Meet Leah

Below are success stories that highlight the contributions I’ve made to organizations just like yours.

If you’re looking for similar results, let’s connect.

Maximizing Impact & Catalyzing Change

Case Studies

Accelerating Impact and Effectiveness while Leveraging Cost Savings

MidPen Services, a non-profit arm of MidPen Housing provides wrap-around services to MidPen residents that extend beyond basic housing. The organization aims to support people in achieving self-sufficiency and a higher quality of life.

As part of a multi-year economic stability and mobility strategy, MidPen ran a pilot workforce development program called, Learn & Earn. The pilot provided 12 resident participants with the opportunity to take ESL classes while earning a stipend. MidPen was looking for support in developing a second, larger version of the program and brought me in to successfully scale the program.

I worked cross-functionally to develop a comprehensive project plan using workflow software, created strategies to resolve the major unknowns, and oversaw deliverables across an array of contributors including four external partner organizations. I provided thought partnership to resolve unforeseen complications and established clear communication plans among stakeholders. Finally, I created a customized evaluation plan to track impact and areas for growth.

Beta program enrollment was 44% higher than our goal, and persistence and completion rates were 80%, matching the industry standard for this type of program. Additionally, Beta introduced an automated system for delivering stipends which is being implemented organization-wide for resident programming. Exit survey results indicated that 100% of respondents are likely to recommend the course to a peer, and when offered the chance to continue learning, 85% of students reenrolled in coursework. As a result of our successes, the program will be offered to residents across all qualifying MidPen properties in early 2024.

“We were looking for someone who demonstrated those critical skills along with project management expertise. When we met Leah Fox, we were immediately blown away by her ability to synthesize our needs to achieve our goals. Leah displays the confidence needed to face the toughest leadership challenges. She shows appreciation for the contributions and achievements of others. Leah faces problems with confidence and assurance and has a strong ability to identify, analyze and create opportunities. She possesses a unique combination of skills and is capable of handling a multitude of situations. She is truly part of our team!”
- Brenda Castillo-Garza, Senior Director, Resident Services

Upscaled Digital Management Training Results in Increased Profits

Jill Felska is revolutionizing workplace culture through her company, Want To Work There. Built by culture experts for people managers, the WTWT team expertly compiles decades of knowledge and packages it for leaders across management to create workplace cultures all employees deserve.

Jill was looking for support to increase usability across digital engagement platforms, restructure digital assets, and enhance content for her digital management training.

First, I built a detailed structure to navigate this nuanced process using workflow software. Once in place, I oversaw contextual polishing, style consistency, and proofreading for both audio and written content while optimizing file lifecycle management, version control, and revision tracking. LFC also served as a strategic thought partner to Jill along the way.

Within six months, WTWT was able to increase the cost of the training by 17% due to the higher quality offering and improved usability across platforms.

“Leah stepping in to help with my project was an absolute game changer. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist and have spent hundreds and hundreds of hours putting together my training program. Letting someone else come in and take over was nerve-wracking, to say the least. However, in a few short days Leah’s attention to detail, helpful insights, and overall execution excellence allowed me to let go and really let her support me. If she said something would be done, it was done. And not only was it done, it was done right. Words can’t express how much pressure it relieved to not be the only person moving my project forward. I will be working with Leah every chance I get”
- Jill Felska, Founder, Want To Work There

Implementing a New Non-Profit Governance Structure

Social Venture Partners Portland (SVP) works to dismantle racist systems by building bridges between communities and elevating the voices of those most impacted by injustice. As venture philanthropists, they mobilize skills, money, and influence, collectively building community capacity to solve problems together. SVP’s goal is to ensure that all children have high-quality, culturally relevant early learning experiences.

As part of an ongoing governance effort to decentralize decision-making and shift organizational power, SVP set up their first-ever Dynamic Team to answer the critical question of what their role should be around advocacy. SVP was looking for support facilitating the Dynamic Team and their decision-making process.

I collaborated with a racial equity facilitator to co-create a space that brought together community leaders, organizational staff and volunteers in a thoughtful, adaptive decision-making process. Relying on the wisdom within the group, we hosted a series of five in-depth conversations over four months. Each gathering captured feedback from participants via a 2-minute exit survey which allowed us to understand how well we lived out our stated values (e.g., collaboration, inclusion, respect, progress), and then apply learnings to design future meetings. Sessions utilized diverse strategies to facilitate engagement; from large group discussions to smaller break-out conversations and personal reflection or brainstorming, ensuring that participants could engage in a multitude of ways.

The Dynamic Team process succeeded in shifting power by giving voice to community members most impacted by the work and empowering them to identify advocacy and influence priorities for SVP. A rigorous qualitative evaluation uncovered that overall, participants felt the experience was worth their time and effort, and most would be willing to participate again.

“We were extremely fortunate to have Leah as our facilitator. Given the dynamic and collaborative nature of this team, her receptiveness to feedback, commitment to our stated values, as well as her ability to listen and adapt along the way were critical to its success. Additionally, her exceptional organization and project management skills set the foundation for effective meetings that balanced connection with progress.”
- Lauren Johnson, Executive Director, SVP Portland

Organizations I’ve partnered with