Changing the Game: With Colours
Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.
–Wassily Kandinsky
As CEO/ReImaginator for 360° Nation, I was delighted to have the opportunity to get better acquainted with Kate Griffiths, Founder of Foundation of Colours, a trailblazing organization exploring the profound impact of colour on human Consciousness, health, and well-being. Learn more as you enjoy my recent interview with Kate below.
We’d like to hear about your professional journey before Foundation of Colours.
For many years I was a seeker which led to me having three very distinct careers before setting up my own business at 43, here are some snippets. I had a lot of fun spending a month post-graduation helping rebuild a monastery in Russia and teach some young people English followed by a year setting up a European Studies degree programme in Czechoslovakia as it was.
At 23 I became the youngest Director at the University of Liverpool responsible for all things European. At 29 I started an MBA and then joined a quango to get a taste of working in the third sector. This saw me develop an interest in EDI and at 32 I joined PwC as a management consultant. I had some great jobs there over 11 years which culminated in running their 13-week leadership development programme in Warsaw in 2011 having become a qualified coach in 2008.
Since 2012 I have run Whole Self Leadership and in 2014 trained in colour which has influenced the shape of the rest of my life. I loved it so much that I became a teacher of teachers in the system and in 2022 had the idea that what was needed was a Foundation that would give more people in the world access to the power of colour.
Tell us about the Foundation of Colours and each of your Co-Founders.
We are an innovative organisation exploring the transformative power of colour on human consciousness through cutting-edge research, consultancy, and experiential learning.
We are focused on three vital pillars:
1. Health & Wellbeing
2. Business
3. Education
Our mission: To expand colour consciousness to create a more connected society. We’re pioneering ways to harness colour’s unique ability to enhance emotional, spiritual, and social intelligence – from individual Growth to organisational transformation.
There are 4 co-founders. Professor Tadeja Jere Jakulin, co-founder of the Foundation of Colours and Vice Dean at the University of Primorska in Slovenia, is developing expertise in colour sensory research. With over 500 published works and extensive expertise in systems science, she brings rigorous multidisciplinary insight to both her academic leadership and research endeavours.
Elaine Stephens has a background in Clinical Research and Training so she has a good understanding about what robust research looks like. She is a former Director of Learning & Development and now runs her own Coaching and training business as well as being a Colour Teacher of Teachers
Kath Roberts gained her business savvy from over twenty years immersed in frontline Sales and Operations at a senior level. She now runs a global coaching practice and is a published author who brings together NLP, Colour, and Shamanism in a magical way that supports clients on their journey to consciousness. Together with Kate, she co-hosts the Colourful Conversations podcast.
What’s the purpose/point of it all?
Our purpose is to raise awareness and research the impact of colour in helping us to expand consciousness. Since the pandemic, there has been a greater realisation globally of the importance of health and well-being along with an understanding of how many have Mental Health issues.
We start from the premise that changes within individuals start from understanding ourselves at a deeper level; the changes we want to effect on the outside of us come only when we shift on the inside.
We have seen how working with colour has shifted the energy of individuals, teams, and organisations to effect positive change. We want others to benefit from this little-understood solution.
What’s unique about FOC?
FOC is unique in that it is neither a charity nor a business rather it is a Community Interest Company. This means that all profit goes into promoting the objective of this organisation. Being a CIC means that it is more agile than a charity because it is not bound by Charity Commission legislation. At the heart of FOC is its desire to build awareness of the Power of Colour through its actions and through sponsoring cutting-edge research.
Even the way the 4 co-founders work is very different from a regular organisation. We embody self-leadership. We do not have distinct roles, rather we just get stuck into the bits of the work we like, and are good at, and trust the others to do the same. This means there are no pointless meetings as we only come together when there’s something to share. This is an example of true collaboration and makes for greater efficiency. And we fully appreciate that conscious collaboration whilst appreciating difference & celebrating uniqueness is also about confronting tension and unconscious emotions or perceived blocks in Relationships to ensure continued harmony and balance.
When did you launch and what’s been the biggest challenge?
2022. The biggest challenge has been finding the time to devote to promoting the Foundation as three of us run our own businesses and one is employed by a University. We found our way round that by finding a cause that we could all get behind which was to celebrate International Colour Day in 2025 which falls on March 21.
Any noteworthy surprises or ‘A-ha’ Moments along the way?
Remembering to keep everything light and have fun along the way!
How would you describe your ideal clientele?
Business leaders, creative entrepreneurs, coaches, and psychologists who wish to deepen their practice.
What’s the next big thing/challenge for FOC?
Reaching 10,000 attendees for our Power of Colour Summit Mar 21 through 23. Click on the image below to learn more 
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As an entrepreneurial professional, what’s non-negotiable for you?
What I have come to realise more and more is that our biggest weakness lies within our biggest strength. I am doggedly determined and won’t give up on people even when they don’t respond to my calls to action, or emails. What I have learnt is that rather than looking at the fruit in another tree and thinking it looks juicy and trying to reach over and grab it, it’s more fruitful to focus my attention on my own tree and grow that. Conserving my energy for what really matters is vital because that allows me to have a bigger impact.
How can our readers learn more about Foundation of Colours?
- See our two one-minute videos below ▼
What is the FoC?
Why the FoC and Why Now?
- Visit our Website: FOUNDATION OF COLOURS
- Check out our forthcoming online summit: FOCSUMMIT
- Visit our YouTube Channel: Foundation of Colours
- Follow us on LINKEDIN
- Follow us on FACEBOOK
- Follow us on INSTAGRAM
BONUS QUESTION: What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about you and each of your Founders?
One surprising thing about me is that although I seem very English, I am a third-culture kid as most of my formative years were spent in far-flung parts of the globe. At Christmas when we lived in Hong Kong, a very transient place, we would often have additional people at our table: a way of being I continue today.
Elaine grew up in a sweetshop—a dream most children have—and it taught her a lot about business at an early age—she was serving in the shop at age 14 to earn extra Money.
Kath had a near-death experience at 27 which blew her mind and opened her fully to this knowing that we are way more than our bodies.
When not immersed in science, Tadeja finds peace crafting jewelry infused with Colour Mirrors oils. These creative moments with Silken Chroma offer a refreshing pause that sparks new ideas.
Originally Published on https://www.bizcatalyst360.com/author/dennisjpitocco/
