Guiding your leadership to new heights.
Institutional Support & Leadership Development
Guiding a GLAM organization requires a delicate balance of internal leadership care and rigorous external strategy. The responsibilities are expansive, the relationships shift, and the stakes feel higher—often with very little structured support.
My services offer clear, thoughtful containers to navigate these demands. By combining ICF-aligned executive coaching, institutional strategic planning, resource development, and responsible AI integration, I help cultural leaders and organizations evolve with confidence, clarity, and care.
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A 3-week introduction to the mindset, scope, and responsibilities of Executive Director leadership.
ED Foundations is designed for leaders preparing to step into the Executive Director role or exploring whether the transition is right for them. Over three focused weeks, we clarify what the ED role truly entails, build early confidence, and map the first steps of a grounded leadership journey.
You will:
Understand the full scope of ED responsibilities
Identify strengths, gaps, and leadership patterns
Build clarity around expectations, boundaries, and priorities
Begin crafting your transition plan
Learn foundational somatic and reflective practices for sustainable leadership
Best for:
Emerging leaders, program managers, curators, and educators preparing for an ED transition. -
A 6-week program offering the core tools, strategies, and supports needed in the first months of Executive Director leadership.
ED Essentials supports leaders who are newly appointed, actively transitioning, or beginning their first year in the role. This program blends strategic orientation with people-centered leadership tools so you can step into the work with confidence, stability, and clarity.
You will:
Strengthen your understanding of governance, board relations, and fundraising
Build foundational strategic planning skills
Develop communication practices for leading teams with care
Learn key financial oversight tools
Integrate somatic and trauma-informed leadership practices
Begin drafting your First 90 Days Leadership Plan
Best for:
New EDs, interim EDs, or senior leaders moving into executive responsibility. -
A 3-month mentorship and coaching container for Executive Directors seeking deep support, strategic clarity, and embodied leadership integration.
ED Leadership Immersion offers sustained, real-time mentorship for leaders navigating their first year or facing complex organizational challenges. Through biweekly coaching and customized sector-specific tools, you receive steady guidance as you develop your leadership voice, relationships, and strategy.
You will:
Receive biweekly 1:1 executive coaching with ICF-aligned approaches
Work through real-time challenges in governance, fundraising, strategy, and team culture
Build or refine your First 90 Days plan and broader 6–12-month roadmap
Develop your finance dashboard and decision-making frameworks
Build embodied resilience practices that sustain you in complexity
Leave with clarity, alignment, and confidence in your leadership direction
Best for:
New or returning Executive Directors seeking consistent, strategic, and embodied mentorship during their transition or first year. -
Strong leadership requires strong alignment — between the Executive Director, the board, and the organization’s mission, values, and future vision.
In addition to Executive Director transition support, I offer board education and strategic planning sessions designed to strengthen governance capacity, build shared understanding, and support meaningful organizational evolution. This work is collaborative, relational, and grounded in real-world experience in arts and heritage leadership.
Board Education & Training
Customized sessions to help boards deepen their understanding of:
The role and responsibilities of the Executive Director
Governance vs. operations
Healthy board–ED relationships
Equity and inclusion as ongoing board practice
Navigating shifts in funding and granting landscapes
Organizational culture, care, and accountability
Training can be offered as a single workshop, a facilitated retreat, or a multi-session board development series.
Strategic Planning Support
Values-driven strategic planning that centers community, equity, and organizational clarity.
These engagements may include:Mission, vision, and values refinement
Organizational assessment and readiness mapping
Facilitated planning sessions with board and staff
Priority setting, timeline development, and roadmap creation
Embodied and reflective practices to support decision-making
Strategic planning work is trauma-informed, relational, and adaptable to your organizational context — built to meet you exactly where you are.
Working Together
If your organization is preparing for leadership transition, navigating change, or simply seeking stronger alignment across board and staff teams, I offer tailored engagements grounded in care, clarity, and sector-specific experience.
Contact me to explore a customized board or strategic planning engagement.
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This service is designed for GLAM leaders looking to secure funding without compromising their organizational mission or staff well-being. We move past purely transactional writing to build intentional, community-oriented proposals that match your institutional values with the right funding streams for long-term fiscal health.
You will:
Understand the nuance of modern cultural sector grant structures
Identify clear funding opportunities that align with your true mission
Build authentic, compelling grant narratives that honor your community
Begin crafting sustainable resource development and application plans
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A human-centric evaluation of the policies, ethics, and governance of modern digital tools.
This consulting process is designed for cultural leaders and boards looking to responsibly approach technology rather than rush it. We unpack what artificial intelligence means for the GLAM sector, building clear governance frameworks that prioritize staff well-being, protect digital sovereignty, and maintain deep community trust.
You will:
Understand the actual operational footprint of AI in cultural institutions
Identify risks, biases, and structural opportunities in digital tools
Build clear organizational policies rgarding technology and data privacy
Begin crafting a practical, human-centric implementation framework
Learn ethical oversight practices that actively preserve staff and community trustm description
“Astrid is fiercely driven to create necessary space for all individuals to tell missing stories unseen by many museums. She is inspiring to work with.”
— AMY BOHIGIAN, FILMMAKER, WATERSHED PRODUCTIONS