Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Our Team
We're obsessed with learning what makes organizations great, how our world is changing, and what organizations can do to create a better future for their customers, employees, and community.
Erica Seldin
Founding Partner
Meet Our Team
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
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Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Karina Mangu-Ward
Partner
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Jessie Punia
President & Partner
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Sherian Feaster
Transformation Consultant
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Alexis Gonzales-Black
Partner
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Max Sather
Transformation Lead
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Tirzah Enumah
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Cassidy Jones
Team Member
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Keara Mascareñaz
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Mike Arauz
Founding Partner
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.
Levi Baer
Transformation Consultant
Meet Our Team
Founding Partner
Erica is an org designer, strategist and coach to leadership teams that seek purposeful growth and change. Erica founded the organization transformation consultancy August to spark movements toward a new way of working and organizing inside the world’s most ambitious companies. From global enterprises including PepsiCo and Intel to public and nonprofit institutions like Planned Parenthood and NYC’s Department of Education, Erica has guided leaders and teams to design operating models better suited for the 21st century. Her approach is supported by over a decade of experience in organization development, digital transformation, and grassroots organizing.
Partner
Karina has a decade of experience partnering with leading nonprofits, foundations, city agencies, and community stakeholders. At August, Karina is an organizational design consultant who helps nurture more creative, self-managing and productive teams. She’s partnered with New York City’s Department of Education, Sundance Institute, Planned Parenthood, PepsiCo and Chanel. Prior to joining August, she worked for 10 years with nonprofits, foundations, government agencies, and community networks tackling complex organizational and social challenges. Her passion is helping groups navigate ambiguity, gain insight, and unlock highly complex challenges.
President & Partner
Jessie has always worked in the field of Organizational Change and is passionate about making organizations a happy place where great ideas come to life! Prior to joining August, Jessie worked at IBM and Undercurrent as an Organizational Change consultant for large global companies across a variety of industries - Financial Services, Energy & Utilities, CPG and Retail. Jessie thoroughly enjoys working with the world's most influential organizations to help them build stellar teams who are capable of greatness. Jessie is a born and raised Londoner who loves getting outside and playing new golf courses.
Transformation Consultant
Sherian is a creative organizational transformation consultant with a passion for helping organizations work through complex challenges. Partnering with teams and leaders to uncover the benefits of responsive ways of working is her passion. Sherian believes work should be equitable, and her number one priority is creating work experiences that work for everyone. Sherian has experience consulting in learning and development, digital transformation, and human-centered design for government and corporate clients alike.
Partner
Alexis is the Org Design Practice Lead for August Public Inc. She is an expert in organization design, change activation, and the future of work. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with some of the world's most respected companies to design innovative organizational practices and implement large, complex change programs. Before becoming a Partner at August she was the Org Design Lead at Zappos.com and a Design Lead at IDEO. She is also a former high school science teacher and policymaker. Her book, The New School Rules: 6 Vital Practices for Thriving and Responsive Schools, was published by Corwin Press in 2018. Alexis's work has been widely covered in the media, and she has spoken at national conferences, including SXSW, Culture First, and the Responsive Conference.
Transformation Lead
Max is a co-owner and EMEA lead at August Public Inc. He combines team coaching, leadership development and org design to develop organizations that are capable of responding to the complexity and uncertainty of the 21st century. By designing simple practical tools that spread like wildfire across the employee population, Max has helped huge organizations - including PepsiCo, Chanel, Bayer and many others - with their biggest cultural challenges including empowerment, inclusion, agility, psychological safety. Max has delivered keynote talks for leaders at Porsche, Adidas & Typeform, he has been featured on the Collaboration Is Culture Podcast and at conferences around the world including Northside Brooklyn, Agile NYC, and Merit HR Barcelona.
