Consulting with heart

Membership

• Interested in services? Please email the individual consultant. Their area of expertise and contact information is below.

• Interested in joining? Please read our mission and view requirements, then email heartofdesmoines@gmail.com.

Leadership team

Laura Formanek | President
Video Storytelling Strategy & Production

Studio Process

Laura Formanek is the owner and creative director of Studio Process, a full-service video production house crafting “storytelling for good.” Studio Process’s work spans a variety of nonprofit and for-profit clientele including museums, arts organizations, DEI firms, sustainability-centered companies, and nonprofit foundations. Laura has over 12 years of experience finding meaning in visual and written communications. Before founding Studio Process, she edited commercial work in the Dallas ad industry and served as the director of marketing for a nonprofit cultural museum in Iowa. She shares her passion for creating meaningful work by adjunct instructing in DMACC’s video department, volunteering on the Art Noir Advisory Committee for the Des Moines Art Center, and co-leading efforts to grow a community of women filmmakers across the state of Iowa.

Ariane Sundean | Vice President
Graphic Design

Inspired Vision

Ariane Sundean is a visual communications and graphic design specialist with extensive experience in print design and branding. Ariane works with organizations who have big ideas but limited resources, helping them to produce creative visuals that boost engagement with their cause. She guides her clients through the design process from concept to delivery, offering graphic design, art direction, project management, and various other services. Ariane’s award-winning work has appeared in dozens of niche publications from business to lifestyle.

Stephanie Majeran | Treasurer
Data and Research Consulting

WellRun Results

Stephanie Majeran is the owner of WellRun Results, LLC, where she empowers small businesses and nonprofit organizations to overcome challenges in order to make better and more profitable decisions. She has more than 15 years of experience across a broad range of industries, including higher education and both global and local professional services firms. Her services include creating surveys/assessments, performing market research, evaluating data procedures, interpreting and analyzing datasets, and utilizing data to plan and forecast.

Micholyn Fajen | Secretary
Full-Service Marketing

Fajen Consulting

Micholyn Fajen has over 20 years of marketing experience and is an award-winning marketer, writer, and editor. Her passions lie in market research and analytics, SEO, UX, content marketing, and campaign design and implementation. Organizations lean on her to guide their marketing and web development efforts. A mentor for young marketers, Micholyn serves in various advisory and mentoring roles. She currently serves on the Marketing Advisory Board of the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. 

Tammy Armstrong
Analytics, Reporting, KPI and Dashboard Development
Little Data Solutions

Tammy Armstrong is the founder of Little Data Solutions. With over a decade of experience in analytics, reporting, and visionary leadership, her passion lies in helping teams articulate their vision and mission, develop their strategic plan, and select systems and practices to execute those plans flawlessly. Power BI is her happy place.

Tammy’s experience includes leading operations analytics teams, supporting nonprofits as a director of analytics, and serving as a volunteer. She actively volunteers and serves on the boards of the DSM Data & Analytics Meetup and Des Moines Data for Good.

Tammy holds a Master’s degree in Analytics from North Carolina State University and an Economics degree from Gettysburg College.

Joe Benesh
Strategy, Visioning, Design Thinking, Diagraming, Organizational Development
The Ingenuity Company

Joe’s background in strategic planning and organizational design thinking spans more than eighteen years. His ability to listen, process, and framework thoughts and ideas into focused strategies and tactical implementation plans has led to purposeful and sustainable growth in the organizations he works with. Joe is a member of the University of Iowa teaching staff as an adjunct, where he is in his sixth year of teaching strategic planning. He serves on the boards of several non-profits, a corporate board, a college board, and has been an organizing member of a think-tank that is dedicated to the success of the central Iowa region. Joe is also a member of the Capital Crossroads Advisory Committee, the DowntownDSM Board of Directors, and several other committees dedicated to the economic, environmental, social, cultural prosperity and growth.

Rebekah Brandmeyer
Operations & Marketing Strategy, Event Management
Elevated Strategies

Rebekah Brandmeyer, PMP, has 25 years of communications, marketing, and operations experience. She works collaboratively with executives and organizations as an independent consultant to drive their business forward using sustainable solutions, effective marketing strategies, and efficient project management. In 2017, Rebekah founded Elevated Strategies, following 17 years of success in implementing award-winning marketing campaigns for advertising agencies. Rebekah is passionate about giving back to her community and actively mentors young professionals and serves on non-profit boards and advisory committees. 

Ellie Burns
Community Representative

Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines

With a unique background in education and project management, Ellie is committed to building relationships, continuous improvement, and exceeding the expectation. She has experience developing and evaluating programs designed to improve systems of professional development and technical assistance. In her role with the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, Ellie serves as a knowledge broker, connector, and capacity builder.

Alexson Calahan
Public Relations

Small Adventures Communications

Alexson Calahan owns Small Adventures Communications, which works with communications teams at mission-driven organizations to simplify and solidify their PR plans. Alexson has nearly 20 years of experience in communications planning and execution. Her professional experience includes leading local and national PR strategy for global top-tier legacy non-profits, a marketing agency, and the sales department for a regional news leader. She has led strategy and execution of national and local public relations campaigns, securing more than 1 billion earned impressions over her career including key media wins on GMA, Today, USA Today, Dr. Radio, CNN, CNN en Español, NPR as well as niche outlets.

