Building the Leadership Infrastructure Behind Systems Change
We serve as organizational advisors to organizations navigating complexity, accountability, and change at scale.
We strengthen how leadership functions across systems—so decision-making remains clear, responsibility is distributed, and progress is sustained over time.
Leadership challenges are rarely isolated—they are systemic.
Why Our Work Exists
Organizations are not short on insight.
Leaders can see what isn’t working.
They understand the pressure.
They can name the complexity.
What’s often missing is the infrastructure required to:
Translate insight into consistent decision-making
Align leadership across roles and levels
Sustain progress under pressure
Reinforce accountability over time
Without this, even strong leaders are left carrying systems that cannot hold.
How We Think About Systems Change
Systems do not shift through intention alone.
They shift when leadership is aligned, reinforced, and sustained across the system.
We believe:
Leadership must be distributed, not dependent on a single individual
Change must be measurable, visible, and reinforced over time
Capacity must be built alongside accountability
Systems must be designed to hold under pressure—not just perform in stability
Our work sits at the intersection of leadership, systems change, and institutional accountability.
Our Approach
We build leadership infrastructure through three integrated levers:
Conscious Leadership & Organizational Development
Builds values-aligned leaders who make sound decisions under pressure while embedding trust, clarity, and distributed leadership across roles.
Data-informed Change & Accountability
Establishes baselines, feedback loops, and clear indicators so progress is visible, measurable, and sustained.
Restoration & Resilience Practices
Strengthens leaders’ ability to remain steady, prevent burnout, and sustain effective decision-making through complexity.
How We Work Build Leadership Infrastructure
We advise and build with organizations to strengthen leadership capacity, alignment, and accountability at the system level.
Our work is structured to:
Diagnose system-level leadership challenges
Advise on strategic direction and structural shifts
Design and embed leadership infrastructure
Reinforce progress through ongoing engagement
We embed this work through:
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Proprietary diagnostics assessing leadership capacity, alignment, and readiness for systems change.
SCLI-14™ leadership capacity measurement
SCLI-Org™ climate & alignment benchmarking
Systems alignment & structural barrier analysis
Pre/post impact measurement & reporting
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Cohort-based executive engagements strengthening alignment, accountability, and leadership durability across complex systems.
Focus Areas:
Leadership alignment & decision clarity
Organizational culture & adaptive strategy
Executive resilience in high-pressure
environments
Mission, people & systems integration
Embedded accountability practices
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Cohort-based programs strengthening leadership capacity, decision-making, and system influence for mid-level professionals and emerging talent.
Focus Areas:
Adaptive leadership & decision-making
System navigation & cross-functional influence
Confidence in complex environments
Career progression & leadership readiness
Measurable performance milestones
Our work is designed to live inside the organization—not outside of it.
Who We Work With
We partner with institutions where leadership decisions carry system-wide consequence:
These are environments where leadership must function under pressure—not just intention.
Trusted Across Sectors
For over two decades, DCC team members have partnered with leaders navigating real-world complexity. Across sectors, our work has strengthened leadership capacity, aligned teams, and delivered measurable impact.
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Association of Colleges and University Housing Officers - International
Beloved Community
The Harlem Children’s Zone
New Leaders
The Adaptive Leadership Network
Waterford
IMAN Central: Chicago: Green Re-Entry
Community Coalition
Deans for Impact
J-PAL North America, Poverty Action Lab
Benevolence Farm
Institute for Educational Advancement
Starting Bloc
LatinxEd
Women’s Leadership Summit
I am Well
Alliance for a Better Community
Ampersand
uAspire
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Women’s Dignity of Choice
Cook County Juvenile Probation & Court Services
Washington Employment Securities Department
Adult Redeploy Illinois
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
Mayors Innovation Project
Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans
State of Nevada Department of Education
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Great Lakes Academy
Western Michigan University
American University AUx Experience Program
UNC Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Public Health
Chicago Public Schools: Peirce Elementary School
University of Connecticut: Women of Color Resource Group
Stevens Cooperative School
Harvard Law School
Kankakee School District
Progressive Leadership Academy
Woodrow Wilson High School, Washington DC
Winsor School
American University School of Education
Western Kern Children’s Cabinet
Lost Hills Union School District
The Harlem Children’s Zone: Promise Academy Charter High Schools
Uncommon Schools: Boston
Uncommon Schools: Troy
St. Louis Public Schools
Winston Salem/Forsyth County Public Schools
Harvard Graduate School of Education: Doctor of Education Leadership Program
Harvard Graduate School of Education: School Leadership Program
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Prospect Hill Charter School
Neighborhood House Charter School
Washington University at St. Louis: Department of Residence Life
North Carolina State University
Boston Public Schools
The New York City Department of Education
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Microsoft Woman of Cloud Marketing ERG Leadership Team
GSD&M
7till8
We Are Robyn, Inc.
