Integral Visibility for Self-Directed Leaders.
— About the Cohort
The Self as Operating System.
A framework for integral visibility through the integration of self, identity, and brand.
Diagnose the identity and visibility challenges that emerge at higher levels of leadership, and apply a framework for leading with greater clarity, coherence, and agency.
A small, deliberately hosted cohort for operators, founders, and executives whose work has outgrown the identity it was built on. Not a leadership program. Not a retreat. A reading room — a shared sequence of working ideas that expands the field of choices a person can take.
The work moves across three pillars — Self → Identity → Brand — closing on integral visibility. Twelve live convenings hosted by Cynthia Johnson and Ryan Wegenast, reading and field work between, and two private executive feedback sessions: one early to set positioning, one at the close to integrate it.
You leave with an articulated framework — your own — for how you choose, act, and are seen.
What it is
A small, hosted cohort. Twelve weeks across three pillars — Self · Identity · Brand — closing on integral visibility.
Who it is for
People whose identity has become entangled with their output — and who are willing to read, write, and think alongside peers.
What it isn't
A retreat, certification, mastermind, or mentorship. Expect shared reading, written response, defense, and disagreement.
At a glance
- Duration12 Weeks
- Pillars3 + Closing Arc
- Time1–2 hrs / week
— On integration
Visibility is the result of clear vision.
The Syllabus
Twelve weeks across Self → Identity → Brand, closing on integral visibility inside the Significance & Personal Brand arc.
— By request
The full syllabus is shared on inquiry.
Tell us a little about your context and we'll send the week-by-week reading, the field work between, and the convening calendar.
— What you'll walk away with
- ◆Twelve weekly live convenings hosted by Cynthia and Ryan
- ◆Shared reading and field work between convenings
- ◆A small, private cohort of peers
- ◆Executive Feedback I — early-stage positioning session with Ryan
- ◆Executive Feedback II — final integration & visibility session with Cynthia
- ◆The full reading dossier and reference library
- ◆A reputation toolkit to apply your new capacity and intentions
- ◆Standing alumni access to future cohort gatherings
How it runs.
Logistics
- Duration12 Weeks
- PillarsSelf · Identity · Brand → Integral Visibility
- FormatWeekly Live Convenings + Reading Between
- Time Commitment1–2 Hours / Week
- Cohort SizeSpace is limited
Who this is for (and not for)
For
Senior operators, founders, and mid-career professionals who have achieved success but feel stuck in performed identities — and are ready to construct a new framework for agency.
Not For
Those seeking a wellness retreat, therapy, or passive inspiration. This requires rigorous thinking, writing, and willingness to dismantle binaries you rely on.
— Hosts
Cynthia Johnson, with Ryan Wegenast.
Cynthia Johnson
Founder & Host
Cynthia Johnson is founder of Ipseity: Academy of the Self, and originator of the foundational curriculum.
She is the author of Platform: The Art and Science of Personal Branding, published with Penguin Random House. Her next book, forthcoming Spring 2027 with Wiley, explores self-identity and interpersonal brand as the foundation of influence, trust, and leadership.
She has advised, spoken for, hosted workshops, and worked with organizations and institutions on brand-driven growth and identity — including Alibaba Group, Walmart, Within Health, Cigna Healthcare, Ernst & Young, Fowler School of Business, Yale School of Management Women in Management, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Northeastern University, and others.
Ryan Wegenast
Co-Host · Identity & Presence
Ryan is a PhD researcher, advisor, and speaker whose work centers on identity, presence, and creative expression. He has worked privately with Hollywood actors, Fortune 100 leaders, and founders through coaching and bespoke environments built to reorient how people lead.
His method draws from formal research, field work with indigenous communities, and years at the edge of his clients' most consequential decisions. He does not deliver information; he constructs the conditions under which a person can hear themselves more clearly.
Inside the Academy, Ryan co-hosts the convenings across the twelve weeks and runs Executive Feedback I, the early positioning session. His role is editorial and architectural — pressure-testing the questions each member sits with, ensuring the cohort reads as an instrument, not an audience.
Magen Baker
Faculty · Mission Integration
Magen Baker is a brand strategist, creator, and advocate whose work centers on visibility, identity, and the translation of purpose into public presence. Across more than twelve years, she has shaped campaigns, personal brands, and narratives for leaders, institutions, and culture-moving organizations.
Her work has spanned Bell + Ivy, Texas Tech, Texas Tech Medical, USA Today, and Nike, with writing and brand work published in Rolling Stone. She brings a rare ability to see both the person and the platform, helping ideas move from private conviction into language, positioning, and strategy that can be felt.
Inside Ipseity: Academy of the Self, Magen serves as Chief Mission Integration Officer. Her role is connective and editorial, ensuring the Academy's philosophy, programs, and client experience are carried through every touchpoint with clarity, cohesion, and impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this therapy?+
No. This is a structural framework for examining how you make space for more actionable choices — not for deciding which choices to make. Intellectual and operational, not clinical.
Why is it called an 'Academy'?+
Because the work asks for study, rigor, and defense. Treat the material as a shared syllabus: complete the field work, sit with the reading, think alongside the cohort.
What is the difference between this and a leadership program?+
Leadership programs teach you to operate within existing systems. The IA teaches you to see the systems and create new angles for motion. About agency, not management.
What happens after the 12 weeks?+
Alumni gain access to a private, lightly-moderated network. You leave with an articulated document of your own decision architecture.
Do I need to be a founder to apply?+
No. The framework applies to anyone in high-pressure environments where identity has become tied to output. Cohorts include operators, creatives, executives, and founders.