Strategy + Facilitation
NEW DOOR VENTURES
Communicating and implementing a new strategic plan
Bay Area workforce development non-profit New Door Ventures worked with a consulting firm to create an exciting new strategic plan for their organization. CEO Omar Butler knew that while they had a great plan, there was more to do to make the plan operational and energizing to all stakeholders.
I led New Door’s leadership team through a comprehensive discovery process and provided strategic coaching, workshops, and messaging consulting to develop a compelling narrative for their new direction as well as tools to ensure buy-in and implementation of the plan across the organization.
“Change management can feel overwhelming and intimidating at the beginning, which is why I was so glad to have Lia to shepherd us through the planning process…each member of our team felt that each session with Lia was valuable, insightful, and helped move us towards our goals. In addition to surfacing important discussions and key messages, she left us with concrete materials and planning tools that have already helped to accelerate our next steps.”
— Ally Thurman, Director of Strategic Initiatives, New Door Ventures
BAY ED FUND
Developing core values with a start-up team
The Bay Ed Fund believes that every child in the Bay Area deserves an education that prepares them to thrive. As a new organization working with a diverse group of stakeholders, including funding partners, school district leaders, families, and advocacy groups, it was essential for the Bay Ed Fund to clearly articulate its core values.
Through an in-depth design process and a 1.5 day team retreat, I helped the team to not only identify five authentic, descriptive, and energizing core values, but also to deepen their relationships and sense of community with one another.
“Through [Lia’s] facilitation we kept moving when things got tough, while also acknowledging challenges and the complexity of our work together. I'm grateful that Lia helped us to develop values that ring with clarity and will help guide our work as we move forward.”
— Rachel Heredia, Associate Partner, Bay Ed Fund
COLLEGE POSSIBLE
Designing and shepherding an evolved program model through change
Coming out of the pandemic, national college access and success organization College Possible knew that in order to reach new heights, they’d need to evolve their long-standing program model. In the face of leadership shifts, COVID-19, and a merger with another nonprofit, there was a strong desire among College Possible’s eight regions to increase collaboration and cohesion.
I worked closely with the national program leadership team to lead and facilitate a comprehensive, nearly year-long design and change-management process. This process engaged stakeholders across all eight sites and national teams, enabling the organization to achieve clarity and alignment on the goals and strategies for the next phase of the program. College Possible is now well-equipped with an evolved program framework and a set of tools for collaborating effectively - ready to move forward to the next phase of impact together.
“Lia has very much felt like she’s been a part of the team and our community…her professional experience and approach to the work has been an important catalyst for evolving our program coming out of the pandemic. Our time spent together always felt like a collaborative and iterative effort…her human-centric approach helped us uncover and then match the needs of the team with the overarching business goals and strategy. The workshops she led were engaging and effective - finding ways to brainstorm in a virtual environment and facilitate nuanced conversations with senior leaders in our organization.”
— Scott Del Rossi, Vice President of College & Career, College Possible