Leading Systems Change
About you.
You are leading complex systems change initiatives and know that creating real, lasting transformation requires more than just operational adjustments. You are dealing with dynamic, interconnected challenges that need to be tackled at the systems level.
Your team or organization is committed to shifting the paradigm, but navigating this level of change is daunting and requires new approaches and frameworks.
You are looking for ways to deepen your team’s understanding of systems change, build their capacity to lead through complexity, and implement strategic interventions that truly move the needle.
Perhaps you need expert guidance in developing learning programs or designing custom workshops that will equip your team with the skills they need to lead in this space. Or maybe you need in-depth research and insights to fuel your next phase of transformation.
In any case, you need someone who understands the intricacies of systems change and can offer solutions that help you tackle these challenges effectively. You need solutions that aren’t just theoretical—they need to work in the here and now, while also setting you up for long-term impact.
Choosing the right partner is crucial. You need someone who can balance both short-term deliverables with the deep, systemic change you're striving for—and do it in a way that aligns with the equity, power, and justice frameworks that are foundational to your work.
Our solution.
We partner with you to accelerate your systems change efforts and ensure your team has the tools, insights, and frameworks necessary to drive transformative impact.
Our approach is tailored to your specific needs, offering a combination of teaching, research, and strategic design to ensure your organization stays ahead of the curve.
For the early stages of collaborative development:
Strategic workshops & core team building:
Lead hands-on, action-oriented workshops focused on strategic planning and stakeholder engagement.
Facilitate grounding workshops that build a strong core team and shared vision
Field-level research:
Conduct deep-dive research such as stakeholder mapping, landscape analysis, and field scanning.
Gather evidence-based insights to inform your strategy and decision-making.
Strategic planning & scenario analysis:
Conduct scenario planning sessions using frameworks such as the 3 horizons to map current challenges and envision future possibilities.
Incorporate case studies (e.g., Berkana’s two loops) to demonstrate how systems transform over time.
Tailored coaching & consulting
One-on-one or team coaching to help leaders navigate complex, high-stakes environments while keeping long-term visions clear.
Provide strategic consulting that makes the case for long-term, relational approaches to transformative change.
Balance immediate challenges with the defense and promotion of sustainable, systemic change.
Lead communication
Clarify messaging for key target audiences.
Establish clear communication channels (e.g., Slack, WhatsApp, email) for ongoing collaboration.
Establish action groups
Form action groups to delegate tasks and track initiatives using collaborative tools like Miro and Google Docs.
For established collaborative projects:
Teaching & training systems change:
Empower teams to understand and apply systems thinking through interactive training.
Host workshops that help teams recognize patterns, leverage system dynamics, and design practical solutions for complex challenges.
Custom learning program design:
Collaborate to design immersive, cohort-based, or modular learning journeys aligned with your strategic goals.
Ensure that content is practical, actionable, and engaging.
Team Dynamics, Partnership Alignment & Leadership Engagement:
Facilitate discussions on personal working styles and team dynamics to enhance collaboration.
Develop partnership agreements that align on brand, budgets, strategy, culture, and decision-making processes.
Engage leadership and funders through strategic meetings and proposals that articulate long-term value and progress.
Building collaborative infrastructure & funder ecosystem:
Write funding proposals.
Assist in designing a shared hub or network where funders and systems practitioners can collaborate and exchange learnings.
Advise on creating models (e.g., membership or co-investment frameworks) to develop a robust ecosystem for funding systems change.
Map relationships among funders, build strategic alliances, and establish shared processes for due diligence and coordinated funding cycles.
The impact.
Through our systems change approach, we empower you to:
Strategic clarity and alignment: We help you build a shared understanding of your goals across your collaborative. You are able to drive systemic change with a unified vision and purpose, creating alignment and reducing silos.
Optimize resources and build capacity: We help you identify where to invest your resources for the greatest impact, to make sure that time, money, and effort are spent efficiently. We build a culture of continuous learning and adaptability, meeting people where they’re at and bringing them along with you
Build momentum and make sure people keep showing up! With clearer communication and powerful messaging, you’ll be able to engage funders, partners, and the wider community in your vision. This will not only build trust and attract new supporters but also position you leading in driving transformative change in your field. This will attract others and help you meet the potential you know is possible.
“You have been valuable thought partners as we navigate the early stages of our ecosystem building work. Their experience and insights have helped us gain confidence in our approach and they have provided much-needed support in this complex and nebulous space called systems change! ”
Why us?
We know you are juggling short-term pressures with the potential that this project has for systems-level change. With over 15 years of experience in systems change, we have the expertise to help.
We have led many multi-stakeholder collaboratives in Finance, Philanthropy, on Gender Based Violence and Social Innovation and beyond.
We can jump straight in and help you with what is most urgent and develop practical, short-term solutions that will meet your immediate needs, at the same time as laying the foundations for this project to have the transformational change you know it is capable of having.
Our expertise in integrating systems thinking, equity, and justice ensures that your work is both impactful and inclusive.
Whether you need strategic guidance, help designing a learning program, or research insights to inform your decision-making, we can help.
In action
Teaching systems practice at the Leonard Parker pool fellowship in allentown
Teaching Systems Practice to 6th graders at a new city school.
a favorite systems change framework
“Rachel was a powerhouse facilitator offering thoughtful and authentic engagement every step of the way as we explored complex theories and practical tools for understanding and organizing our systems change work.
She facilitated our journey with grace and brilliance allowing team dynamics to shine through, and be explored for real time development. I was struck by the way she consistently modeled intentional human centered engagement, a sentiment that showed up in each of the frameworks.
I feel fortunate to have been able to dive so deeply on this guided journey.”
- Participant