Our Beliefs.
We all share values that are founded human-centered and experiment-driven change management. We assert that the world has become increasingly more complex and that the only permanence is change.
For us, this means that change leadership is an essential 21st-century skill and competency for every person at all levels of an organization and that both individuals and organizations must increase their capacity to initiate, manage, and spearhead change. We each believe that the people and institutions that develop the ability to sense and respond to changes in the environment, adopt a learning mindset, and embrace a disciplined inquiry process to test hypotheses, adapt and improve —in other words, become agile— will evolve with the times. Only by understanding and empathizing with the people who have to make these changes can change be successful. To that end, we employ iterative, feedback-driven design practices.
Meet the team
lori davis: founder
Lori is a trusted advisor to leading non-profit organizations. She has over 20 years of corporate experience with a proven track record of success in launching new products, creating and driving marketing and business development strategies for global brands. Her strengths lie in designing and sustaining strategic change processes. Lori provides thought leadership that challenges the norm and encourages creativity in problem solving while leading teams to obtain organizational goals. Lori has a B.A. Economics from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
sterling ivy: strategy / chief methodologist
Sterling has more than 25 years of senior level experience in strategic planning, team facilitation, project management, corporate development and process improvement. Working across various industries and organizations, Sterling has built and led strong teams in delivering extraordinary results by proactively identifying opportunities, communicating a compelling vision, and aligning strategies and tactics. In addition, he has served on the board for community-based healthcare non-profit organizations. Sterling has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
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audris wong: strategist / customer insights
Audris is a strategic planning professional with 15 years of experience assisting startups through Fortune 100 companies to transform their roles in the healthcare, education, and technology arenas. She has led cross functional teams in numerous industries through process re-engineering, prioritization of strategic initiatives, identifying new markets, and launching product innovation. She frequently collaborates with academics and other thought leaders in producing original research and communicating complex ideas. Audris has a B.A. in History and Science from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
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Jacqueline Jenkins: principal / innovation & change management lead
Jackie is a masterful change leader and coach to individuals and teams in and outside the workplace. She has almost 20 years of experience in strategy management, organizational development, program design, teaching, coaching and facilitation. She has helped transform the hearts, minds and habits of purposeful people in progressive places like the Coalition of Essential Schools, the New School University and now at United Way of New York City as the Chief Impact & Strategy Officer. She frequently collaborates with thought leaders, practitioners and consultants in education, business and the social sector. Jackie has advanced degrees in literature, anthropology, education and modern theories of race, culture & identity from both Princeton and Stanford Universities. She was recently honored as a Change Leader in Philantrophy by Grantmakers for Effective Organizations.
james Nichols: design director / digital strategy
After spending over 15 years delivering global, large-scale digital projects for some of the world’s largest brands , Jim founded Dark City Digital, a boutique agency based in Asbury Park, NJ to deliver his experience to a diverse set of clients like small and mid-sized business, non-profits and other entities. With a focus on creating amazing user experience, he is passionate about comprehensive strategy, flawless execution and advises on all digital touch points—desktop web, mobile, and social. He believes deeply in how digital and the ‘real-world’ intersect and can make connections deeper and more valuable.
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Amy liu: human centered design & facilitation / cultural sector specialist
Amy is a facilitator and human-centered designer who has spent her career both designing and facilitating meaningful learning experiences. She utilizes models of experiential learning, team dynamics, effective feedback, process design and design thinking in order to ensure purposeful alignment within organizations. Clients Amy has worked with span startups and agencies to Fortune 500 corporations, both in the US as well as internationally in Europe and Scandinavia.
Aliya marder: business design
Aliya is an experience designer and director of the Seattle Philosophie office. She has worked in the for-profit sector in startups and enterprise to solve interesting business problems and champion the end user. She believes in fostering creative cultures by bringing together diverse groups, facilitating co-creation, and building resilience to change and failure..
shani sandy: principal / creative lead
Shani is a creative leader who cultivates the power of design to impact business. With over fifteen years of experience, including a decade in the Financial Technology and Information industry, she is the Executive Creative Director at S&P Global. She leads the global creative strategy and design practice to articulate the brand, develop products, and launch marketing initiatives. Noted accomplishments include integrated brand advertising campaigns, website experiences, multichannel worldwide rebrands, and building creative teams from the ground up. Shani holds a BA in Art History and BFA in Painting and Computer Art from Tufts University along with an MBA from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership. She also attended AIGA & Yale School of Management, Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders.
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”