It’s time to start doing what matters.
Matter is a global collective of strategy, operations and leadership talent united by a single purpose— help leaders and their teams reach their next finish line.
And leave them with everything they need to reach the one after that.
Close the gap between
dreaming and doing.
Every transformation journey looks different. But wherever you are on the path to better, collective progress is too often sidelined by the needs and noise of multiple agendas.
We’re calling time on silos, mismatched incentives, and the endless distractions that pull leaders and their teams away from vital goals.
Stop talking, start doing what matters.
Our Story
Bottling the magic
of difference
“There's a certain magic that happens when you find your people. You want to hold onto it and use it! But what’s possible if you bottle it and share that magic with the rest of the world?”
Shayna Rector Bleeker,
Co-Founder & VP, 7GEN
Over two decades, Sarah and Erin have mastered the art of catalyzing cross-functional teams to meet the challenges of the digital age—from strategy and storytelling to operations and technology.
Their early days together were spent helping organizations navigate the uncharted frontier of the internet. In the face of rapid change, they formed a partnership that thrived on experimentation and mutual respect. A potent mix of unlike minds and like hearts. This foundation laid the groundwork for their unique approach to fostering effective, interconnected teams.
In their second decade together, they led the expansion of initiatives like the THNK School of Creative Leadership and NOBL. This marked a transition from direct practice to empowering teams in fast scaling start-ups.
During this time, they distilled their cross-disciplinary expertise into actionable insights. Then used these insights to help teams embrace agility, human-centered design, and the emerging technologies.
Now, as they approach a new chapter, Sarah and Erin are focused on the critical role of cross-functional teams in navigating an increasingly demanding world.
"The profoundly complex challenges we face demand a new level of human collaboration, a recognition of our interdependence.” Sarah observes. Erin adds “the key to a thriving business is a culture that actively seeks diverse perspectives and creates the conditions where all skills and expertise can be fully engaged."
How We Help
What got you here won't get you there.
We help leaders get intentional about the design of their organizations—and find their path towards lasting business impact and people-positive growth.
Services
Organization &
Team Design
Strategy Design
& Activation
Leadership
Development
& Alignment
How We Help
Strategy Design
& Activation
01
Imagine everyone in your organization advancing
your strategy.
Foresight
& visioning
Purpose definition
& narrative
Strategy development
& activation
Strategic planning
& summits
All too often, strategy stays on the page. Or worse, in the fast-fading embers of an executive retreat.
We’ll help bring context and consciousness to this all-too messy process. We’ll ground you in your purpose and illuminate assumptions. And, as a result, your strategy will find its way off the page and into hearts and minds, where all strategies live or die. We’ll help you craft a future that’s uniquely yours by involving cross-functional leadership teams in a cohesive process, rather than isolating plans within silos.
We’ll help you ensure that every member of your organization is able to see themselves in the strategy— and use it make choices for themselves and their teams.
Our operating model and activation playbooks emphasize not just effectiveness but enjoyment—fostering focus, accountability, and a culture of continual learning.
Ultimately, we’ll make sure your strategy sticks— setting you apart from competitors and bringing your team together. This collective approach not only sharpens awareness of change but also enhances your ability to continually create new value for all stakeholders— today and in the future.
How We Help
Organization & Team Design
02
Align your process, practices and people.
Org design
(capability design, structural alignment)
Culture design & activation
(values, behaviors, practices)
Ways of working
& playbooks
People positive change
management
We understand the essence of a highly attuned, cross-functional team. And the power of , operational empathy and interdependence. We dive deep with your teams. We identify tensions and opportunities. Then we craft structures and playbooks that promote seamless flow and foster experiential learning. The result— more confidence and new working competencies.
It’s not lack of ideas or resources that causes organizations to falter, it's team dysfunction and operational inefficiencies. Issues like role confusion, meeting overload, misaligned incentives, and low motivation can create resistance or resentment.
Our approach prioritizes operational empathy and the recognition of each individual’s role in collective success. We’ve seen marked improvements in efficiency, team dynamics, and employee engagement and motivation. With our help, teams at all levels can navigate complexities to unlock a future of collective achievement and shared growth.
How We Help
Leadership Development & Alignment
03
Prepare your talent for the mission ahead.