Mollie Frideres-Smith
Human Resources Consulting

MFS Consulting

Mollie Frideres-Smith, founder of MFS Consulting, LLC, has more than 25 years of experience in Human Resources working in professional and leadership positions. Mollie earned her B.S. in Psychology and Masters of Business Administration from Iowa State University. A lifelong learner and advocate of education, Mollie teaches at Des Moines Area Community College. She shares her passion of helping others achieve goals and solve problems by providing local nonprofits with personnel support and leadership development.

Mollie Giller
Strategic Fundraising, Grant Writing

Giller Consulting Group, LLC

Mollie leverages more than 10 years of nonprofit fundraising and management experience to support clients with annual and operational giving and grant writing and strategy. Her knowledge of resource development, work with vulnerable populations, and deep passion for community allow her to show up as a partner who understands and can help.

With a focus on collaboration and achieving results, Mollie has exceeded fundraising and programming goals while building a network of partners and stakeholders across nonprofit, health care, and public sectors.

Before launching Giller Consulting Group, Mollie worked in fundraising, charitable investment, and program and community service delivery positions. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Master of Public Health degree in Community and Behavioral Health and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Communications Studies, and International Studies with an emphasis in International Communications and a Minor in Spanish.

Lisa Grefe
Wealth Advising

FCT Trust

Lisa Grefe is a Wealth Advisor at First Community Trust in West Des Moines, IA. First Community Trust is a nationally chartered trust company offering financial planning, retirement, investments, and trust services. 

Lisa provides retirement plan services for businesses and non-profits, as well as financial planning and investment management services. She loves to learn your story, values, and goals, and puts together a plan that aligns with those.  In her spare time, Lisa is an advocate for access and opportunities for young women in sports. She has a unique background in coaching, leadership, psychology, HR, and finance, and loves to use all those skills when helping people. She is currently on the Board of Can Play and holds a Master’s Degree in Leadership Development from Drake University and Master’s Degree in Psychology from Springfield College. 

Andy Haning-Brown
Business and Operations Consulting

Canary Consulting Group

Andy Haning-Brown has more than 20 years of proven experience as a dynamic leader in positions across multiple disciplines, including human resources, corporate communications, and technology solutions.

Andy co-founded Canary Consulting Group in 2019. An entrepreneur at heart, Andy enjoys helping nonprofit and small business leaders resolve pain points related to their growth through strategy, process improvement, and organizational design. Andy is a passionate communicator with a strong desire to leave things better than he found them.

Trace Hoekstra
Strategic Fundraising, Grant Consulting

Kitchen Sink Communications

Trace Hoekstra, GPC, is the principal at Kitchen Sink Communications. She and her team have secured nearly $50 million in grant funding for community development and human services projects. They provide grant strategy and proposal development for nonprofits with budgets ranging from $250,000 to $25+ million. Each year, they write more than 200 requests for general operating, programming, capacity-building, and capital projects to foundation, corporate, and government funders . Trace enjoys helping organizations identify their core strengths and share them with the community.

Jodi Rhone
Business and Operations Consulting

Canary Consulting Group

Jodi Rhone has more than 20 years of experience in strategy development, organizational design, service delivery, process improvement, and business architecture and analysis. She co-founded Canary Consulting Group in 2019 with a focus on helping nonprofits and small business leaders grow and operate more effectively. A natural problem-solver and analytic thinker, Jodi enjoys coaching executives and leadership teams, helping them define and communicate priorities to their teams, maintain focus, and accomplish more together.

Bethany Snyder
Nonprofit Advocacy

Snyder Strategies, LLC

Bethany Snyder, MPP, is an Advocacy Strategist, Enthusiast, Optimist – and the founder of Snyder Strategies, LLC. With nearly 25 years of experience in communications, advocacy, and public affairs, Bethany is a seasoned professional and a nonprofit advocacy expert. She has been on all sides of the advocacy desk - as a grassroots advocacy director, a lobbyist, a consultant, a comms director, and a US Senate staffer. She’ll help turn your supporters into lifelong advocates- and donors. Bethany received her bachelor of arts in sociology and women’s studies from the University of Iowa and has a masters in public policy from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.

Kim Stewart
Board Development, Training, & Facilitation

Athena Coaching & Consulting, LLC

Kim Stewart is a business and leadership consultant dedicated to supporting the nonprofit sector. Having spent over 30-years as a nonprofit leader, Kim is passionate about helping nonprofits thrive through her consulting practice, Athena Coaching & Consulting, LLC.

Kim offers coaching, consulting, training, and facilitation services with a goal of helping organizations develop strong governance boards which produce long-lasting impact and success. Kim honed her expertise in developing and leading volunteer Board of Directors during her time with YMCAs in the midwest and Colorado. She uses this expertise to support organizations as they develop the structure and culture needed to recruit and lead the right volunteers for their organization.

Kim splits her time between Colorado and Iowa. Serving her community is important and she gives back by serving on the Tri-Lakes Cares and Bike Valet boards and by volunteering for multiple local events.

Ann Wright
Leadership and Staff Training

The Wright Coaching & Training Solutions

Ann Wright, founder of The Wright Coaching and Training Solutions, has 25 plus years of experience in leadership and talent development. Through her experience, she’s discovered and believes people are an organization's most valuable asset. Ann partners with organizations and leaders to achieve their goals by focusing on people, team culture, and everyone's unique talents through facilitating workshops and coaching which strengthens relationships and enhances job performance. She holds a master's degree in business leadership from Upper Iowa University and is a Professional Certified Coach credentialed through the International Coaching Federation.