General Assembly
AchieveMission
Minds at Work
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The Moriah Group
Aspen Institute Young Leaders Fellowship Program
Nellie Mae Foundation
School Systems Leaders Fellowship
Moonshot edVentures
LatinxEd Fellowship
Grid110
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I am Well
Ampersand
Kitchen Table App
Quilt
Ankura Consulting
Bounteous
Meet the Senior Team
Meet the Program & Insights Team and Coaches
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Coach Affiliate
Rhyan’s experience spans financial analysis, relationship management, business development, human capital management, and workforce analytics. He has worked in several industries including: commercial banking, hedge funds, technology start-ups, and industrial supplies. Rhyan is passionate about disrupting social inequities that impact Black males and the restoration of father-child relationships that have been impacted by systemic racial injustices.
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Coach Affiliate
Elaine Townsend Utin - a proud Peruvian-American - is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of LatinxEd. In this non-profit capacity, Elaine leads state-wide efforts to invest in Latinx leadership to expand educational equity and opportunity in North Carolina. Elaine specializes in conscious leadership development, coaching, and positive racial-ethnic identity formation.
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Coach Affiliate
Dr. Ball has fifteen years of experience serving elementary youth in Washington D.C. As an award-winning educator, she utilizes affirmative-based pedagogical approaches for a multitude of diverse communities. As an active public scholar, she often explores the intersection of antiracist policy, research, and practice in her presentations and publications. Dr. Ball recently completed her doctorate degree in Educational Policy and Leadership and earned the 2022 American University Outstanding Scholarship at the Graduate Level Award. Presently, Dr. Ball serves as an Instructional Coach in the district, an Adjunct Professor at American University School of Education and a Contributing Writer with Philly’s 7th Ward. As a practitioner, she is a disrupter of Imposter syndrome, advocate for holistic wellness and consultant for advancing conscious leadership for equity.
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Coach Affiliate
O.B. Amaechi is a social architect with over 15 years of experience in school leadership, teaching, mentoring students, and coaching adults. He is the author of The Intentional 5: VERGE - Confessions of a Disciplined Thought, a self-help book and companion e-course built on 5 guiding principles (Vulnerability, Experiences, Relationships, Gratitude, and Evaluation) with a focus on introspection and the intentionality of our choices.
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Coach Affiliate
Regine Laforest-Sharif (she/her) is an experienced change agent passionate about matters ranging from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to crisis response and prevention. Her powerhouse work ethic and vision promise both quality service and effective outcomes across disciplines. As a first-generation Haitian American, Regine is fluent in French and proficient in Haitian Creole. She volunteers her time for several organizations including JHU’s Black Faculty & Staff Association, Children and Families Global Development Fund Inc. and the Children of Haiti Enhancement Foundation, and many more. Regine has been a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. for over 30 years, and is a two-time graduate of SUNY, Buffalo State College, obtaining both a B.A. in Sociology and an M.S. in Student Personnel Administration. Regine currently serves as the Director of Student Affairs for the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing where she is spearheading monumental changes that will positively impact student life, crisis response, record keeping, and more.
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Chasity Wells-Armstrong served as the first Black mayor of the city of Kankakee, IL. With over 20 years of experience affecting organizational and community change through advocacy and public policy, she worked to advance equity in the community and civic engagement on the city’s boards, committees, and commissions. She is a seasoned facilitator, moderator, and advocate, championing issues such as violence prevention, mental/behavioral health treatment, education, and climate resilience. Chasity is the founder of Catalyst Coaching & Transformation.
