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Expand what's possible.

I turn visionary leaders’ ambitious ideas into operational reality; typically 3x faster, and with a lot more joy.

☀️☀️☀️

I believe the execution phase of a project can be even more energizing than the ideation phase.

Through rapid problem-solving, strategic thinking, and a genuine love for ideas that are going to change the world, I bring the energy needed to reframe constraints and expand what’s possible.

I work alongside leaders for 6-18 months. With an eye on the big picture, I create the conditions where everyone—from your team to your board to your most skeptical partners—genuinely wants to be part of what you’re building.

My favorite compliment after a project: “That was the moment when everything fell into place, and we took off.”

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What leaders say

"With Noella, the work is not just transactional. It’s built on trust, integrity, and a shared commitment to Purpose…Making the world a better place."
Robbie Brozin
Founder
Nando's Restaurants
"Noella was instrumental in shaping ALU’s early days, from co-writing a business plan to helping design our curriculum. She brought energy, precision, and a level of strategic insight that made a lasting impact."
Fred Swaniker
Founder
Sand Technologies
"Working with Noella was a game-changer for WAVE. She developed a 3-year strategy that resulted in a tripling of numbers trained, and doubled team productivity, all while keeping everyone aligned. She also held relationships with our donors, managed our fundraising pipeline, and represented our work at key events. Noella drives real results."
Misan Rewane
Co-Founder
West Africa Vocational Education
"I hired Noella as a thought partner to lead the design and implementation of the Bridge to Prosperity pilot. After several months of high-level design discussions with multiple partners, Noella was essential to putting the pieces together and solving a number of last-mile challenges. In no time, we had a clear work plan, a streamlined recruitment process, the necessary supporting documentation, finalized participant payments, and successfully launched our first cohort of 18 working families. Noella leapt into action, immersed herself in the project with remarkable speed, and was pivotal to making it all happen."
Hannah Reuter
Founding Director
Bridge To Prosperity
"Noella has a remarkable ability to bring people together and maintain momentum, even under pressure. She fosters alignment, ensures clear communication, and keeps teams focused on what matters. Working with her is seamless and effective."
Richard Sheward
Director, Implementation Strategies | Children's HealthWatch
Boston Medical Center
"Noella has a way of cutting through the noise and zeroing in on what really matters. She’s sharp, strategic, and knows how to move things forward. Whether it’s navigating tricky decisions, streamlining a process, or just making sure the work stays on track, she brings empathy, clarity, and a calm presence to everything she does."
Lee Drewitz
Director, Program Operations
United Way Pioneer Valley
"Noella is skilled at turning a vision into a clear, actionable strategy."
Dudun Peterside
Owner & Executive Coach
Narita Learning Centre
"Noella is a strong leader who listens with a strategic ear. She is able to bridge organizations and perspectives and get things done!"
Carla Poulos
Senior Manager of Programs & Advocacy Women’s Money Matters
"Noella has a gift for doing the work with grace, kindness, and determination. She effectively mobilizes and organizes people to achieve their shared goal."
Jessica Ridge
Partnership Director
UpTogether
"Noella excels at connecting big picture vision with practical evaluation objectives. She was essential in bridging our evaluation work with program design and implementation, while providing valuable input into the logic model. Her consistent communication and attention to detail made our collaboration both productive and enjoyable"
Dr. Susan Crandall
Director,
Center for Social Policy
UMass Boston


An argument for hope


Project snapshots

Here you’ll find a few examples of the work I’ve done. The scope ranges from leading teams of 30+ at a social enterprise, pioneering as a founding Executive Director for a philanthropic organization, and driving multi-stakeholder public-private collaborations. If any of these projects resonate with your goals, let’s chat about how we can achieve similar results together.

Program design for a public private partnership.

Western Massachusetts EDC

I led the launch of the Bridge to Prosperity Pilot Program, testing a solution to inform future safety net policy and remove barriers to living wage work. I managed relationships with our team of implementing partners, drove the development of our evaluation process, and wrote grant applications.

Stakeholder Management | Program Design | Grant Writing | Program Implementation | Program Evaluation

Strategic planning for a family foundation.

Future Fund for Education

I developed the vision and strategy for investing in African-led education ventures for a family foundation. I  designed the strategy with the belief that local leadership knows best about the problems in their community, and how to solve them.

Selection and Due Diligence | Relationship Management | Strategic Planning | Program Design | Network building

Developmental Storytelling for nonprofit CEOs.

Smarter Good

Using frameworks and facilitated discussions, I supported founders on their journey to telling their stories with authenticity and clarity for increased resource mobilization.

Goal setting and action planning | Workshop Design | Facilitation | Storytelling and Communication | Problem-solving

Growth strategy for a social enterprise.

WAVE

I drove the development of WAVE’s scale-up strategy, whose implementation I subsequently led. I coordinated a 308% increase in numbers trained, including managing a growing team, and fundraising for an increased budget.

Team leadership | Resource Mobilization | Budgeting | Program Implementation | Growth strategy development

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About me

For the past 12 years, I’ve had the privilege of working at the intersection of big ideas and real impact.

My path has been wonderfully winding: from pipetting samples in a Tuberculosis vaccine lab in Cape Town to designing a public health intervention against malaria in Mozambique, from helping build learning experiences for a university in Mauritius to scaling a workforce development program in Nigeria.

I’ve called eight countries home and collected a Masters in Clinical Science along the way. What drives me is this shift I keep spotting: The moment when smart, caring people decide to build the world they want to see.

Whether I’m designing a pilot to change America’s safety net policies, helping a New York-based family foundation think ten years ahead, coaching social enterprises through growth spurts, I love that I get to help visionaries move from “wouldn’t it be nice if…” to “here’s exactly how we’re going to make it happen.”

When I’m not consulting, you’ll find me playing with my toddler, going for head-clearing runs, or buried in a good novel. I speak English and Swahili, serve on a few boards I care deeply about, and am working on finding serenity in the beautiful chaos of building things that matter.