The Inner Edge is an 8-week leadership program for founders, CEOs, and senior executives, led by Robyn Ward (FounderForward) and Jenny Banner (Bright Corner Group).
Participants learn to recognize the inner patterns that drive their behaviors and decisions and lead from their best self, especially under pressure. The founding cohort runs live on Zoom from February 24 to April 14, 2027, and is limited to 8 leaders.
The problem
Parts of you are in your own way.
You've built a career on drive, intelligence, and getting things done. It has worked. Then you hit a ceiling, or a challenge you can't think your way out of. The same reactions show up in the board meeting, the co-founder conversation, the inbox at 11 pm.
"I'm just intense." "I've always needed control." "That's how I'm wired." Many leaders believe these patterns are simply who they are.
They aren't hardwired. They're strategies you learned along the way, and they once helped you succeed. Under pressure, they take over. Over time, they cost more than they give.
Does any of this sound familiar?
The feeling that you're supposed to know everything
A need to be in control of everything
A fear that people will find out you don't know what you're doing
Avoiding the hard conversation, or having it too hard
Scarcity anxiety about runway, revenue, or resources
Difficulty asking for help
Each is a signal, pointing to a part of you that's been working hard on your behalf. Learning to work with those parts is where real change begins.
Our approach
Meet your inner leadership team.
Every leader has one. One part drives you to perform. Another scans for risk. Another needs everyone to see you as capable. One second-guesses every move. Each is trying to help.
Under pressure, they take over. You micromanage, avoid the hard conversation, tell the board what they want to hear. As your company scales, so do those reactions.
But there's another seat at the table: you at your best. Clear, steady, present. This program helps that leader run the meeting.
1
See your parts
Spot the parts that drive when the stakes are high.
2
Understand what drives them
Learn what each part wants for you, and what it's afraid of.
3
Lead from presence
Build practices, in mind and body, to respond with intention.
The 8-week journey
Eight weeks to uplevel your leadership.
Each week builds on the last, moving from awareness to understanding to new ways of leading.
WeekThemeWhat You'll Discover
Pre-work
Know Where You Are
I can see how I lead today, and where I want to grow.
Week 01
Meet Your Inner Leadership Team
I have parts that show up predictably when I lead, and I can observe them.
Week 02
Your Best Leadership Self
I already possess the qualities of an effective leader. I can access them more consistently.
Week 03
When Pressure Takes Over
My reactive parts are trying to help me, even when they're unhelpful.
Week 04
The Hidden Strategies Running Your Business
My parts try to control outcomes, like being liked or being enough, to keep me feeling safe and secure. Those strategies can evolve.
Week 05
Integration Week
I give myself space to catch up, reflect, and bring my questions.
Week 06
Becoming Your Own Trusted Advisor
I can build trusting relationships with my parts.
Week 07
Leading Through Challenge
When I'm activated, a part is trying to control an outcome it fears losing, and that's an opportunity for growth.
Week 08
Leading with Intention
I lead myself with presence and intention every day. I have tools and have made commitments to myself. It's a practice, not a destination.
What changes
What you'll walk away with.
Insight into what drives you — Know which parts shape how you lead, what they're trying to control and protect, and why they keep showing up.
Less inner criticism, more energy — Quiet the voice that says you're not enough, and put that energy back into leading.
Clearer decisions under pressure — Separate what a part needs from what the situation needs, and make the call that serves the business.
Resilience that lasts — Recover faster from setbacks and stay steady when the stakes are high, without burning out.
A steadier presence — Your team, board, and investors experience a leader who is calm and capable at once.
Deeper connection and trust — Lead with curiosity instead of judgment, so your team feels heard and brings you the truth.
Hard moments, handled — Delegate and let go, have the difficult conversation, tell the board the truth.
A more authentic way to lead — Stop performing as the leader you think you should be, and lead as yourself.
You'll also walk away with deep connections to fellow leaders doing the inner work that exceptional leadership requires.
Who this is for
For leaders who've outgrown their old playbook.
You're highly successful and ready to go deeper. You've led long enough to have ingrained patterns, and you're curious about what's underneath them.
This is a fit if you are:
A founder, CEO, C-suite leader, or senior executive
Willing to look inward with curiosity
Ready to commit 90 minutes a week, plus reflection time, for eight weeks
Why we created this
We've been the leader in the room.
We're two executive coaches, long-time friends, and frequent collaborators. Between us, we've coached over a thousand founders and executives, and we both spent years as hard-charging leaders ourselves.
