MELD's MISSION
We see it nearly every week in the news. A student athlete makes a racially-charged comment on social media. A university deals with a racial incident on campus. A coach is accused of saying something "racist." Will you know what to do when it happens on your team?
Coaches and student athletes are on the front lines and in the public eye. Today's tense social environments challenge us to develop racially-aware coaches and student athletes who are prepared to thrive in our racially diverse world.
Give them the tools they need.
MELD works directly with NCAA athletic departments to develop a training plan to create an environment for student athletes to succeed. For four decades, we have trained and coached students and faculty to be racial reconcilers on their campuses
MELD Training options
Free Training Resources
We have quality training videos and downloads for you to use with your staff and teams. You can find these resources in our "Free Resources" tab above and on our Facebook page (MELD: Multi-Ethnic Leadership Training). We add new resources regularly.
Training Packages
Low cost, high-reward Foundational Training packages are designed to begin transforming coaches staffs and teams. These training packages include personal assessments followed by consulting for individuals and groups. Contact us to design a training event that is perfect for you.
Personalized Consulting
If you and your team of coaches and athletes are looking for more individualized training and consulting, arrange a consultation with Paul to develop an on-site training event that will maximize transformational results. Contact MELD today to speak with Paul.
Our Passion
RACE MATTERS
Each of us is unique. We are shaped by our family origins and histories. We are further shaped by our relationships, education and good and bad experiences. What makes us unique--even our differences--is reason to celebrate.
Yet, often our differences divide us.
People default to sameness and safe relationships. Differences in skin tone, culture, upbringing and values put us on edge. What was meant to be celebrated divides us. But change is possible.
Any team through recognizing and maximizing each teammate's uniqueness can be transformed into a high performance team.
Today's coaches and student athletes need tools to thrive in our racially diverse world.
MELD can give you tools for success.
Who we are
Paul Tokunaga, Founder and President of MELD, LLC, brings 40+ years of hands-on multi-ethnic leadership development training, coaching and consulting.
Paul is a third-generation Japanese American from San Jose, California. He was an undergraduate student at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he earned a B.S. of Journalism. He was awarded the C.G. Young Award by the university president as the outstanding graduate in his class. Paul went on to earn a Masters of Christian Studies at New College Berkeley.
Paul has worked for 40+ years with organizations based throughout the United States that have diversity needs. His biggest assignments have come from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, for whom he has served since 1973 in a variety of leadership and management roles, including National Asian American Ministry Coordinator for 14 years.
Most recently he has been the Vice-President, Director of Strategic Ministries, for nine years. InterVarsity is a $100 million non-profit, employing 1600 throughout the United States.
AUTHOR
Paul is a co-author of two multi-ethnic leadership books as well as the author of Invitation to Lead: Guidance for Emerging Asian American Leaders, now in its 9th printing.
SPEAKER
Paul is a sought-after speaker to audiences of 18 to 18,000 on subjects of multi-ethnicity, diversity in the workplace, and developing high potential leaders.
THE DANIEL PROJECT
He was the lead creator of InterVarsity's Daniel Project, Prospective Senior Leaders Cohort, two 15-month intensive leadership programs to prepare potential senior leaders. Since 2003, 12 Daniel Project cohorts have been run with 137 mid-level managers trained. Well over half of these are ethnic minorities and women. Of the fourteen most recent internal vice-presidents appointed, twelve were participants in the Prospective Senior Leaders Cohorts.
Paul was also the lead creator for InterVarsity's Managing and Leading Ethnic Diversity, a 3-day course that is now required training for all in-coming managers. Over 250 middle and senior managers have gone through the course in the past three years.
Paul is a Certified Facilitator in Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and Unconscious Bias by the Cultural Intelligence Center and was certified as a conflict mediator by the Conflict Resolution Academy.
He and his wife Margaret recently celebrated their 41st anniversary. They have an adult son, Sam. They all reside in Atlanta.
Paul recently retired after 19 seasons playing for the Atlanta Astros in Atlanta's "baseball for old guys" league.