We build diverse, highly-skilled teams tailored to your project, your organization, and your community.
Team members are drawn from a network of close collaborators with deep experience in participatory and inclusive work. We are grounded in shared values, practices, tools, and approaches, and we have sharpened our skills in practice with each other over many years of collaboration. We work together to design and facilitate inclusive participatory process and create strategy informed by community voices.
Team members are drawn from a network of close collaborators with deep experience in participatory and inclusive work. We are grounded in shared values, practices, tools, and approaches, and we have sharpened our skills in practice with each other over many years of collaboration. We work together to design and facilitate inclusive participatory process and create strategy informed by community voices.
Tamiko Ambrose
Tamiko Ambrose Murray (she/her) supports grassroots groups, nonprofits, and foundations who seek transformative change through their work toward social justice. A writer, community researcher, cultural practitioner and racial equity strategist, Tamiko's areas of work have included nonprofit leadership, academia, community organizing, participatory research and cultural work. Her toolkit reflects of a wealth of experience that ranges from equity-informed facilitation and training to cultural organizing with frontline communities.
Tamiko Ambrose Murray (she/her) supports grassroots groups, nonprofits, and foundations who seek transformative change through their work toward social justice. A writer, community researcher, cultural practitioner and racial equity strategist, Tamiko's areas of work have included nonprofit leadership, academia, community organizing, participatory research and cultural work. Her toolkit reflects of a wealth of experience that ranges from equity-informed facilitation and training to cultural organizing with frontline communities.
Sarah Nuñez
Dr. Sarah Nuñez (she/her) was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and raised in North Carolina. She is an educator, coach, and facilitator who has worked in higher education, philanthropy, and the nonprofit and public sectors. Examples of recent projects include: Louisville Latino Education Outreach Project, Strategic Planning Consultant and Coach (2020-2022); Blue Ridge Technical Community College Office of Immigrant and Latinx Students, Guest Lecturer and Workshop Facilitator (Fall 2020); E3: Education, Equity, and Excellence, Teaching Faculty (2017-Present). Sarah holds an MPA in public affairs from Western Carolina University and an PhD from the University of Louisville, where she also served as Associate Director for Hispanic/Latin@ Initiatives for five years.
Dr. Sarah Nuñez (she/her) was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and raised in North Carolina. She is an educator, coach, and facilitator who has worked in higher education, philanthropy, and the nonprofit and public sectors. Examples of recent projects include: Louisville Latino Education Outreach Project, Strategic Planning Consultant and Coach (2020-2022); Blue Ridge Technical Community College Office of Immigrant and Latinx Students, Guest Lecturer and Workshop Facilitator (Fall 2020); E3: Education, Equity, and Excellence, Teaching Faculty (2017-Present). Sarah holds an MPA in public affairs from Western Carolina University and an PhD from the University of Louisville, where she also served as Associate Director for Hispanic/Latin@ Initiatives for five years.
Lauren Rayburn
Lauren Rayburn (she/her) is a design researcher, strategist, and facilitator who partners with small-staffed nonprofits, funders and volunteer-led boards to develop programs and facilitate strategic planning so that everyday work aligns with and drives meaningful impact in the communities served. After more than a decade working as an environmental planner, she now uses her background in whole-systems thinking and public engagement to ground strategy. She specializes in using participatory techniques to center the voices and experiences of those whom programs and services are designed to serve.
Lauren Rayburn (she/her) is a design researcher, strategist, and facilitator who partners with small-staffed nonprofits, funders and volunteer-led boards to develop programs and facilitate strategic planning so that everyday work aligns with and drives meaningful impact in the communities served. After more than a decade working as an environmental planner, she now uses her background in whole-systems thinking and public engagement to ground strategy. She specializes in using participatory techniques to center the voices and experiences of those whom programs and services are designed to serve.
