Our Team
We love what we do and are dedicated to achieving results for the problems clients trust us to solve.
The THRUUE Crew includes some of the most sought-after culture and strategy experts in business. Our seasoned consultants have worked with some of the most well-known CEOs, COOs, business leaders, and organizations in the world.
We are passionate about offering our clients the most innovative approaches. That said, our Crew comes armed with an arsenal of certifications and training that set us apart. These include: Cultural Transformation Tools (CTT) Consultant Certification, Appreciative Inquiry, The Art of The Interview, Improv, and Recognition training.
Our People
Allison Abayasekara
ManagerAmanda Graham
PrincipalDaniel Forrester
Founder & Chief Growth OfficerDr. Philipia Hillman
Vice President of Talent and Client SolutionsGreg Justice
PrincipalJame Cofran
CEOJennifer Krentel
Senior Principal of Business Development & MarketingJessi Perna-Elias
Senior ConsultantJonelle Lesniak
ManagerKatie Camargo
Vice President of Client ExperienceKirsten Clark
Senior ConsultantMichelle Leedy
PrincipalNick Jivasantikarn
Senior PrincipalRhiannon Bell
ManagerRomy Schueller
ConsultantStephanie Lund
ConsultantTessa Betz
ManagerYu Jian (Evan) Lu
Principal of Finance & Business OperationsZach Ripka
ConsultantZachariah Karp
Consultant

Allison Abayasekara
Manager
Allison has over 12 years of experience in non-profit associations where she built programs, strategic frameworks, and partnerships that helped organizations increase capacity and achieve their goals. Allison’s subject matter expertise in workforce strategy aligns with her passion for training and facilitating conversations that help people see what the future requires and how they can make new ideas a reality. She holds an MA in English Literature & Language from the University of Maryland and some of her previous positions have been at the American Society of Association Executives, the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, and the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Fun fact: Allison does the New York Times crossword puzzle every day.

Amanda Graham
Principal
Amanda holds a BA in economics and public policy from the University of North Carolina, completed a yearlong fellowship with the Trinity Fellows Academy, and is a certified Cultural Transformation Tools Consultant with the Barrett Values Centre. Amanda has a passion for the integration of company culture, individual and team development, and business strategy. Amanda has worked with leaders in the healthcare industry to determine their strategic plans and growth goals. Her previous clients include AARP, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American College of Cardiology, and American Health Information Management Association.
Fun fact: Amanda’s childhood career aspiration was to be a Power Ranger.

Daniel Forrester
Founder & Chief Growth Officer
Daniel founded THRUUE in 2012, seeing an opportunity for CEOs, boards, and leadership teams to simultaneously set strategy and design healthy organizational cultures. Daniel has nearly twenty-five years of management consulting experience across multiple industries. He has helped dozens of for-profit and nonprofit organizations reimagine their missions and redesign their company cultures. He earned his MBA from the University of Rochester and is a published author as well as a certified Cultural Transformation Tools Consultant with the Barrett Values Centre.
Fun facts: Daniel attended Game 7 at Shea Stadium when the Mets won the 1986 World Series against Boston. His favorite movies are Heat and Ordinary People.

Dr. Philipia Hillman
Vice President of Talent and Client Solutions
Dr. Hillman has more than 25 years of consulting experience across government, academe, private and non-profit organizations. She specializes in architecting high impact leadership development programs, partnering with leaders to identify what is good and use that to ignite cultural transformation, and qualitative methodologies to compassionately reveal hard truths in service of accelerating organizational performance. Dr. Hillman’s previous client experiences include an enterprise-wide safety strategy for CONSOL Energy, executive leadership alignment for Good360 and a communications transformation for the National Science Foundation. She earned her PhD from American University and holds a certification in Organizational Development from Georgetown University, in addition is a certified coach and facilitator.
Fun Fact: Philipia has dined on the top of the Rock of Gibraltar.

Greg Justice
Principal
Greg has over fifteen years of consulting experience in private and public sectors, including city, state, local and federal governments, philanthropy, and non-profit organizations. He studied English at Hampden-Sydney College, and he specializes in creative storytelling and communications. He has worked in documentary and narrative film (which he still does on the side occasionally) in the US and abroad. He lives in DC with his family.
Fun fact: Greg’s first job in DC was as a “literary escort”—driving authors to their interviews around town.

