You're carrying a lot.
You don't have to figure it all out alone.

Strategic consulting and thought partnership for nonprofit executive directors and creative-sector leaders who are ready to turn a challenge into a plan.
Free 40-minute discovery call

You’re good at what you do. But sometimes, the job asks you to be good at everything.

You may have been staring at the same problem for months.

Maybe you've been Googling things at 1 a.m., talking it through with your board chair or ChatGPT, or carrying a heavy burden because there simply isn't anyone else on staff with the time, experience, or perspective to help you work through it.

You might be thinking...
  • I have a big idea. How do I turn it into something real?

  • I need a strategic plan that actually gets used, not another document that sits on a shelf.

  • There are too many priorities, and everything feels important.
  • My team is already stretched. We need expertise or capacity we don't have internally.

  • I know my community has important things to tell us. I need a way to listen, make sense of what I hear, and turn it into action.

  • I’m tired of being the person who always has to hold everything together.

You’re deeply committed to your organization, your community, and the work you’re here to do.

You're leading an organization, managing people, navigating funders, answering questions from the board, and trying to keep the actual mission moving forward.

And somewhere in there, you're supposed to find time to think strategically about what's next.

Imagine what becomes possible when you’re not carrying it all yourself.

You have room to think beyond the immediate crisis.

Your team knows what they're responsible for and has the tools to move forward.

The strategy isn't sitting in your head anymore. It's clear, shared, and actionable.

You don't need another person to diagnose, write a report, and leave. You need someone who can meet you where you are, understand the realities you're navigating, and help you move forward.

That’s where I come in.

I work alongside nonprofit and creative-sector leaders as a strategic thought partner, consultant, and extra capacity when you need it.

Sometimes you need someone to help you think.
Sometimes you need someone to help you build.

Often, you need both.

I bring more than 15 years of experience across nonprofit leadership, arts and culture, music, organizational strategy, and creative economy development. I've been in the executive director's seat, and I know what it means to make consequential decisions while balancing people, programs, funding, boards, partnerships, and the bigger picture.

My role is to help you get from “I know something needs to change” to “Here’s what we're going to do.”

From complexity to clarity. From ideas to action.

We start where you are. No perfectly defined problem required.

We talk through what's happening, what's getting in the way, what you've already tried, and what you wish were different.

We figure out what actually matters. I'll help you separate the urgent from the important, identify patterns and opportunities, and bring an outside perspective to the things that are hardest to see from inside the organization.

We build a practical path forward. Depending on what you need, that might mean a strategy, a plan, a new program, stronger systems, a facilitated process, a difficult decision, or simply a clearer way of thinking about the road ahead.

And then we move.

I don't believe strategy ends with a beautiful document.

I help translate ideas into action, and I can provide the capacity, structure, research, facilitation, or hands-on support needed to make progress.

What we might work on together

Strategic Consulting
When you need to step back, see the bigger picture, and determine what comes next.
Strategic planning, organizational strategy, program development, sustainability, organizational assessment, and complex problem-solving.

Executive Advising & Coaching
When you need an experienced thought partner who understands the realities of nonprofit leadership.
Decision-making, leadership challenges, transitions, organizational change, accountability, and navigating complexity.

Creative Economy & Ecosystem Strategy
When the challenge extends beyond one organization.
Community listening, stakeholder engagement, creative economy strategy, music ecosystem development, cultural policy, facilitation, and cross-sector initiatives.

I know because I've been there, too.
Before becoming a consultant, I spent years working inside arts and nonprofit organizations, including serving as an executive director.

I've been responsible for the budget, the staff, the board, the programs, the partnerships, the fundraising, the unexpected problems, and the decisions that couldn't wait until Monday.

I've also been a professional musician, which gives me a firsthand understanding of the people and creative communities at the heart of this work.

Today, my work sits at the intersection of organizational leadership, arts and culture, creative economy strategy, and community development.

That means I can look at your challenge from inside the organization and see the larger system around it.

I don't just tell you what to do.

I listen first.
Because the right strategy starts with understanding the people, context, and realities involved.
I ask the questions that move things forward. Sometimes the most valuable thing I can do is help you see the problem differently.

I bring both strategy and execution.
You don't have to choose between hiring someone who thinks and someone who does. I can help you develop the strategy and, when appropriate, roll up my sleeves to help make it happen.

I tell you the truth kindly.
You can expect thoughtful challenge, not simply affirmation. My goal is to help you make better decisions, not to tell you what you want to hear.

I care about leaving you stronger.
The goal isn't to make you dependent on me. It's to help you build clarity, confidence, capacity, and systems that continue working after our engagement ends.

What this can look like in practice

Building a new path forward

Fiscal Sponsorship Program Development
Helped develop and pilot a new fiscal sponsorship program designed to expand access to funding for community-based projects.


Turning community voices into strategy

MusicOregon Listening Tour
Helped lead a statewide listening process connecting music communities across Oregon and translating what we heard into advocacy and strategic priorities.


Shaping public policy

Vancouver Cultural Access Program
Contributed to the development of a public cultural access policy designed to strengthen community access to arts and culture.


Leading from the inside

Arts & Nonprofit Leadership
As an executive director, led an arts organization through organizational growth, program development, fundraising, operations, partnerships, and complex organizational change.

From the Field

My ideas and observations on nonprofit leadership, creative economy strategy, arts and culture, and building stronger communities.
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What Clients Say...

​I was so impressed by Cheri and the quality of her work. When she was hired to oversee the Oregon Music Census, she quickly figured out what was needed, took solid action, and was even comfortable on stage speaking to our constituents after just a few days. Not many people could jump into the fire like that and handle it gracefully!

Her experience in outreach, marketing, and copy-writing were exactly what we needed to make this project a success. It was great to know I could hand things off to Cheri and trust it would be done well.
– Missi Hasting, Administrator, MusicOregon
Cheri was an indispensable partner in creating a strategic framework for an organizational restructure, rewriting job descriptions that were competitive in the non-profit market, and managing many complex retreats. Cheri's professionalism and skills are unparalleled, and her grace under pressure made her a true joy to work with.
– Jenny Kelliker, Senior Manager Internal Operations, Dekra North America

You don't have to have it all figured out before we talk.

Maybe you know exactly what you need.

Maybe you just know that something isn't working and you need help figuring out why.

Either way, we can start there.

A discovery call is a chance to talk about what's happening, what you're trying to accomplish, and whether I might be the right person to help.
Free 40-minute discovery call. No pressure, no obligation. Just a conversation about what's possible.

Let’s build something that works.