Equity & Inclusion Practice Lead
Tirzah is a mission-driven leader, thoughtful advisor, and experienced facilitator who is passionate about empowering others, especially the most marginalized among us, to become economically secure, fulfilled, healthy, & happy. For over a decade, Tirzah has led work on topics including diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizational culture change, talent development, and staff learning in the public and nonprofit education sectors. At August, Tirzah help organizations and teams center equity, foster belonging, and amplify their impact to make our world better.
Team Member
Cassidy Jones is a strategist, facilitator, and organizational culture nerd. In her role with August, she manages People, Business, and Consulting Operations. Cassidy is passionate and curious about how to develop and lead teams to support progressive change for the public benefit. Prior to her work with August, Cassidy led strategic initiatives, organizational development, and EDI initiatives at a national climate change nonprofit focused on leadership development and advocacy. Based in the Bay Area, Cassidy loves to spend time outside and cook elaborate meals for friends.
Empowered Decision Making Practice Lead
Keara is the author of The New Team Habits and the Empowered Decision Practice Lead at August Public. She is an expert in making large-scale transformation practical and lasting. With more than 15 years of experience in responsive ways of working, team coaching, and leadership development, Keara has led and coached hundreds of teams to develop new ways of working that increase agility, inclusion, and
innovation. In this work, she supports clients to launch new products, refine existing processes, and increase employee engagement and team effectiveness. She does this by coaching cross-functional teams and senior leaders, and by designing and spreading agile and empowered decision making practices and mindsets that can be used by everyone in the org. Outside of work, Keara enjoys exploring new cities with her husband, curating Spotify playlists, and nerding out at museums around the world.
Founding Partner
Mike Arauz is a Founding Partner at August Public Inc., a leading organization transformation firm based in the United States and UK. Mike’s pioneering approach to building high-performing teams and organizations has made him a sought-after advisor to senior executives at global nonprofits, NYC Government, and Fortune 100 companies. Previously, Mike was a Partner at Undercurrent, where he worked with leaders of global companies to transform how their organizations work and thrive in the 21st century, including GE, PepsiCo, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Before joining Undercurrent, Mike worked at the digital agency Deep Focus and at Pompei A.D., the design firm behind the vanguard retailers Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Mike is also a co-author of the Responsive.org manifesto and a leading contributor to the global self-management and future of work movement.
Transformation Consultant
Levi brings a passion for community, joy, justice, and human connection to his work in guiding organizational transformation. As a skilled facilitator and strategist, he has deep expertise in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging concepts and implementing these practices across organizations. With over 10 years of experience, Levi has partnered with nonprofits, corporations, and international companies of all sizes such as NYC DOE, Instacart, and Colgate. He excels at translating big ideas into practical, actionable practices that unlock greater creativity, productivity, and potential. Levi’s superpower is facilitation and the ability to guide groups to connect with complex concepts. Through coaching, advising, and facilitating he supports leaders to find motivation, shared understanding, and strategies to drive effective and lasting change. Levi has a master’s degree in multicultural and organizational communication. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to podcasts, playing board games, and building things around the house.
Culture Transformation Consultant
Kawai Lai believes in the power of visuals and finds purpose at the intersection of leadership, equity, and strategy. She is a designer and facilitator partnering with leaders across multiple industries to plan for the future and brings an equity lens and a visual practice to everything she does. She is the co-author of The New Team Habits ©2020, which provides practices for leaders to build better team habits, and the creator of the Strategic Planning Playbook, a step-by-step guide demystifying strategy for leaders who want to run an inclusive and joyful process.
Org Design and Transformation Consultant
Melissa helps companies reach their highest potential by designing unique cultures and ways of working. She is inspired by creative approaches to engage employees and reinventions of traditional talent practices. Melissa has partnered with clients in a variety of industries including healthcare, professional services, education, and financial services to evolve their internal strategies, structures, processes, and talent operations. Melissa brings to August over a decade of external and internal consulting and org design experience from her work at IDEO and ZS. Melissa approaches every challenge with an eye on change management to help her clients think through how to successfully embed new behaviors. Melissa holds an MBA with a concentration in Management & Organizations and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business.