Jame Cofran
CEO
Jame has more than thirty years of experience helping companies achieve their potential to perform and grow. He is a certified Cultural Transformation Tools Consultant with the Barrett Values Centre. Throughout his career, Jame has enjoyed building teams with a strong sense of purpose that are able to consistently perform at high levels.
Fun fact: Jame is an avid competitive sailor who has competed in races all over the world, including in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and the Aegean Sea.

Jennifer Krentel
Senior Principal of Business Development & Marketing
Jennifer has fifteen years of experience working across government, commercial, and nonprofit industries, both domestically and internationally. She holds an MS in organization development from American University and a BA in sociology and Spanish from the University of Kansas. Jennifer is a certified Cultural Transformation Tools Consultant with the Barrett Values Centre. She is a seasoned facilitator who leverages behavioral psychology and group dynamics to build cohesive teams, and leads clients through productive and engaging workshops.
Fun fact: In Jen’s free time, you can find her chasing her dogs and contemplating how she and her husband have found themselves in a household with more paws than feet.

Jessi Perna-Elias
Senior Consultant
Jessi has over seven years of expertise in strategic business planning, retail planning and analysis. She holds a degree in Finance from Manhattan College. Jessi thrives on new experiences and her curiosity drives her to have a comprehensive view and connect ideas. She has a passion for composing unique team dynamics to unlock barriers, form connections and elevate engagement.
Fun fact: Jessi has been a dancer since the age of 2. She is certified to teach dance cardio classes.

Jonelle Lesniak
Manager
Jonelle is a Manager at THRUUE with extensive experience in culture measurement and transformation. As a certified coach (APPC) and positive psychology practitioner (CAPP), she embeds neuroscience and evidence-based interventions for well-being into her work with clients. She has worked with clients in the nonprofit, healthcare, and higher education sectors. She holds a BS in Economics with concentrations in Legal Studies and Business Ethics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also certified in the Human Synergistics Organizational Culture and Effectiveness Inventory® survey tools and is a Certified Cultural Transformation Tools consultant with Barrett Values Centre. Outside of work, Jonelle visits a few national parks each year to hike and camp.

Katie Camargo
Vice President of Client Experience
Ms. Camargo is THRUUE’s Healthcare Practice Lead. She has 15 years of consulting experience in the healthcare industry at for-profit, non-profit, and government organizations. She specializes in developing healthcare strategies and guiding leaders in building innovative cultures. She also has experience developing technology products and service offerings for leading health organizations. Ms. Camargo’s previous clients include the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Cardiology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, AARP, LeadingAge, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice and CancerLinQ. She is a graduate of Duke University and is a certified Project Management Professional, Scaled Agile Framework Consultant, and Cultural Transformation Tools Consultant with the Barrett Values Centre.
Fun fact: Katie has been scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.

Kirsten Clark
Senior Consultant
Kirsten has over ten years of cross-industry strategic marketing and communications experience. She holds a MA in Integrated Marketing Communication from Emerson College and a BA in Communication Studies from Millsaps College.
Fun fact: Kirsten runs half-marathons, and her favorite TV show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Michelle Leedy
Principal
Michelle is an accomplished, multi-faceted organization effectiveness and transformation business leader passionate about creating value and positive impact via authentic leadership, client and customer-centric strategies and operations, and sustainable change. Her background comprises over 15 years of experience in consulting and leadership roles across multiple business industries and functions such as Healthcare, Information Technology, Government, Energy and Utilities, Banking, Human Resources, Consulting Services, Retail, Higher Education, and Nonprofits. Michelle holds a Master of Arts in Educational Policy & Leadership from Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Duquesne University.
Fun fact: Michelle loves nature outings, exploring with her Nordic walking poles, yoga, and quality time with her husband and life partner, Marty, and her cat, Hansel (a.k.a. Hans).

Nick Jivasantikarn
Senior Principal
Nick has 15 years of management consulting and strategy experience, advising executives of Fortune 500 companies, multilateral agencies, and multinational corporations across various industries and business functions. He previously worked at Boston Consulting Group, the World Bank, and was co-founder of an emerging markets consulting firm. Nick is originally from northern Thailand, and is a graduate of Stanford University.
Fun fact: Nick has led several groups of 20+ friends on tours of Thailand.

