Liberation Labs is an organic and uplifting collaboration of two purpose-driven humans.

Our Story

We first connected through a mutual friend at a Bay Area B Labs event. It’s hard to believe that was in the spring of 2016—when global and national landscapes for both life and work felt very different.

When we founded Liberation Labs years later, the collective consciousness had shifted. Through a series of serendipitous opportunities to collaborate, we realized that the alignment of our values, shared belief in humanity, and complementary skill sets could offer something both profound and actionable within the new world of work.

Rooted in equity and connection, we’re bringing fresh perspective to the ways that teams see—and help liberate—one another.

WORK WITH US >>

Viva Asmelash and Michael Gregor sitting on a white sofa having a conversation, with Viva gesturing with her hand and the man taking notes in a notebook.

Our Core Values

Compassion

We honor our innate potential as humans to learn and evolve, and believe we learn best when cared for. We express care frequently and tend to the health of the whole—with a particular focus on the most marginalized among us.

Clarity

We make the implicit explicit. We seek to communicate clearly from a place of people-centered outcomes, and welcome multiple modes of engagement in our work. This includes telling the truth, even when it’s hard.

Joy

We believe that we can’t wait until everything is perfect to find joy. Joy isn’t the destination; joy is our fuel. We bring intentional levity to the hard work of building culture and systems.

Michael Gregor - a smiling man with blonde hair, glasses, and earrings, wearing a navy blue shirt, standing with arms crossed in front of a light-colored wall and framed artwork.
Michael Gregor and Viva Asmelash talking and sitting on a park bench.

Meet Michael Gregor, ACC

Michael (he/him) is a trusted partner for bold leaders ready to change how their organizations work. He blends change management, participatory learning, equity principles, human-centered design, and co-active coaching into powerful experiences that deliver breakthrough team results.

As an inclusive facilitator and strategic coach, Michael has spent 15 years igniting change across diverse sectors—from tech startups to government agencies and Fortune 500 firms. He has brought his expertise in leadership development, organizational design, and equity-centered cultural strategy to over 100 organizations. Michael's recent online courses, How to Spot Organizational Dysfunction & Fix It & Signs You’re Doing Performance Management Wrong extend his transformative insights to global leaders ready to do things differently.

As a queer white man parenting in a multiracial family, a dedicated mindfulness practitioner, and a purpose-driven entrepreneur, Michael connects authentically with visionary leaders who challenge conventions while nurturing themselves and their communities.

Michael is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation. He previously held leadership roles at August Public and Future State (acquired by Accenture).

Let’s connect >

Viva Asmelash - a woman with curly hair sits at a white desk with a Dell laptop in a bright room with plants, books, and a wall sign that reads 'That hip-hop would take it this far.'
A woman with long dark hair and earrings smiling while looking at a man with glasses in an outdoor setting with greenery in the background.

Meet Viva Asmelash

Viva (she/her) is a certified inclusion strategist and people operations expert specializing in leadership development, inclusive instructional design, and employee engagement for clients like IDEO U, GRID Alternatives, HubSpot, and Healthfirst. Her work is grounded in one purpose: creating environments where people feel truly seen and inspired to be their best selves.

With over 15 years of experience, Viva also delivers keynotes and panel discussions for world-renowned clients and has created two online courses—How to Stop Giving Vague Feedback and Five Questions to Ask to Be a More Inclusive Leader—bringing cultural humility to practical leadership frameworks. She also co-authored the viral 2023 Harvard Business Review article, Creating Psychological Safety for Black Women at Your Company.

As a first-generation Eritrean-American, Viva brings a lifelong perspective on race, gender, culture, and belonging to her work—shaped in part by her own family's story. Through podcast appearances, published articles, and her former role on the Sacramento County Mental Health Board, she lends her voice and insights to broader systems change.

Let’s connect >

  • A woman with short curly hair smiling in an industrial or workshop setting.

    “Viva and Michael provided a safe and supportive learning environment. I especially appreciated how they positioned the disparities in giving and receiving feedback as a challenge for us to break our norms with awareness. Working with Michael and Viva in the training was fun and engaging. The Q&As and breakouts left me and the team feeling empowered to hone this skill further. Their scripts and messaging were practical and useful, with a mix of tactical and high-level descriptions. I was surprised by how much I learned in such a short period of time and by how fun and engaging the session was while on Zoom. What I look for in a facilitator is someone who is knowledgeable, tactical, and supportive.”

    Etosha Cave, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Twelve

  • A smiling man with short, neatly styled hair wearing a collared, button-up shirt against a neutral background.

    “We engaged Viva and Michael on a project to level up our leadership team's awareness and knowledge in the DEI space. Over a series of ten sessions, we worked closely with them to explore our own biases, understand privilege and power, build skill giving feedback, and more. It has been an incredible journey that I'm so glad we started with them. Viva and Michael are in sync as leaders and presenters, but approach their work with complementary styles and different strengths - which really enhanced our sessions together. They're gentle but firm, confident and patient, wise and knowledgeable, and also very fun! My team is composed of very different personalities and backgrounds, and they managed to reach each of us where we were. I'm excited to see what is next and I'm certain we'll be working with Viva and Michael again in the future!”

    Chris Goetz, President at Ideal Building Recovery Solutions

  • A woman with long black hair, smiling, wearing a sleeveless turquoise top, and standing against a plain white background.

    “Michael and Viva were great to work with. They were very collaborative to help ensure their content met our staff where they were. They were super professional, friendly and accessible - we're grateful to have gotten to work with them!”

    Diana Lee, Sr. Director of People Strategy and Programs at Everlaw

  • Young woman with curly hair smiling against a bright orange background.

    “I can't speak highly enough of our experience working with Viva from Liberation Labs. Her facilitation skills are unparalleled, effortlessly driving engagement and fostering genuine connections across our leadership team. Viva hosted a session on driving equity and advocacy in career growth; she had a great balance between insightful content delivery and stimulating group discussions, leading to strong satisfaction across leaders. We're grateful for Viva's expertise and personable approach, which made the session not only productive, but also enjoyable!”

    Alyssa Rodriguez, Program Manager of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at HubSpot