MY MISSION
I want to help make your organization’s vision a reality.
Hello!
I’m Sara West, the Principal and Founder of West Works Consulting, and a strategic operations and finance leader with more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and private sectors.
I love managing multiple priorities, partnering with senior leaders to operationalize their visions and advance change, and fostering accountability to organizational plans. I’m deeply invested in collaborative process improvement, strengthening culture and infrastructure, and I’m always working toward anti-racism and anti-oppression.
My career and volunteer choices have been intentional, balancing big-picture work with getting things done.
I’ve held roles at leading community development financial institutions (CDFIs) ShoreBank, IFF, and Urban Partnership Bank, and started my career as an AmeriCorps volunteer and housing outreach worker. I’ve managed teams through organizational change and coached staff in moments of transition. I’ve co-led anti-racism efforts and managed countless projects. I’ve served on boards and collected signatures for ballot measures in my community. These experiences position me to offer you strategic operations support that is grounded and thoughtful.
Read my bio here.
I’m passionate about implementation and guided by my values.
Achieving visionary ideas requires collaboration and, sometimes, disruption of the status quo. Across all client engagements, I strive to bring Liberatory Principles, grounded in reciprocity rather than extraction, to my work. You can expect me to name power dynamics and offer observations and recommendations aimed at disrupting interpersonal and systemic racism and oppression. In the same vein, I always welcome feedback on my approach and impact.
I gratefully acknowledge the work of Alli Myatt at The Equity Practice who wrote about these principles in the Harvard Business Review.
Liberatory
Principles
Self-Determination
I respect and acknowledge the unique perspectives that make up your organization. Together we’ll collaborate with the understanding that there is no “one way” to be right or to move forward.
Power Sharing
Together we’ll agree on decision-making frameworks that are effective, transparent, and include those most affected by organizational decisions.
Solidarity
I will leverage my power and position as a white woman to name and disrupt harmful patterns, and I’ll invite those with power in your organization to do the same.
Abundant Care
We’ll establish time for reflection and connection, and ensure we don’t rush through the process when staff need more time, or when important new ideas or questions come up.
CONNECT WITH ME