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Inbal Sansani is an executive coach for professional women. A former lawyer and humanitarian aid worker, Inbal has extensive experience resolving conflict, managing negotiations, and holding space for difficult emotions. Inbal graduated summa cum laude from Duke University with a B.A. in ‘War, Gender & Religion in the Middle East’; earned a Master of Philosophy in Ethnic and Racial Studies from Trinity College, Dublin; and graduated cum laude with a Juris Doctor from American University
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Tara is an artist, author and educator from Chicago. In 2023, Tara launched the Liberated Arts Movement, an organization that promotes wellness through the arts. Tara has won city and region-wide playwriting competitions, published two children’s books, an inspirational journal and a collection of original poetry. As a visual artist, she's been featured in and curated over 15 exhibits. Additionally, Tara has been the recipient of several creative endowments like Ford Philanthropy Fellowship, Black Girl Ventures and Hyde Park Art Center’s Artists Run Chicago Grant. Tara’s intention is that through her artistry others feel empowered to let their light shine.
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Sherri is an equity-focused, innovative educational leader with extensive experience working in K-12 and adult education with a special dedication to justice-impacted learners. Her expertise includes inviting others to co-create learning spaces centered on inquiry, inclusivity, and advancing opportunities for individual and community growth.
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Wendy is the visionary, Founder, and Executive Leadership Coach for Coaching Women of Color. With over two decades of experience in the nonprofit educational sector, her expertise in leadership includes tackling imposter syndrome, effective team management, cultivating executive presence, adeptly navigating difficult conversations, and addressing microaggressions in the workplace. She's a certified DiSC facilitator, a graduate of the Accomplishment Coaches Training Program, and a proud alumna of Columbia University Business School's Program for Developing Leaders for Non-Profit Professionals
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Clarybel has over 20 years in higher ed administration and has provided consulting services for a variety of institutions, corporations and associations. She is an expert in strategy, leadership development, organizational culture, implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Clarybel earned a B.A. in Sociology from Syracuse University, M.A. in Higher Ed Admin from University of South Carolina and a Ed.D in Org Leadership and Communications from Northeastern University. She is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and The Links.
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Nedaa has professionally taught for 12 years as a high school classroom teacher in Chicago Public Schools and Boston charter schools. She is the founder and former executive director at Prairie Academy, serves as an advisor on The Justice Coalition, and is a founding board member on The Sanctuary Garden - a nonprofit, divorce resource center for women in Illinois. She is expected to graduate from Harvard Graduate School of Education with her master’s in education and nonprofit leadership in May 2024.
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Anthony is the current Sr. Volunteer Programs Manager and Organizational Culture for Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE). He facilitates various efforts to encourage corporate and community volunteers to empower students’ entrepreneurial mindsets. He also leads initiatives to strengthen the organization’s culture, diversity, and inclusion mission.
Anthony is a former high school English teacher. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. in English and Secondary Education.
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Jordy is a systems-level educational leader focused on transformation through interrogating practices, precedents, and policies, in order to cultivate more inclusive and affirming learning environments. Currently, as Director of DEI in the Oceanside Unified School District. He drives systems-level change and leads district DEI efforts, social emotional learning and culturally proficient teaching and learning.
Jordy holds a B.A. from The Ohio State University and a Ed.L.D. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Dr. Nicole Caridad Ralston is devoted to creating spaces where those who have been pushed to the margins can be centered, seen and heard. As a multiracial Latina, and daughter of Cuban refugees, her dedication to equity and inclusion is personal. She has over 15 years of leadership experience in both higher education and the non-profit sector. In her most recent career as the Senior Director of Education and Programming at Beloved Community she built out a diverse team of racial equity consultants while centering shared voice & shared power, led the team in visioning and strategy, and developed the content, curriculum, and facilitation services for the consulting firm. In her higher education career, she built an office devoted to first-year retention, advised university community engagement initiatives, built social justice education programs, taught courses, and led the undocumented student support committee. Her doctoral research focused on how women of color in higher education navigated their identities in their leadership roles. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor at The University of New Orleans graduate school where she teaches, “Diversity in Higher Education”.
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Kathy is an equity & trauma-informed leadership coach working with individuals & groups of all ages nationally on personal & professional development. Her experience spans across education, non-profit, youth development, & social justice organizations. She has co-designed & led efforts to audit org culture with an anti-racist lens.
Kathy holds her M.A. in Social Entrepreneurship & Change from Pepperdine University & her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan.