A number of our Emergent Learning Community Members offer consulting services utilizing their EL expertise. Below is a list of members who offer consulting and additional information about the services they provide. This listing is not an endorsement of any particular individual or business. All individuals have completed the Emergent Learning training program and Advanced Practitioners are noted with an asterisk.
Create Knowledge
Main contact: Kai Fierle-Hedrick kai@createknowledge.org; (716) 913-1309
Website: https://www.createknowledge.org
Consultant trained in EL: Kai Fierle-Hedrick
Location(s): Beacon, NY
Learning facilitation, grounded in emergent learning practices, that helps social justice practitioners and funders learn — and apply their learning — together in real-time. Emergent learning practices are also woven into most of the change strategy and participatory and collaborative evaluation work I facilitate.
Chispa Consulting
Main contact: Kathleen Toner kathyton0623@gmail.com
Consultant trained in EL: Kathleen Toner
Location(s): Bay Area, CA
Linking EL to planning, esp. strategic planning and organizational learning
Engage R+D
Main contact: Clare Nolan cnolan@engagerd.com
Website: https://www.engagerd.com
Consultants trained in EL: Sonia Taddy, Clare Nolan, Pilar Mendoza, Eva Chavez
Location(s): California
Engage R+D is a consulting firm committed to empowering organizations to maximize their impact and drive positive change. Our dedicated team collaborates with foundations, nonprofits, and public agencies to design, implement, measure, and enhance their work. At Engage R+D, we embrace an emergent learning approach that permeates our consulting practice. By combining this approach with our specialized expertise in areas such as developmental evaluation, the Equitable Evaluation Framework (TM), participatory research, and human-centered design, we provide effective solutions tailored to our clients’ needs. We are passionate about supporting organizations in achieving meaningful impacts on the communities they serve.
Eval4Learning
Main contact: Veena Pankaj veena@eval4learning.com
Website: Coming Soon!
Consultant trained in EL: Veena Pankaj*
Location(s): Arlington, VA
Experienced evaluation consultant in the DC area, working with foundations and nonprofits. I offer a learning orientation that draws on a combination of principles from emergent learning and participatory evaluation. I engage stakeholders in collaborative learning engagements designed to promote shared sensemaking and advance collective learning. I work with teams to strengthen their learning muscle through reflection, coaching, and facilitation. Consulting services include evaluation, participatory sensemaking, creating shared line of sight through theory of change facilitation, etc. My experience ranges across topical areas such as health equity, civic engagement, power building, leadership development, and social justice.
Gather Insight
Main contact: Sara Plachta Elliott sara@gatherinsightllc.com
Consultant trained in EL: Sara Plachta Elliott
Location(s): Detroit, MI
As a evaluation and learning practitioner who focuses on cradle-to-career child, youth, and family policy and community practice, I use emergent learning alongside evaluation to support partners as they increase their understanding of complex and long-term problems. Emergent learning orients individuals and teams towards informed action. As a consultant, I gather people and knowledge then facilitate a learning process that is action-oriented and restorative.
Intentional Inquiry
Main contact: Amy Engelman amy@intentionalinquiry.org
Website: https://www.intentionalinquiry.org
Consultant trained in EL: Amy Engelman
Location(s): Denver, CO
Intentional Inquiry focuses on engaging youth and people with lived experiences of the issues government, non-profits, and foundations are aiming to positively impact in problem identification, solution generation, and continuous improvement processes. Using participatory approaches, the Equitable Evaluation Framework (TM), and Emergent Learning principles and tools, Intentional Inquiry supports organizations in engaging community meaningful in learning, evaluation, strategy, product/program development, and systems building.
Intention 2 Impact Inc.
Main contact: Nina Sabarre nina@intention2impact.com
Website: https://www.intention2impact.com
Consultants trained in EL: Nina Sabarre, Kathleen Doll
Location(s): Virtual (Locations in Virginia & California)
Intention 2 Impact is a social impact measurement firm that uses research, evaluation, and strategy to help foundations measure and maximize their impact. We integrate Emergent Learning practices and principles into all client engagements to ensure data are being used for ongoing learning and adaptation, rather than accountability or judgment. I2I specializes in: 1) MERL framework design and implementation; 2) evaluation of strategic communications; 3) research and evaluation to advance innovations in philanthropy.
Kelci Price Consulting, LLC
Main contact: Kelci Price kelci@kelciprice.com
Website: https://www.kelciprice.com/
Consultant trained in EL: Kelci Price*
Location(s): Denver, CO
Supporting foundations and nonprofits to increase impact by strengthening organizational practices around strategy, learning, and evidence. Whether you’re new to this work or ready to evolve what you already have in place, I partner with organizations and teams who want to draw deeper insights, expand their understanding through evidence, and strengthen their strategies. Emergent Learning is woven throughout my practice – providing a way to think about what is being experienced now, what this means, and how that should influence decisions about next steps.
