Design is a human-centered approach to solve problems.
Transforming the way leaders and teams learn and work together to impact nature and people
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What is Design?
What is a Pathway?
A pathway is an iterative roadmap to achieve a specific result.
Our Why
Our purpose is to impact people and nature through the power of learning and design.
The nonprofit sector is navigating rapid changes, from a shifting funding landscape and layoffs to AI and new ways of working. Now is the time for leaders to invest in themselves and their teams; to learn, grow, and evolve.
However, leaders often work in high-intensity, low-resource, and remote environments. It can be difficult to commit the time, money, emotional bandwidth, and energy to their personal and professional development. They may feel alone in challenges they don’t have the skills and tools to address and believe they simply have to live with them. But leaders have a choice: they can stay stuck in patterns that hold them and their teams back or design their way forward.
The stakes are too high for leaders to feel lonely and stressed, solve their challenges alone, or learn through trial and error. They need affordable, expert-led, and personalized training, coaching, and support that builds resilience and creates change in their lives and work.
We believe design is critical for leaders because it...
- Helps you understand what shapes human behavior
- Strengthens teams to collaborate and get unstuck
- Unlocks new ways of thinking and doing to see faster results
What We Do
Our work leverages private sector expertise and real-world experience to help you uncover gaps in your thinking and behavior, gain new insights, and achieve breakthroughs. We offer virtual, in-person, and hybrid learning programs to help organizations of any size, anywhere master skills in leadership, culture design, and behavior design.
FOR INDIVIDUALS / LEADERS
Transform
6-week cohort-based leadership program and coaching to build skills in well-being, time management, and more
Upskill
2–2.5-hour public (or private for groups) leadership workshops to upskill in goal setting, storytelling, and stress management
Individual Coaching
1–1.5-hour sessions for individuals, focused on the goals, challenges, and growth areas chosen by the leader
FOR GROUPS / TEAMS
Culture Design
Survey and coach executives and teams, intentionally design organizational culture, and improve communications
Behavior Design
Survey groups or teams and apply Behavior Design models and methods to change environmentally harmful human behavior
Group Coaching
1–2-hour sessions for groups or teams, focused on the goals, challenges, and growth areas chosen by the leaders
FOR GROUPS / TEAMS
Leadership
Survey groups or teams and gain skills such as decision-making, delegation, and feedback in leadership workshops
Gatherings
Gather for a retreat, meeting, conference, or holiday party designed around a group or team’s culture and needs to align and strengthen relationships
Let's have a conversation to explore what's possible!
Hear From Leaders Like You
Who We Are
Our team brings together expertise in design, nonprofits, coaching, and leadership. We are united by our shared passion to help leaders and teams transform the way they learn and work together.
Amy Clanin
Founder & Learning Designer
Pradeep Suthram, MBA
Executive Coach & Advisor
Sarah Otterstrom, Ph.D.
Advisor
Rhett Butler
Advisor
Sophia Hernández
Advisor
E.J. McAdams
Advisor
Karen Poiani, Ph.D.
Advisor Emeritus
Katie O'Malley
Advisor Emeritus
Our Values
Design Pathways’ values serve as a compass for everything we do and reflect what matters to us.
OPTIMISM
Face challenges with hopefulness and confidence about the future
COLLABORATION
Work together and support each other as an open and caring team
CREATIVITY
Leverage our originality to design one-of-a-kind learning experiences
GROWTH
Empower each other to learn and bring out the best in ourselves to drive greater impact
CELEBRATION
Recognize and celebrate our wins and failures as our teacher
Join Us
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Our Story
We help leaders and teams transform the way they learn and work together to impact nature and people.
Let's Work Together
We customize our high-impact learning programs to meet your needs and set you up for success.
Support Us
Your generosity strengthens organizations advancing social justice and combating climate change and biodiversity loss.