Bold work requires vision, strategy alignment, clarity, and the systems to make it meaningful.
With rigor and compassion, I partner with senior leaders and teams to navigate transition and complexity—building the structures, practices, and accountability needed to advance ambitious goals towards racial and economic justice.
- Michelle Natividad Rodriguez
With nearly 25 years of experience, Michelle brings a strategic perspective and practical tools to help organizations advance systems- change work.
Core Areas of Support:
Executive leadership and coaching
Organizational strategy and change management
Cross-functional alignment and team effectiveness
Equity-centered systems and practices
Strategic roadmaps and advocacy frameworks
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Cross-Functional Alignment & Systems
Building the internal infrastructure needed for effective, aligned work including: breaking down silos and strengthening collaboration; clarifying roles, decision-making, and accountability; designing work planning systems; and improving coordination across teams.
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Leadership Coaching & Advising
Support for senior leaders navigating change including: leading through transition or growth; strengthening management and supervision practices; designing equity-centered accountability systems; navigating complex dynamics; and aligning leadership approach with organizational values.
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Strategy & Change Management
Helping organizations move from big vision to clear, actionable strategies and plans including: strategic planning and priority-setting; translating theory of change into frameworks; change management design; and embedding learning, reflection, and evaluation.
Track Record of Impact
Coalition-Building, National Strategy & Policy Impact
Michelle has nearly 25 years of legal and policy experience. She led program strategy at a national nonprofit advancing racial and economic justice across 40+ states, aligning work across a dozen issue areas and reducing silos.
She developed and co-led national advocacy strategies in coalition with directly impacted leaders that contributed to fair chance hiring reforms across nearly 40 states and 200 localities.
Leadership, Learning & Accountability
Michelle built and institutionalized a measurement and evaluation system for policy advocacy, embedding ongoing learning and accountability practices across a dozen teams.
She co-designed an equity-centered management model that significantly strengthened supervision, feedback, and leadership effectiveness.
Strategic Planning & Securing Resources for Impact
Michelle directed multiple organization-wide strategic planning processes and built annual workplanning systems grounded in measurable outcomes.
She secured major philanthropic funding through strategic grant development and funder engagement.
Testimonials
"[Michelle] sees the big picture and executes on details accordingly, weaving together cross-team functionality while holding interconnected programmatic work..."
Caitlin, Nonprofit Leader
"Michelle is an incredible leader with strategic and tactical vision, expansive programmatic knowledge, and deep experience with organizational development."
Emily, Fundraising Leader for Social Justice
"[Michelle is] an exceptional communicator and knows how to foster supportive, collaborative environments to bring out the best out of her team."
Baldomero, Leader for Social Change & Strategist
Let’s build together
I work with:
Nonprofit and advocacy organizations and foundations
Social justice and movement organizations
Coalitions and networks
Senior leaders navigating transition or complexity