Leading Edge Advisors
Main contact: Shamsah Ebrahim Shamsah@LeadingEdgeAdvisors.com
Consultant trained in EL: Shamsah Ebrahim
Location(s): Working across the U.S., based in the Bay Area, California
Leading Edge Advisors works at the intersections of strategic learning, equity, organizational effectiveness and social impact, with a special focus on strengthening organizational capacity. Our clients have included foundations, nonprofits, school districts, coalitions, networks and public agencies. We take a collaborative approach, drawing from principles and practices of emergent learning, equitable evaluation, systems thinking, and human-centered design.
Mission Bloom
Main contact: Valerie Ehrlich valerie@missionbloom.co
Website: https://www.missionbloom.co
Consultant trained in EL: Valerie Ehrlich
Location(s): North Carolina
Mission Bloom offers emergent learning consulting focused on learning strategy, evaluation, and equity, diversity, and inclusion. My services range from facilitating data meaning-making sessions, leadership coaching, data visualization and storytelling, and learning culture capability development. I am oriented toward empowering organizations through collaborative learning, strategy optimization and implementation, and hands-on experiences grounded in real-world application. My goal with emergent learning is to embed learning into the organizational culture to drive impact and continuous improvement.
Mt. Auburn Associates
Main contact: Alyssa Saunders asaunders@mtauburnassociates.com
Website: https://www.mtauburnassociates.com
Consultants trained in EL: Alyssa Saunders, Devon Winey
Location(s): Massachusetts
Mt. Auburn draws on practices of Emergent Learning to provide a full range of Strategic Advising and Learning & Evaluation services to meet the needs of our clients, including leaders in philanthropy, government, nonprofit and mission-based organizations, and collaborative groups. Mt. Auburn works with clients across the U.S. and specializes in work related to health equity, community resilience, creative economics, inclusive growth and small business development, workforce development and economic mobility and community investment and affordable housing.
NPM Consulting, LLC
Main contact: Natalie Portman-Marsh NPMconsults@gmail.com
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliepm
Consultant trained in EL: Natalie Portman-Marsh*
Location(s): Boulder, CO
I work with foundations, organizations, coalitions and groups to infuse learning into operations, group facilitation and strategic thinking and planning. I engage clients by developing authentic relationships through individual leadership coaching and in creating explicit opportunities to include diverse voices to co-design intended results and ongoing activities.
The OCL Group (Organizational Coaching and Leadership Group)
Main contact: Patton Stephens patton@theoclgroup.com; (301) 509-1050
Website: https://www.theoclgroup.com
Consultants trained in EL: Patton Stephens, Raj Chawla
Location(s): Washington, D.C. area
Work with leaders primarily in, but not limited to, the not-for-profit sector, to support bringing a learning and adaptation orientation to their teams and organizations in service of their mission and desired results. Help leaders focus on: being perspective seeking and taking to create stronger feedback loops; making thinking visible to tease out weak links in processes and strategy; growing awareness of reactivity and its limits on decision making and effectiveness in role; unlocking mindtraps that limit options; and creating a culture that supports learning and experimentation to meet adaptive challenges.
Optimistic Anthropology
Main contact: Alison Gold alison@optimisticanthro.com
Website: https://www.optimisticanthro.com
Consultant trained in EL: Alison Gold*
Location(s): Washington DC and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina (but our work is largely done remotely)
Optimistic Anthropology works with organizations and multi-sector partnerships to transform systems, institutions, and communities for a more positive, just, and equitable world. We collaborate with teams to evolve their knowledge, strategies, and cultures to deepen trust, learn about how the current reality came to be, and envision and shape a different future. We believe a key component of this work is the practice of emergent learning, because no matter the social/environmental challenge or geography changemakers are working in – we need people who can ask powerful questions, share learning, interpret the current reality, develop hypotheses and adjust strategy in real time.
ORS Impact
Main contact: Mel Howlett mhowlett@orsimpact.com
Website: https://www.orsimpact.com
Consultants trained in EL: Joel Gutierrez, Mel Howlett, Sara Afflerback
Location(s): Working remotely across the U.S.
ORS Impact is a strategy and evaluation consulting firm that works with nonprofits and foundations across issue areas. We weave EL practices throughout our work, for example, to facilitate learning from evaluation data and support clients to build their internal learning practices and culture.
