Using design to help you get unstuck on what matters most
 

Whether you’re leading a well-established organization or in the early stages of founding one, I’ll venture to bet you’re feeling uncertainty. Non-profits are facing serious funding cuts; for-profits are tightening their belts and navigating everything from the unpredictability of cross-border trade to how AI will or should change their ways of operating.

To all this I say: I see you, I hear you, I’m in it with you.

And also, I truly believe that:

Uncertainty is an invitation.
And some of the most interesting evolutions come from savoring uncertainty.

But while uncertainty is an invitation, it often doesn’t feel like one.

I’ve spent my career helping organizations, leaders, and individuals adjust to and take advantage of change.
We use the tools of design + entrepreneurship to move forward with curiosity and confidence.
Design brings curiosity and creativity.
Entrepreneurship gives you a structured, iterative approach to gaining clarity.

 

Design + Entrepreneurship = Making the most of Uncertainty

During the pandemic, I helped a tech company you’ve likely used in the past few days to look at the loss of in-person collaboration not as a hit to their culture, but as a prompt to trigger a redesign. Together, we asked the question: “How do we use the fact that we’re working in a hybrid manner to collaborate creatively better than we did before?“

One of my favorite clients was the Australian company that housed the last profitable yellow pages in the world. Their uncertainty came from the digital revolution. We used that market break as an invitation: Now, we can serve each industry segment uniquely, with fit-for-purpose digital products.

We did all of this through taking an experimental approach to growth. It can be really common in times of big change and uncertainty to feel like any step forward is weighted. It has to be right. So we sketch, plan, deliberate, waiting for enough information.

But the definition of an uncertain time is that it lacks information. It’s ambiguous.

So, instead of waiting for the right information, we create it through small, light, safe experiments.

My approach is a combination of design, entrepreneurship, and an understanding of the biology of how uncertainty impacts our actions (and inactions).

I’ve helped individuals and leadership teams navigate high-stakes change—professionally, personally, and organizationally. I did this first as the founder of the Venture Design practice at design firm IDEO, and then as an executive in charge of new ventures at Old Navy.

If you—or your organization—are in the space of change, I’d love to help you find momentum and clarity. Let’s design what’s next.

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I support organizations and individuals in navigating uncertainty.

For corporate leaders & organizations

Whether your organization is navigating a reorg, a culture shift, a leadership transition, or the kind of change that doesn’t come with a playbook, I help you equip your people to navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.

I offer:

  • Team- and organizational-level experiences to build a shared language and toolkit for navigating ambiguity

  • Coaching & peer groups for leaders to navigate change personally while guiding others through it

  • Open-enrollment leadership programs to build capacity alongside peers from other organizations

For individuals

Whether you’re shifting careers, cities, identities, or priorities, I help you move through ambiguity with more clarity, more steadiness, and more of yourself intact.

I offer:

  • Short, high-impact courses to shift how you approach change and uncertainty

  • Deep-dive programs for designing what’s next with intention

  • Private coaching for personalized support in transitional moments

  • Community-based experiences to make the in-between feel connected and purposeful

Not sure where to begin?

 

 In the words of a client:

We loved our day and I would say it changed all of our lives. THANK YOU. It wasn’t the easiest crowd. You had 7 busy and exacting CEOs and everyone was like best day ever.

Founder and CEO, Hipcamp (YPO experience)

More testimonials here.

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I have been featured as an expert in:

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Learn more about my perspective here:

Change brought you here. Intention will move you forward. 🔥

 
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