Rhiannon Bell
Manager
Rhia has over six years experience in strategic planning and culture transformation with clients in the healthcare, nonprofit, and financial sectors. Her recent clients include a global life sciences corporation; medical and health-related associations including the American Society of Anesthesiology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Health Information Management Association; and financial services firms Riveron Consulting and OneMain Financial.
Rhia offers a rigorous, people-focused approach to creating winning client strategies. She holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and journalism from the University of Richmond, as well as a Healthcare Ecosystem Specialization certificate from the University of Minnesota Online. She is also a certified Cultural Transformation Tools Consultant with both Human Synergistics International and the Barrett Values Centre.
Fun fact: Rhia has a passion for music and performs in several bands and musical groups.

Romy Schueller
Consultant
Romy holds a master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from UMBC. She is certified in multiple personality assessments and is a certified mindfulness teacher. Romy is passionate about the transformative power of self-awareness for individuals and organizations.
Fun fact: Romy reads about 100 books a year.

Stephanie Lund
Consultant
Stephanie holds a BA from the College of the Holy Cross where she played on the Division 1 women’s soccer team. From there she spent a year working in the Philippines with the Department of Social Welfare and Development through the Peace Corps. She brings a passion for helping humans and essential businesses reach their full potential and activate within the spaces that they have influence.
Fun fact: In her free time, you can find Steph teaching fitness classes in Boston, traveling, and hiking.

Tessa Betz
Manager
Tessa has worked in nonprofit talent development for over two years and is trained in market-based management. She loves helping teams and individuals increase their impact by identifying their strengths, comparative advantages, and space for innovation.
Fun fact: Tessa loves to listen to “true crime” podcasts. Her favorite is Sword and Scale.

Yu Jian (Evan) Lu
Principal of Finance & Business Operations
Evan has over five years of experience in accounting, holds a BA in economics from Boston University, and is currently pursuing his MBA at the NYU Stern School of Business. Evan is dedicated to efficiently supporting the financial organization of THRUUE’s executive team.
Fun facts: Evan spent his junior year of college studying cadavers in a basement. He also enjoyed the first Despicable Me movie (particularly the Minions).

Zach Ripka
Consultant
Zach comes from a prior consulting role at one of the top cybersecurity advisory firms in the US. He holds a BS from the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State. During his time at Penn State, Zach played first base for the club baseball team and is proud of his participation in THON, which is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Zach is passionate about the opportunity to help organizations understand the importance of culture in creating a better workplace and to drive performance.
Fun Fact: Zach used to be a certified personal trainer and applies his previous knowledge to his physical activity because he loves to stay active, whether that be weight training, pickup basketball, hiking, yoga… whatever!

Zachariah Karp
Consultant
Zachariah comes from a prior consulting role in strategic communication at the Department of Defense. Before his time at the DoD, Zachariah primarily worked in issue-based advocacy, public affairs, and digital communication at several non-profit organizations. Zachariah currently holds an MA in Political Communication from American University and a BS in Communication from James Madison University. Zachariah is passionate about developing a work culture that enables people to strive for excellence in all that they do.
Fun fact: Zachariah loves reading dystopian/science/fantasy fiction novels!
Our Board of Advisors
James E. Williams, Jr.
CEO in Residence, EVPPatricia Blake
Advisory Board Member

James E. Williams, Jr.
CEO in Residence, EVP
Jim has more than six years of management consulting experience. He also served as the CEO and president of Easter Seals International for more than two decades. Jim received his BA from Harding University, a master’s degree from the University of Missouri, and a doctor of humane letters from the University of New England.
Fun fact: Jim is an avid fly fisher and loves tying his own flies.

Patricia Blake
Advisory Board Member
Pat Blake, CEO of the Heart Rhythm Society, has extensive Association leadership experience including ASAE’s Board Chair, Association Forum’s Board Chair, and CEO of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. She is known for her leadership, mentorship, transformative skills and growth orientation. Pat’s experience, mission-focused mindset, and commitment to purpose-driven organizations will bring new insight, wisdom, and focus to THRUUE’s work with associations.

THRUUE offers culture-based insights to a variety of markets, aligning business goals with human centered solutions.
Contact Us
Washington DC Office
1200 G Street NW, Suite 800
Washington DC 20005