Close Gaps Between Systems and People

Business Equity Leads to Growth

I founded Zena Consulting in 2008, to help leaders and managers communicate better in today's complex marketplace. My mission is improving equity through business capacity and growth. My vision is a thriving USA rural and urban middle class that compete globally.

Working across sectors, I often approach communication challenges through the lens of diversity and inclusion. Leaders see me as a liaison between systems and people, who balances a variety of stakeholder views.

Owner-operated and based in the Northwest, I curate a network of national experts for larger projects, when deeper bi-cultural or bi-lingual support is needed. Zena Consulting is a Washington state OMWBE-certified DBE.

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Company

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As a leader of color, I’ve felt empowered working with Lee. She took the time to understand our vision, and skillfully applied her deep knowledge of cultural and diversity elements to researching and writing our grants, and developing marketing materials.

​Narima Amin, Executive Director, Global Social Business Partnerships

Regina Glenn

CEO

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Pacific Communications Consulting

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Lee’s insights were critical to branding that reflects our priority and intentions. She guided us through a thought process to understand our values and community, then helped me avoid choosing images that possibly driven away future customers and current members.

I highly recommend executive teams work with her to avoid subtle, but potentially disastrous messaging mistakes that you wouldn’t even catch.

Jen Hamilton, COO, Consultant's Institute

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Background

The common theme in my career is persuasive communications. I started out as a copywriter in ad agencies. This gave me a feel for sales and marketing. Next, I started designing and delivering training for community-based organizations, in the fields of education and family support- the social profit sector. There, I noticed how poor communication sometimes created outreach gaps between mainstream organizations and minority families. Acting as a liaison, I noticed:

• leaders struggled to reach diversity and inclusion goals
• ineffective outreach hit children the hardest, especially low-income ones
• weak relationships and cross-cultural communication skills often compromised staff's worthy efforts
• global communication tools aren't designed to address the subtlety and complexity of USA populations

Learn more about my personal life at Her Story

Credentials

Education 
M.A. Sociology, New School University, NY
B.A. Communications, Temple University, PA

Certifications & Methodologies
Adaptive Community Leadership, Saybrook University, WA
Training Specialist, University of Washington, WA
Cultural Detective, Nipporica Associates
Center for Partnership Studies- Caring Economy Program, by Rianne Eisler
Facilitative, Interest-Based Mediation Training, Skagit County Dispute Resolution Center

James Whitfield and me at LE graduation, 2017

ZENA AFFILIATES

Leadership

RON HIGGS, M.S., is the founding owner of Wolf Management Solutions. Ron brings unique insights about leadership challenges facing minorities, based on his experience as a systems engineer leading Aerospace and Defense technical teams, and as a U.S. Navy officer and pilot.

Mediation

DEE KNAPP, J.D., founder and owner of Accord & Collaboration, and board member of the King County Dispute Resolution Center.  Her employment law and conflict resolution skills have helped clients save money, conserve resources, and leave problems behind.

Global Teams

ALI SHAMI, is a global leadership expert, motivational speaker, and CEO of FTD Global. As a Boeing Senior Manager, he's led diversity and inclusion initiatives with teams in Korea, Italy, and England. Ali is fluent in English and Arabic, and has some Spanish proficiency. 

In Loving Memory

CATHERINE ENGLAND, M.Ed, (1957-2020). I lost a wonderful friend in March. Catherine was a gracious and generous. In addition to co-training with me, she taught English to New American, refugee, and native-born adults for over 15 years, and was tenured faculty at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. Above is a photo of me with Catherine (r), with her daughter, Sara, (l).

Recognition

Contributor to: “Access to Asia”, a business communications resource guide by Sharon Schweitzer, J.D., (published by Wiley), and winner of Kirkus Review’s, “Best Books of 2015” Indie award.

Volunteer Award from Washington Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, (CAPCAN), for working as a volunteer parent group leader in PEPS, (Program for Early Parent Support).

This Celtic knot icon honors my heritage. The shield design represents the four directions, and my consulting process of pulling together separate ideas into something new, whole, and strong. Ancient and universal to humankind, knots are practical and concrete. They're used to tie shoes, hair, and boats. Knots are also abstract: symbolizing God, the Divine, or Mother Earth. As such, they're used by many as  instruments of prayer and meditation. Read lots about me at Her Story