I am the Founder and Principal Consultant of Capacity Consulting. Over the past 24 years, I have engaged with non-governmental, governmental, and philanthropic organizations at local, regional, and international levels.
My consulting practice began in 2006 after working in grassroots organizing, followed by government, and finally, in philanthropy. It occurred to me that these sectors need each other, yet function in different "cultures". This causes distrust and misunderstanding. With a desire to contribute to the bridging of these worlds, I created Capacity Consulting.
Through my consulting practice, I have seen relationships between these sectors strengthen. I have also witnessed the deepening of organizational capacities.
However, during the unique moments of stillness and spaciousness generated by the global pandemic, I slowed down and leaned in to deeply reflect and question things. I found myself compelled to enrich my consulting practice. To explore how I could participate in the advancement of change while remaining congruent with values connected to social change.
What I discovered during this reflective process was an untenable edge. I could no longer ignore the question: why does the beautifully compelling and powerful struggle for social change reside in a structure that is so incongruent with the very values social change aspires to pursue?
Before, I acknowledged the existence of this edge as the price I paid to work for something I believe in. But now, I have decided to leap toward something new, away from an edge and into a circle. I have developed a new model – the Glazed Doughnut – a way to advance social change in contrast to the traditional approach, which I have defined as the Frosted Cake.
I am energized to bring this new practice into fruition, and to collaborate with individuals and organizations in ways that truly align with our shared values, dreams, and goals.
My clients have been organizationally diverse, with presence in various parts of the world. They include: Hispanics in Philanthropy, Bulgarian Fund for Women, Calala Fondo de Mujeres, Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds, The David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Big Sur Land Trust, City of Salinas, County of Monterey, First 5 Monterey County, Chemonics International, and San Francisco General Hospital, among others.