People at the center.
How to build from the center forward.
At the heart of every great organization or complex challenge effort, people are at the center. I work with leaders and institutions across multiple sectors to understand the voices and experiences of those closest to the problem and empower people to generate change and move forward with new approaches that drive impact.
Defining CenterForward
It is an approach that focuses on those centered closest to the problem by building equity consciousness, co-designing "with", instead of "for", and informed by a set of equity-focused leadership actions.
Proven Success
CenterForward has served several organizations and institutions, large and small, in several ways, including strategic advisement, design, group facilitation, and thought partnership. A few of those organizations are highlighted here.
The Founder
Rodney Thomas’ experience in design thinking methodology has led him to partner with some of the nation’s top academic institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Chicago. He has a passion for innovation and ingenuity with a keen appreciation for strong systems, processes, and structures.
“Rodney is a powerful teacher. You literally do not know that you are learning and shifting -- you think you're just having fun hanging out with a cool brother who stopped by to share a few things.”
— Shuronda Robinson, CEO of Black Leaders Collective
Let’s Connect!
Set up an exploration meeting with Rodney to envision how we might work together.