Board vision & alignment
Leadership team development
Learning strategy, design & experiences
Executive / Founder
transitions
Coaching
Cultivating a culture that’s aligned with your strategy takes more than just showcasing your values on a graffiti mural. It starts with the executive teams and senior leaders who set the tone and norms for the entire organization. Our aim is to embed the behaviors, assumptions, and attitudes that accelerate progress from the top.
Our expertise lies in integrating new leadership behaviors. We design new experiences and offerings for leaders and teams that bring to life a company's purpose, values, and strategy. And invite new engagement with the organization and what it offers.
Our approach focuses on executive teams and senior leaders who are instrumental in modeling and promoting the behaviors that define a high-performing culture. We tailor our methodologies to align with your organization’s aspirations. From unforgettable experiences and cohort-based learning programs to personalized 1:1 coaching, This ensures that leadership at all levels is equipped to foster an environment where innovation is nurtured, and goals are achieved with enthusiasm and precision.
Global talent collective
At the heart of what makes us different is a crew of diverse dreamers and doers united in the quest to transform organizations for both people and performance. We know how to make magic together and will inspire your teams to do the same.
Sarah Dickinson
Strategy & Storytelling
Erin Cooper
Team Design & Change
Kristin Demafeliz
Leadership Coaching & Change
Zerlina Chan
Operations & Program Management
David Kohler
Leadership Development & Coaching
Laura Barron
Social Impact & Community Building
Ryan Jasperson
Executive Coaching & Talent Strategy
Kaz Brecher
Innovation & High Impact Coalitions
Meg Rice
Learning & Unlearning Design
Don’t take it from us
“Our partnership with Matter was a pivotal step for the team, particularly after our challenging recent years. Change in complex, frontline environments like ours is typically slow and fraught. By comparison, Erin and Sarah skillfully guided our Business Transformation Team in breaking down complex customer service challenges, nurturing customer empathy through deeper listening, and prototyping effective solutions. This hands-on learning experience was crucial in cultivating a stronger sense of autonomy and experimentation - changing how we approach and trial change within our organization.”
Kurt Pregler,
Chief Information Officer,
Translink
“Velocity can only occur when clear direction meets speed - Sarah and Erin were instrumental in helping us find both of these during a crucial phase of our growth. Working as an extension of our leadership team, their unique perspective and practices helped us find lasting cohesion as an executive and bring focus and responsiveness to our company strategy. Their expertise helped us design and implement the most critical changes to our structures, talent capabilities and ways of working to then operationalize strategy across the business.
Rather than disparate orbits, teams now see their interconnections, customers, and have the tools and culture needed for exceptional alignment at our rapid pace—a competitive edge that's impossible to replicate.”
Nicholas Johnson,
Chief Field Operations Officer
Medifast, Inc
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Sarah and Erin for many years on a variety of initiatives from strategy to design to global executive leadership development. Their partnership is unique, miles from a transactional in and out consulting relationship. Matter is invested and deeply cares for you, your company, and the task at hand; they are an exceptional resource and sounding board and as a team of innovators and provocateurs, they consistently exceed expectations and deliver game changing results. I like to call it the Matter magic! “
Patti Clarke,
Global Chief People Experience Officer,
HAVAS
In the midst of our dynamic transition from a start-up to a business poised to scale-up, it became clear that 7Gen needed to improve our ways of working, and weave our values more deeply into our daily operations and expanding team fabric. The Matter team of Sarah and Erin, as architects of culture and strategy, helped to refine and illuminate our path. They didn't just translate our values to culture-building behaviors; they infused life and clarity into our strategic priorities, identifying trade offs, enhancing our leadership team dynamics and making our ambitions tangible and clear for the rest of our rapidly growing team.
Their collaboration with us was a testament to the transformative potential of an effective partnership. The magic we discovered with Sarah and Erin—their unique blend of skills and the vibrant synergy they brought—catalyzed our journey towards greater clarity and purpose. "There's a certain magic that happens when you find your people," and indeed, finding Sarah and Erin was our moment of magic, propelling us forward with renewed vision and unified strength.
Shayna Rector-Bleeker,
Co-Founder & Vice President
7GEN
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