Meet the Team

Holly Kelsey-Henry
Founding Partner

HOLLY is an executive search recruiter with a decade of experience in the civic sector.

With a background in journalism, Holly asks the right questions to get to the root of an organization’s culture, along with establishing the kind of person best suited to join their team and take their mission to the next level. Her approach is both client and candidate based as she focuses on matching an executive’s core values with the organization’s. She believes taking the time on the front end leads to lasting leadership, and she has the track record to prove it.

Holly has led dozens of successful searches. She prides herself on maintaining ongoing relationships with the organizations she serves and the executives she places. This relationship-based approach has also allowed her to establish a rich network throughout the nonprofit and foundation sector.

Holly has an Associate of Arts Degree from the University of Eau-Claire, Barron County Campus and is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Writing Degree program at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. She is an award-winning writer and has worked abroad as a journalist, and as a media advisor to a member of Australian Parliament.

Holly has served as a board member on the Humane Society and the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation and is a foster for Retrieve a Golden of the Midwest.

She is a passionate community volunteer having served as a media coordinator for Chequamegon Fat Tire Bike Festival, an announcer for the American Birkebeiner Cross Country Ski Race, and as a media room host for the Paralympic Nordic Skiing World Championships.

She lives on a nature conservancy in Northern Wisconsin with her husband and dogs. In her free time, she enjoys writing, hiking, reading, gardening and advocating for all animals.

KATRINA has been an advisor to socially conscious leaders across the Midwest as a consultant since 2011, guiding transformative projects through a variety of experiences such as transition planning, major gift consulting and leadership development.

She has consulted on major transitions and projects in Minnesota and beyond with theatres and galleries, foundations, hospitals, colleges, women’s advocacy and social justice groups, environmental organizations and public media and has taught thousands as a sought-after public speaker for the University of Wisconsin, the Minnesota Gift Planning Association, Propel for Nonprofits, The Blandin Foundation, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

Katrina is an ex-officio ambassador for Leave a Legacy MN, which exists to educate Minnesotans about planned giving. She has dedicated her career to advancing progress in the social sector, both in her role as a leadership consultant and executive coach and as a thought leader in the sector and specializes in philanthropy, storytelling, and interpersonal mindfulness. Katrina is especially energized by teaching leaders and their teams how to deepen empathy to find greater joy, ease and connection at work. She also has a depth of experience facilitating strategic planning for boards with a focus on alignment, community engagement and sustainability.

In her role as founder and CEO of Growth By Design, she co-developed a professional certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Sustainability in partnership with Winona State University. Katrina was also instrumental in expanding She Leads International, a conference-focused organization that aims to empower women to reach their full leadership potential. In addition to change management and search work, Katrina has trained or partnered with more than 500 nonprofit and foundation boards to help them harness the power of generosity to bring more intentional, enduring impact to their community.

Katrina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing, is a Certified Fundraising Executive, and a Certified Yoga Instructor. She lives in Duluth, MN and is devoted to caring for her two teenage children. She spends her free time in nature, playing tennis, and participating in the arts as a writer, actor, photographer, and singer.

Jebeh Edmunds
Advisor, Consultant & Coach

JEBEH is a sought-after speaker, podcast host, storyteller, trainer, writer, and cultural competency consultant. A seasoned public educator of over 18 years and founder and CEO of Jebeh Cultural Consulting, she brings of a depth of experience training organizations and people to develop more effective Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging strategies for the workplace.

Jebeh emigrated to the United States with her parents as a toddler from Liberia in 1982. Witnessing her parents strive for academic and professional excellence with the grit of embracing their cultural identity and heritage set the stage early on for Jebeh to embrace her vocational purpose as an educator.

While Jebeh’s teaching now happens outside of the public classroom, her consulting practice is still centered on her calling as an educator, teaching intercultural proficiency through authentic connections. Most recently, she has developed an e-course for leaders who are committed to fostering a more inclusive workplace.

In addition to her work in education and as a consultant, Jebeh formerly served as Director of Education with the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce where she led the Leadership Duluth program as a trainer, project manager and curriculum expert.

Jebeh holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from the University of Minnesota Duluth, a Post-Bachelor's Teaching Certificate from the College of St. Scholastica and a Master of Science Degree in Teaching from The College of St. Scholastica. She is also a founding member of the African Heritage Board Commission in Duluth, MN where she lives with her husband Andy, and their two boys, Maxwell & Mateo.