Across the knowledge sector—and in many nonprofit and mission-driven spaces—this is a time of real strain. Shrinking budgets, rising instability, and violent policies continue to create pressure, especially for groups rooted in equity, care, and collaboration. In moments like these, it’s difficult to access the support and strategic thinking needed to keep moving forward, especially when capacity is already stretched.
At Educopia, we’ve spent nearly two decades working with libraries, archives, literary collectives, research networks, publishers, and community organizations to strengthen how they work, govern, and grow. Based on our experience, we know that making space for focused, generative conversation can sometimes open new possibilities when you’re feeling “stuck”.
To meet the current moment, we’re offering free 30-minute Office Hours with members of our consulting team from June 9 to June 27, 2025. Select a Consultant (read their detailed bios below!) to work with and sign up below:
Click here to schedule a 30-min slot via Calendly
While our roots are in the knowledge sector, these Office Hours are open to anyone navigating organizational or collaborative challenges, regardless of sector or discipline. We are offering our collective experience and expertise to anyone who could benefit from a sounding board, a few practical tools, or some shared thinking around the questions they’re holding.
What you can expect from a 30-minute session:
- A 30-minute, focused consultation with a member of the Educopia Consulting team, with thought partnership tailored to your organization’s real-time challenge or opportunity
- A few next steps, strategies, or tools to help you move forward
- Please note: Some topics may need more time or expertise than we can offer in one session. If that’s the case, we’ll share ideas for where to go next, including other tools, partners, or follow-up options.
If you’re feeling unsure or have any questions, please reach out to consulting@educopia.org
This offering is inspired by the Anti-Oppressive Research and Training Alliance, whose work with us has helped shape the tools, methods, and values we bring into these spaces.
What questions might you bring to an Office Hour?
Office Hours are designed to help you move something forward, even if it’s just thinking it through in conversation with the consultant you choose to partner with. Since our founding 18 years ago, we have worked with a wide range of organizations in various phases of development, and have come to see that the actual work of community and organizational development can be grouped into 5 growth areas: Vision, Infrastructure, Finances and HR, Engagement, and Governance. Here are a few examples of questions under those growth areas that make good use of a 30-minute session:
Vision: Establishing a group’s mission, vision, and values; navigating landscape changes and opportunities, etc.
“Our group has grown, and we need a mission that reflects who we are now. How do we start?”
“Our work overlaps with others in our field. How can we clarify what makes us distinct?”
“We’re expanding a membership model. What are the key things we should be thinking about?”
Infrastructure: Rightsizing digital infrastructure, evaluating processes and platforms, systems mapping; etc.
“We’re juggling multiple platforms that don’t connect well. Can you help us make sense of what we really need?”
“We’re picking between two tools and want a quick framework to make a decision.”
“How do we determine the level of resourcing needed to address our technical debt?”
Finances & HR: Identifying the different kinds of skills, resources, and staffing needed for project sustainability
“We’re hiring for the first time and want help defining the role clearly.”
“We’ve been grant-funded for years—how do we start thinking about sustainability?”
“Is it time to shift from using contractors to hiring staff?”
Engagement: Managing engagement strategies when balancing multiple types of stakeholders; designing outreach plans, etc.
“We’re planning a campaign for a new digital exhibit. Can we brainstorm 2–3 ways to identify and prioritize outreach channels?”
“Our social posts are getting flagged or falling flat. What other outreach options should we consider?”
“What are quick, low-cost ways to invite community feedback on our programming without overwhelming our small team?”
Governance: Formalizing leadership structures within a group; working through succession planning, etc.
“Our lead organizer is stepping back—how do we plan for a smooth transition?”
“We have bylaws, but decision-making still feels unclear. How do we fix that?”
“We’re starting a steering committee. What roles should we define from the start?”
You might have a question that doesn’t fit neatly into any of the categories above, and that’s completely fine. If you’re unsure where to start, bring what you’re holding and we’ll figure it out together.
Meet the Consultants:
In addition to these areas, you may want to consider our individual experience, skills, and expertise to inform who you choose to consult with. Our consultants bring deep and diverse expertise—from systems design to strategic planning, governance, infrastructure, and community engagement—and are aligned with Educopia’s mission of connecting diverse knowledge communities with resources, power, and each other.
Jackson Huang
Areas of focus: community-owned digital infrastructure; values-aligned technology choices; metadata and semantic justice
“I work with groups to ensure that their infrastructure—technical and interpersonal—supports long-term sustainability and impact. I help assess software, workflows, and decision-making structures for alignment with organizational values, especially during transitions. I’m particularly excited to work on collaborative metadata projects, technical debt reduction, and digital stewardship for smaller, community-based organizations.”
Jessica Meyerson
Areas of focus: organizational resilience, collaborative governance, strategic facilitation, ecosystem engagement
“I support mission-driven teams in designing structures—organizational, relational, and technical—that adapt to change without losing their grounding. I specialize in helping groups clarify roles, reduce coordination overload, and build systems for distributed leadership and collaboration. Offering practical, values-based support rooted in deep facilitation and systems thinking, I’ve guided organizations through complex shifts, developed right-sized staffing and assessment plans, and supported the selection and modeling of digital infrastructure and knowledge systems. My approach centers on making the implicit visible and engaging the right constellation of people to move the work forward.”
Katherine Kim
Areas of focus: strategic planning, governance modeling, organizational development, change management
“I work with groups navigating organizational challenges—ranging from revisiting mission, vision, and values to developing concrete strategic road maps for the upcoming years to designing and implementing co-created processes. I have a background in the nonprofit and higher education sector, having worked with organizations and communities to support collaboration and relationship building, strategic planning initiatives, and governance development and refinement.”
Rachel Mattson
Areas of focus: community archives, digital public humanities. consultative leadership, organizational sustainability
“I bring decades of creative, institution-based problem solving experience to my work with organizations in transition—with a focus on sustainability planning, leadership development, and care-informed strategic planning. As an archivist and public historian, I bring experience in community archives, audiovisual preservation, and collaborative decision-making. I’m especially drawn to projects that help emerging leaders build effective, ethical expressions of power and deepen financial and systems sustainability.”
Aloma Antao
Areas of focus: strategic communications, informational design, systems thinking, participatory research, organizational development
“I support teams in crafting clear, values-driven communication strategies rooted in design and research. My work includes building campaigns, designing internal templates and tools, and supporting cross-team communication and learning. I bring experience in participatory and design-led methods, helping groups surface insights, tell their stories, and strengthen internal practices for sustainable growth.”
We know that small, focused conversations can create meaningful shifts. If you’re holding a question, a challenge, or even just a feeling that something’s stuck, we invite you to bring it to the table.