No two collaborations are alike. Each story here is a glimpse into how I work, and more importantly, how people have found new ways to connect, adapt, and move forward together. You’ll find examples from my work with local governments, community networks, cross-sector collaboratives, and grassroots leaders.
I invite you to read with curiosity. If something resonates, let’s talk.
The Better Food Policy Fund piloted a new model of participatory grantmaking. I facilitated a process that reduced burden, built trust, and shifted the tone of philanthropy toward fairness, joy, and shared ownership.
Co-Creation, Community Engagement, Inclusive Practice, Leading Through Complexity, Local Food Systems, Strategic Thinking, Trust Building
The Better Food Policy Fund was co-developed with food policy councils nationwide. I designed trauma-aware, participatory processes that built trust, celebration, and shared ownership across the field.
Co-Creation, Community Engagement, Facilitation, Inclusive Practice, Local Food Systems, Trauma-Aware Leadership, Trauma-Informed Practice
The Better Food Policy Fund launched as a participatory grantmaking fund, with inclusive governance at its core. This case study shows how I designed board development and facilitated the Independent Advisory Committee, building trust, shared leadership, and decision-making practices that reflected the fund’s values.
Co-Creation, Collaborative Leadership, Facilitation, Group Dynamics, Inclusive Practice, Leadership Development, Local Food Systems, Network Leadership, Strategic Thinking, Trauma-Informed Practice, Trust Building
The Wave Effect was a seven-month collaborative leadership development program. With reflective practice, trauma-aware facilitation, and emergent design, participants shifted from cautious leadership to collaborative, adaptive approaches, building resilience, confronting power, and embracing systems thinking to shape healthier community patterns.
Co-Creation, Collaborative Leadership, Facilitation, Group Dynamics, Leadership Development, Leading Through Complexity, Reflective Practice, Systems Thinking, Trauma-Aware Leadership, Trauma-Informed Practice, Trust Building
A story of quiet leadership and complex systems. In a coastal North Carolina community shaped by deep pride and layered trauma, I helped seed conditions for connection, healing, and change – by holding a container, honoring resistance, and working gently at the edges of what could be spoken.
Co-Creation, Community Resilience, Disaster Recovery, Leading Through Complexity, Local Government Leadership, Network Development, Systems Change, Trauma-Aware Leadership
An effort to build the invisible social infrastructure needed to support North Carolina’s local food system – structured around deep collaboration, community voice, and distributed leadership. I conceived and led a statewide effort to knit together regional actors, bridge institutional divides, and cultivate a systems-oriented network poised to adapt and endure.
Civic Leadership, Co-Creation, Community Engagement, Facilitation, Local Food Systems, Network Development, Network Leadership, Systems Change, Systems Thinking
Work that listens, connects, and moves through complexity.
In addition to being the most organized person that I’ve ever met, Christy is a seasoned facilitator who guides the participatory process with deftness and humor. – Funder
What Others Say
“I appreciate all you’ve taught me and how you’ve supported me, the time you’ve offered me, your positive, ebullient spirit!” – Community leader
What Others Say
“You have such a gift of feeling, connecting dots, and nailing what you make of your listening experience with one single and sharp question – which I haven’t seen in other coaches before. What you are able to bring into a process is far more valuable than either tons of experience or being able to follow a coaching process by the book.” – Trauma-Informed Coach, Germany
What Others Say
“Christy is doing seriously difficult – and seriously good – work. She doesn’t just talk about high-level ideas; she operationalizes them in real time, even in the face of challenges. The way she models reflection and works together with others reveals both the beauty and complexity of what she’s pulling off.” – Emeritus professor of leadership studies at NC A&T University
What Others Say
“Working with Christy on this project has been remarkable. Her leadership brings the best kind of stimulation – moving fluidly from intellectual dialogue to on-the-ground action, and back again. It’s been a gift to wrestle with ideas alongside her.” – Professor at UNC’s School of Government, specializing in public leadership, collaborative governance, and civic engagement
