MEET OUR TEAM
An award-winning author and national speaker, Alicia is a leading voice on unifying workplace culture with values. Her books and curricula include Values Ignite, Values Sustain and Change Philanthropy (a Wiley publication), winner of the Axiom gold medal for Best Business Book of the Year.
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Alicia has trained and led culture initiatives for values-led organizations like REI, Levi's and the Ford Foundation. She is a passionate supporter of cooperatives and small businesses.
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Alicia Korten
CEO & Culture Catalyst
Alicia has pioneered unique methods for unifying culture influenced by her multicultural background. Her clients have achieved growth turn arounds and best place to work and best in industry awards.
All her life Alicia has straddled cultures. A U.S. citizen, Alicia grew up in Asia. As a young adult on a Fulbright Scholarship, she spent several years working with Indigenous People in Latin America. She brings her knowledge of culture, and what makes people tick, to help values-led leaders create UNIFIED CULTURE that is engaged and values-aligned.
She is a graduate of Brown University, is a native English speaker and speaks Spanish.
Paul Costello
Culture Expert
A pioneer in organizational storytelling, Paul has been recognized by the U.S. Congress and the Northern Ireland Assembly for his contribution to peace and for developing innovative narrative methodologies for reconciliation. He has led culture transformation initiatives for NASA, Department of Treasury, Lockheed Martin and others. He holds an MFA from American University.
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Paul and Alicia met while leading an organizational storytelling group in Washington, DC called the Golden Fleece. This community of practice held annual conferences at the Smithsonian Institute and helped mainstream narrative as a business practice.
![hesh_201802_BiggerGameLive_0444[1] (1)_edited_edited.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/da6a00_7c1283ed4ec74dddb5e12e896fd705ca~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_9,w_1311,h_1636/fill/w_102,h_127,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/hesh_201802_BiggerGameLive_0444%5B1%5D%20(1)_edited_edited.png)
Barbara Wyckoff
Strategist & Culture Coach
Barbara has led hundreds of strategic planning sessions for mission-driven organizations. She is also a certified coach through the Coaches Training Institute.
She offers short term facilitation & coaching to help leaders ignite strategy & culture and move past road blocks. She has led strategic planning & conducted culture coaching at the USDA Forestry Service, the Ford Foundation, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the University of Vermont among others. She holds an MA from American University and lived for twenty years in Africa.
Alicia and Barbara met while working on forestry projects together at the Ford Foundation.
Michael Perman
Innovation Culture Creator
Michael has fostered innovation mindsets for a wide spectrum of brands and companies including Google, Adidas, REI, Hyatt and Pottery Barn. As an innovation executive at Levi's, Michael led breakthrough product innovations that helped return Levi's to prosperity and generated over $600 million in new revenue streams. Michael is the author of Craving the Future.
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Michael and Alicia have joined forces to create Orange Grove Nine--a company that helps organizations navigate turbulence and uncertainty by building unity around values that matter and cultivating values-driven innovation.
WHO WE WORK WITH
We work with values-led leaders in business, nonprofits, foundations and government agencies. They are pioneers. They care about the world. And they are committed—to their staff, to the world and to creating a truly great organization.
Businesses & Associations
Government
Foundations & Non-Profits
Inspired by her years working with Indigenous Peoples in Panama's rain forested Darien Gap, Alicia is a passionate climate activist. Here she leads the session CEO MANDATE: The Importance in Leading Sustainability on climate and risk in her volunteer role with Business Climate Leaders.
WHAT MAKES US TICK
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We build values-led culture that will ignite you, your staff and your customers. Here's what you can expect from us.
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Catalyze Remarkable Results
We love being a part of the energy that's unleashed when organizations connect to what is truly important to them. We delight in helping set an office abuzz. When leaders connect to their call. When customers send rave reviews and profits grow.
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Be Passionate and Purposeful
We love what we do. That's what keeps our offerings fresh and innovative. We build on our strengths to create programs our clients love.
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Do More with Less
We build products that help clients do more with less. While real culture transformation takes time, we are pioneering methodologies to create big impact with fewer resources.
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Co-Create Culture
We believe every organization has its core DNA already coded within it. Our job is to help executives and staff discover and bring their organizational story to life. Getting many people involved in the process builds commitment and excitement--it's the coding secret that makes your culture work.
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Be in Service
Our love of transforming organizations is surpassed only by our dedication to those we serve. We listen. We tailor programs to fit client needs. And through the tumult of change--we welcome feedback and invite dialogue.
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Build Relationships
Relationships are the glue that makes change possible. We invest time in building high-trust relationships that work--with our clients and with the communities we are a part of.
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Support a Healthy Planet
We want everyone to thrive. And that means living on a healthy planet.. Where everyone can meet their basic needs. We have pro bono commitments with key partners such as Business Climate Leaders and work with many socially responsible organizations helping them realize their mission in new and exciting ways.
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