Results Craft LLC
Main contact: J. Nelson-Weaver jnelsonweaver@resultscraft.com; (336) 703-1250
Website: https://www.resultscraft.com
Consultant trained in EL: J. Nelson-Weaver
Location(s): North Carolina – serving clients nationwide
Results Craft LLC is a Monitoring, Learning and Evaluation firm specializing in supporting learning and improvement where evaluators develop deep relationships with foundation staff, local nonprofits or system actors. We walk alongside your team to understand your learning agenda or help you craft one, engage your partners / grantees / stakeholders to identify the results you intend to achieve, gather and analyze information, and support your learning with recommendations to adapt and improve. We bring content expertise in supporting grassroots and BIPOC partners, social determinants of health, and quality improvement / quality assurance across multiple fields. Clients supported include nonprofit, philanthropy, and government. Results Craft has been supporting learning for nine years. J. brings 25 years of experience in learning and improvement, program design and adaptation, community engagement and strategic problem-solving.
Ross Strategic
Main contact: Jen Major jmajor@rossstrategic.com
Website: https://rossstrategic.com/
Consultants trained in EL: Tim Larson, Jennifer Major, Dana Stefan, Darcy Peth, Janelle Roberts, Jessie B. Doody, Kristen Durance
Location(s): Seattle, WA; Olympia, WA; Bend, OR; Austin, TX
Ross Strategic helps environmental, natural resource, energy, and health organizations chart strategic direction and follow it, create and refine innovative policy and programs, harness multi-stakeholder and community-based decision-making, and become more efficient, responsive and results-oriented. Our services include collaborative process, initiative design and implementation, research and analysis, evaluation and learning, information management, and strategic planning. We integrate Emergent Learning (EL) practices and principles throughout our work to draw on client and stakeholder expertise, support strategy implementation and adaptation, and accelerate meaningful progress toward shared objectives.
Solutions for Igniting Social Transformation
Main contact: Sarah Roma sarahroma@solutionist-consulting.com
Website: https://www.solutionist-consulting.com/
Consultant trained in EL: Sarah Roma
Location(s): Washington, D.C.
Solutions for Igniting Social Transformation, LLC (SolutionIST) supports organizations and leaders with strategy, learning, and influence, and all the inevitable and exciting intersections. With a focus on gender equality and social justice, SolutionIST works globally across multiple sectors and organization types, including community-based organizations, INGOs, coalitions, women’s funds, private foundations, and multilateral organizations. SolutionIST’s approach is grounded in emergent learning, feminism, intersectionality, and collaboration, with a goal of supporting organizations and individuals to be more strategic, reflective, and impactful in their work.
Threshold Associates
Main contact: Ray Gordezky ray@thresholdassociates.ca
Website: https://www.thresholdassociates.ca/
Consultant trained in EL: Ray Gordezky*
Location(s): Toronto, Ontario, Canada – supporting clients worldwide
Threshold Associates is passionate about making a difference in how we lead, collaborate, learn together and create positive impact for a just and thriving future. Our approach is less about tools and frameworks and more about seeing opportunities to foster collective learning, reveal and act on hidden potential and better understand how to serve people and the planet. We partner with non-profits, international NGOs, networks and clients in the public and health care contexts to embrace diversity and inclusion, create stronger teams, and take responsibility for the impact they have on their communities and the world.
Think Twice
Main contact: Gabriela Fitz gabi@thinktwicellc.com
Website: https://www.thinktwicellc.com
Consultant trained in EL: Gabriela Fitz
Location(s): Chicago, IL
Think Twice is focused on helping social change and benefit organizations improve how they manage and mobilize the knowledge and learning that results from their work. We recognize knowledge management practices as a key enabler for shared and emergent learning, and help organizations to design and adopt practices that support more regular, equitable, collection, synthesis, and use of data and knowledge for shared learning.
Wegmann & Associates
Main contact: Sandra Wegmann sw@sandrawegmann.com; (281) 381-8016
Website: https://www.sandrawegmann.com
Consultant trained in EL: Sandra Wegmann*
Location(s): Houston
Wegmann & Associates creates the space for equity-focused leaders and groups to do their best thinking and to move from ideas to effective action. With more than twenty years of experience in philanthropic strategic planning, Sandra Wegmann, Principal, co-creates inclusive, engaging, and results-oriented conversations. She uses Emergent Learning (EL) in meeting design and facilitation to strengthen collective thinking, strategy adaptation and execution – relying on both EL tools and principles. Interested clients learn how to adopt EL practices. She is a certified DEI coach, and supports executive women in social change roles, across cultural and racial backgrounds.
Emergent Learning Community Project
Main contact: Jillaine Smith jillaine@emergentlearning.org
Website: https://www.emergentlearning.org
Consultant trained in EL: Jillaine Smith*, Jim Stiles *
Location(s): Washington, D.C.; Boston, MA; virtually around the world
As part of their work as co-directors of the ELCP, Jillaine and Jim help members of the community to deepen the use of Emergent Learning within their organizations. This can take the form of coaching, providing thought partnership, customized training in EL, or providing capacity building on particular projects for EL Community members.