Greater Impact – Together Announcing Kinetic West’s New Shared Ownership Model
Since founding Kinetic West in 2017, we’ve believed that working with our clients to solve their toughest challenges requires more than just good ideas —it requires shared leadership, a deep understanding of the communities we work in, and wholehearted collaboration. That’s why we build every client team with a mix of diverse thinkers and doers, united by a common purpose: building a world in which every person lives a life of dignity and meaning.
On January 1, 2025, we took that commitment a step further. After two years of thoughtful planning, Kinetic West has transitioned to a shared ownership model—welcoming a new group of partners who will build the future of Kinetic West, together.
Leadership Designed for Greater Impact
Our new ownership structure is a business decision and a values decision.
For our clients and collaborators, this means more capacity, more energy, more innovation, and broader experiences at the decision-making table. Our new partners bring expertise across education, workforce development, community engagement, research and analytics, strategy, and product development.
Casey White - Leads Kinetic West’s work to develop innovative new products to serve clients at scale. Casey is an expert in using research, data and analytics to make decisions and also leads our internal talent function.
Emma Kallaway - A leading voice in the evolution of higher education, workforce development, and community colleges. Along with Marc, Emma architected the ownership transition process.
Theresa Kouo - Kinetic West’s Community Engagement lead with extensive experience in organizational development and strategic planning. Theresa is our “go-to” for complex, stakeholder driven projects.
Andy Ferrera - Our leading expert in workforce development and career connected learning. Andy also leads our internal business development function.
Avery - An expert on transitions, pathways, and professional learning communities. Avery also leads our internal project delivery practice to ensure our consulting practices are on the cutting edge.
Merilee Teylan - Kinetic West’s research, data, and analytics lead. Merilee is also a leading voice in understanding how AI will shape our world and work.
Marc Casale - I will continue to serve as KW’s CEO with a focus on guiding KW and our clients through this pivotal time for the communities we serve.
Each partner brings something distinct, but all share a deep commitment to helping our clients do the most important work of our time—and do it well.
Built on Excellence, Accountability, and Shared Growth
We intentionally designed this transition to foster shared leadership and mutual investment. Our new partners entered into this process as a unified team, opting for equal ownership and a path toward becoming a women- owned firm by 2026.
This decision reflects how we operate: grounded in trust, transparency, and collective accountability.
Our new partners have grown through Kinetic West, developing over-time, together as consultants and as leaders. Their new roles as partners is a reflection and recognition of their work shaping Kinetic West together with me over the years. And importantly, this isn’t the end of shared leadership within Kinetic West.
Every team member—partner or not—will continue to shape Kinetic West’s direction.
This move strengthens the culture of ownership and excellence we’ve built together.
We’re proud of this evolution—and even more excited about what it unlocks for the people and communities we serve. If you’re curious about how this model came together—or what it might look like in your own organization—we’d love to share what we’ve learned.