We see the same thing again and again: capable leaders caught in patterns they can't see, or stuck in ones they know too well. We built this program to help leaders slow down, see what's driving them, and discover they can change.
Robyn has spent more than 30 years building alongside founders and executives as an operator, C-suite leader, venture investor, and board member. She founded FounderForward in 2017 and has since coached hundreds of leaders and teams at high-growth companies. Being a hard-charging executive was once her whole identity, so she knows firsthand what it costs to lead from parts. Today she blends business expertise with psychology, performance science, and somatic practice. She has also taught entrepreneurship and Performance Mindset for Business at USC.
Jenny's career spans sales, human resources, consulting, and the CEO seat, where she discovered her true gift was guiding leaders through their inner world. She now coaches executives across healthcare, tech, small business, and nonprofits, drawing on parts work, Positive Intelligence, Everything DiSC, and The Five Behaviors, and is certified by ICF and iPEC. A self-described recovering workaholic, Jenny helps high-achieving leaders see the potential in themselves they often miss.
Program details
The founding cohort.
Dates
February 24, 2027 – April 14, 2027
Format
Eight consecutive weeks, including an integration week
Live sessions
90 minutes weekly on Zoom
Recordings
Every session recorded and available throughout
Cohort size
Maximum of 8 leaders
Admission
By referral for this founding cohort
What's included
Eight live group sessions with Robyn and Jenny
Pre-work to map your current leadership patterns
Weekly reflection exercises
Guided practices and meditations
A personal practices guide to take with you
Pilot Program Pricing
$1,500 — in full, or three installments of $500
Questions
What is The Inner Edge?
The Inner Edge is an 8-week cohort program for founders, CEOs, and senior executives who want to understand what drives them and lead with more resilience under pressure. It is led by leadership coaches Robyn Ward and Jenny Banner and is limited to 8 leaders per cohort.
What approach does The Inner Edge use?
The Inner Edge helps leaders get to know their inner leadership team: the different drives and instincts that take over in different situations, especially under pressure. Over eight weeks, leaders learn to see these patterns, understand what drives them, and lead from a calmer, more grounded place instead of from habit or fear.
How is The Inner Edge different from executive coaching or a CEO peer group?
Executive coaching is usually one-on-one, and CEO peer groups focus on sharing business challenges. The Inner Edge is a small, structured group program that works on the inner patterns behind a leader's decisions, such as scarcity anxiety, difficulty asking for help, and avoiding hard conversations, through an 8-week curriculum of live sessions, reflections, and guided practices.
Who leads The Inner Edge?
The Inner Edge is co-facilitated by Robyn Ward and Jenny Banner. Robyn is the founder of FounderForward, a former technology operator and venture investor, and co-teaches at USC. Jenny is the founder of Bright Corner Group, has held roles in sales, HR, consulting, and as a CEO, and is ICF and iPEC certified.
How much time does The Inner Edge take each week?
Plan for the 90-minute live session on Zoom plus about 30 to 60 minutes of reflection and practice between sessions. The integration week in the middle gives you room to catch up.
What if I miss a session?
Every session is recorded and available throughout the program, so you can catch up on your own schedule. Community is an important part of this work, so it is ideal if you can make at least 5 of the 8 live sessions.
Is The Inner Edge therapy?
No. The Inner Edge is a leadership development and coaching program. It draws on well-established approaches to self-awareness, integration, and nervous system regulation, applied to the realities of leading a company. It complements therapy; it doesn't replace it.
Do I need a background in psychology or mindfulness?
No. Everything is introduced in practical, plain language, with exercises designed for busy, results-oriented leaders.
How much will I need to share in the group?
You decide. Group conversation is a powerful part of the experience, and you'll only ever share what feels useful to you.
Who else will be in the cohort?
Up to 8 founders, CEOs, and senior executives, admitted by referral. A small group allows for real conversation and trust.
Will this help my team, too?
The work is personal, and its impact spreads. As you lead from a steadier place, your team feels the difference in how decisions are made and how pressure is handled.
How much does The Inner Edge cost, and can my company pay?
The founding cohort is $1,500, paid in full or in three installments of $500 (pilot pricing). Many leaders use their company's professional development budget.
When does the next cohort start?
The founding cohort of The Inner Edge runs for eight consecutive weeks, from February 24 to April 14, 2027, with 90-minute live sessions on Zoom each week.
How do I join?
Request a seat using the form on this page. If someone referred you, include their name in your request.
Ready to lead from your best self?
The founding cohort is limited to 8 leaders and begins February 24, 2027. Share a little about yourself and your leadership, and we'll be in touch to talk about fit.
