retreats for women. Michelle retired as General Counsel for Verizon Corporate Services Group where she shattered glass ceilings, lifting other women as she climbed. An alumna of Harvard Law School, Michelle serves as Chair of the Caribbean Chapter of the HLS Women’s Alliance.  Michelle’s leadership ensures every detail of this experience reflects elegance, empowerment, and cultural authenticity.

🌺 Estela Rodriguez Botello – The Spiritual & Strategic Guide
Partner at Legarreta y Asociados in Mexico, Estela made history as the first Latina elected President of the Harvard Law School Women’s Alliance. A dedicated Kundalini yoga teacher, she brings spiritual grounding to complement the intellectual and emotional work of this retreat, helping participants integrate transformation in mind, body, and spirit.

Karen, Michelle, and Estela are all mothers who are deeply concerned about future generations of women. They represent the very sisterhood we seek to create, women of different races and cultures co-leading with trust, equity, and love.

Experiencing a thorny situation? Want to figure out how to unite women in your workplace or community? Book a half day intensive with Karen Fleshman before or after the retreat. Email karen@karenfleshman.com for more information.

How we create a safe space for every woman at Interracial Sisterhood Retreats

We’re not new to this, we’re true to this. We know that conversations about race, identity, and healing require courage and care. Your psychological and emotional safety is our highest priority.

Here’s what we’ll do:

✔ Establish Clear Agreements for Trust
Before the retreat, participants will meet on a video call and start building the container. Our first morning together, we will meet in affinity groups, then come together to share what we need to foster confidentiality, respect, deep listening, and curiosity. These agreements set the tone for honest and compassionate dialogue. We hold space for all voices.

✔ Apply Wisdom of Expert Facilitators
Karen brings decades of experience in leading interracial conversations with an open and compassionate approach.

✔ Create Space for Reflection and Integration
We mix group discussions with quiet reflection, journaling, and somatic practices, giving participants time to process and center themselves.

✔ Maintain Privacy and Intimacy
Hosting the retreat in a private Black woman–owned villa ensures a secure, intimate safe space needed to create the trust for real connection.

✔ Model Repair Over Perfection
We remind everyone: this is a learning space, not a performance space. Mistakes are part of learning. What matters is accountability and repair, which we actively support and guide.

We would love for you to experience that it is possible for women to talk about racism, power, and privilege and actually deepen trust, build authentic connections, and create real change together.

Experiencing Barbados Together

Not only will we connect over meaningful conversations, we’ll share experiences celebrating Bajan life, culture, and beauty together. Between our healing circles and restorative practices, you’ll  engage with the vibrant spirit of Barbados through curated excursions and unforgettable moments:

🌴 Oistin’s Famous Fish Fry – Savor authentic Bajan flavors and lively music in this iconic cultural experience.
🍹 Barbados Food and Rum Festival – Indulge in the island’s world-renowned culinary and cocktail heritage.
⛵ Sunset Luxury Catamaran Dinner Cruise – Glide across turquoise waters as the sun dips below the horizon. If you’d like, take a refreshing snorkel to see the vibrant marine life.
🌺 Andromeda Botanic Gardens – Wander through lush tropical gardens filled with exotic plants and breathtaking views.
🏖 Beach Time – Bask on some of Barbados’ most stunning beaches like Bottom Bay, pictured above, soaking in sun and serenity.
💆 Spa Day at La Maison Michelle – Relax and rejuvenate with treatments in the comfort of our private oasis.
📸 Professional Photo Shoot – Capture the magic of your experience with stunning portraits you’ll treasure forever.

Every experience is designed to create joy, connection, and memories that will last a lifetime. Sound enticing? Secure your spot now.

What does a day at the Interracial Sisterhood Retreat look like?

9:00 AM              Morning Movement, including yoga, breathwork, stretching, Zumba, and walking.

10:00 AM           Brunch and Sister Circle Sharing

12:00 PM           Break and Free Time

1:00 PM              Cultural or Natural Excursion

3:00 PM              Afternoon Tea and Sister Circle Sharing

5:00 PM              Break and Free Time

7:00 PM             Dinner Excursion or Al Fresco

Ready to Expand Your Vision of What’s Possible for Women?

Join us November 6-10, 2025 in Barbados