Heather Laine Talley
Heather (she/her) is a consultant, strategist, researcher, and facilitator. She creates processes that harness people's innate wisdom and capacity for change. In partnership with beloved collaborators, Heather co-creates organizational cultures and practices designed for teams to flourish. In her work as a facilitator and teacher, Heather has designed learning experiences to grow our collective analysis about the systems, structures, and cultures that sustain patterns of domination while highlighting pathways for transformation. In her consulting work with philanthropic organizations and donors, non-profit organizations, movement organizations, and mission-driven businesses, Heather supports organizations to embody their vision and values, practice creativity, deepen and align their impact, and find their way to new ways. She has a PhD in sociology from Vanderbilt University.
Heather (she/her) is a consultant, strategist, researcher, and facilitator. She creates processes that harness people's innate wisdom and capacity for change. In partnership with beloved collaborators, Heather co-creates organizational cultures and practices designed for teams to flourish. In her work as a facilitator and teacher, Heather has designed learning experiences to grow our collective analysis about the systems, structures, and cultures that sustain patterns of domination while highlighting pathways for transformation. In her consulting work with philanthropic organizations and donors, non-profit organizations, movement organizations, and mission-driven businesses, Heather supports organizations to embody their vision and values, practice creativity, deepen and align their impact, and find their way to new ways. She has a PhD in sociology from Vanderbilt University.
Magaly Urdiales
Magaly (she/her) is a community organizer and nonprofit leader with 15+ years of experience working in Western North Carolina. A native of Peru, Magaly is a trained educator, and she has dedicated her career to building power and creating leadership pathways for Latinx women, workers and other thriving groups. Magaly joined the Western North Carolina Workers’ Center in 2011 as the leader of their women’s program and was named Co-Executive Director in 2019. Magaly is also a co-founder of JMPRO Community Media, a grassroots nonprofit serving immigrant communities in Western NC by producing community-driven media and serving as a bridge between the immigrant community and community resources. Magaly serves as a member of the Unifying Council of the North Carolina Collaborative for Strong Latinx Communities, a statewide grantmaking collaborative that builds individual and collective power in North Carolina’s Latinx communities. Magaly strives to be radically inclusive and use an intersectional point of view as she guides the organization’s efforts to promote worker justice in Western North Carolina and envisions a future in which funders, political leaders, employers and others in positions of power seek out, welcome, and make space for the perspectives and leadership of the communities they hope to serve.
Magaly (she/her) is a community organizer and nonprofit leader with 15+ years of experience working in Western North Carolina. A native of Peru, Magaly is a trained educator, and she has dedicated her career to building power and creating leadership pathways for Latinx women, workers and other thriving groups. Magaly joined the Western North Carolina Workers’ Center in 2011 as the leader of their women’s program and was named Co-Executive Director in 2019. Magaly is also a co-founder of JMPRO Community Media, a grassroots nonprofit serving immigrant communities in Western NC by producing community-driven media and serving as a bridge between the immigrant community and community resources. Magaly serves as a member of the Unifying Council of the North Carolina Collaborative for Strong Latinx Communities, a statewide grantmaking collaborative that builds individual and collective power in North Carolina’s Latinx communities. Magaly strives to be radically inclusive and use an intersectional point of view as she guides the organization’s efforts to promote worker justice in Western North Carolina and envisions a future in which funders, political leaders, employers and others in positions of power seek out, welcome, and make space for the perspectives and leadership of the communities they hope to serve.
Ada Volkmer
Ada (she/her) is a native of Mexico who calls Asheville home. Her multicultural, bridge-crossing, code-switching experiences growing up on the US-Mexico border inspire the issues she cares about, including popular education, language justice and immigrants' rights. Ada has more than 10 years’ experience interpreting, training interpreters, and coordinating interpretation in community-based settings. Formerly, she coordinated the Language Justice Circle at the Center for Participatory Change and was the co-host of the language justice podcast Se Ve Se Escucha.
Ada (she/her) is a native of Mexico who calls Asheville home. Her multicultural, bridge-crossing, code-switching experiences growing up on the US-Mexico border inspire the issues she cares about, including popular education, language justice and immigrants' rights. Ada has more than 10 years’ experience interpreting, training interpreters, and coordinating interpretation in community-based settings. Formerly, she coordinated the Language Justice Circle at the Center for Participatory Change and was the co-host of the language justice podcast Se Ve Se Escucha.
