A new initiative called the BrainWorks Institute is set to reimagine workplace culture by integrating proven findings in brain science with practical leadership and communication strategies. Developed by the Omaha nonprofit Heartland Family Service, the BrainWorks Institute aims to help organizations foster healthier, more engaged environments where employees can thrive and stay long-term.

According to Heartland Family Service Director of Learning Sonia Keffer, one of the program’s developers, the demand for a more robust approach to employee well-being and retention has never been higher. 

“If we don’t create something that helps our workforce want to stay with us, then they will keep jumping, and then companies cannot grow,” Keffer said. This sentiment resonates across industries grappling with high turnover and the stress of emotionally charged work environments, according to Keffer.

John Jeanetta, CEO of Heartland Family Service, echoed the importance of applying scientific insights to the real world of customer service and teamwork. “Most companies are in a very similar situation,” he explained. “When I think of a gate agent at Delta…if they’re dysregulated, they’re not going to help their customers.”

The BrainWorks Institute tackles these challenges by focusing on psychological safety, emotional regulation and mindful communication — all rooted in neuroscience.

“Leadership is anyone in any role,” Keffer said, stressing that these sessions aren’t limited to people with formal leadership titles. The program is designed to serve employees at every level, including startups and entrepreneurs looking to embed well-being and collaboration into their organizational DNA from day one.

When BrainWorks officially launches, it will offer a four-part leadership series, each lasting half a day. So far, it has piloted its four-part leadership series with companies including, Pocket RN, Pinnacle Bank and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

The program covers leadership fundamentals, psychological safety, mindfulness techniques, thinking patterns and communication skills. Participants receive workbooks, engage in interactive learning and get follow-up coaching to reinforce the brain science-based training. The series is designed for employees at all levels, helping organizations create more supportive, emotionally intelligent workplaces.

The four-part leadership series

1. Strategic leadership: Creating psychological safety in the workplace
   This session explores how the brain interprets a lack of safety and why people sometimes respond with anger or aggression. Leaders will learn self-control methods to diffuse tense situations and help employees feel secure. By viewing leadership as a combination of motivation, empowerment and trustworthiness, participants acquire skills that foster a culture of respect and open dialogue.
   
2. The conscious leader: Harnessing mindfulness and acceptance for resilience
   Stress can derail even the most capable leaders. This workshop teaches participants how to remain mindful and focus on what truly matters, employing acceptance as a “superpower.” Mastering these techniques helps leaders stay calm and model productive behavior, even under pressure.
   
3. Mastering mindset: Gaining perspective and overcoming thinking blocks
   Automatic reactions often shape our professional interactions. Leaders and team members can enhance problem-solving abilities by identifying and interrupting unhelpful thinking patterns. This session emphasizes how awareness of biases and habitual “threat or reward” responses can lead to more balanced, empathetic decisions.
   
4. Constructive conversations: Balancing self-respect, compassion and healthy boundaries
   Emotions can run high at work, and effective leaders understand how to regulate themselves and guide others toward positive outcomes. This session covers boundary-setting, maintaining self-respect and engaging in respectful dialogue. Participants learn to calm threat responses and reach holistic solutions that serve everyone involved.
   

Building toward a greater mission

The BrainWorks Institute is a social enterprise under the Heartland Family Service umbrella. Revenue generated from training services directly supports Heartland’s broader mission of empowering vulnerable populations through counseling, housing and educational programs. 

“We want to help companies create spaces where employees want to stay, where employees feel safe, where ingenuity and collaboration can happen,” Keffer explained. By investing in BrainWorks, businesses also invest in meaningful community change.

The BrainWorks Institute has received overwhelmingly positive feedback during its pilot phase and the official launch is coming soon, with plans to incorporate follow-up sessions reinforcing the newly learned skills. 

In the future, BrainWorks organizers hope to use AI-driven tools to help participants retain knowledge, form new habits and seamlessly integrate what they’ve learned into their daily routines. The ultimate goal for the BrainWorks Institute is to redefine how companies view leadership, communication and team dynamics.