LEADERSHIP TEAM

Meet The Team Behind Your Growth

  • Top 5 Clifton Strengths: Empathy, Strategic, Futuristic, Positivity, Activator

    Katrina is a Duluth, MN-based entrepreneur, consultant, creative, and mother. Katrina’s work is collaborative, and grows from the intersection of creativity, community and generosity. She is a trusted advisor to socially conscious leaders across the Midwest, guiding transformative projects through a variety of experiences such as transition planning, major gift consulting and leadership development.

    Katrina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and is a Certified Fundraising Executive, was a Hubert Project Fellow at the University of MN’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, and was the youngest honoree of the St. Cloud Times’ “5 Under 40” award for her work as a community organizer with immigrant communities in 2012. She also helped co-found the African Women's Alliance and was board chair of the Central MN Sustainability Project for five years.

    She has consulted on major projects in MN and beyond with theatres and galleries, community foundations, hospitals, colleges, women’s advocacy and social justice groups, environmental organizations and public media and has taught thousands as a sought-after speaker for the University of Wisconsin, Superior, MN Planned Giving Council, Propel for Nonprofits, The Blandin Foundation, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. As a yoga teacher and owner of Evolve Yoga & Spin in Duluth, MN, Katrina is also committed to improving opportunities for wellness for her clients and community.

    Katrina is an ex-officio ambassador for Leave a Legacy MN and has served on a variety of boards and committees to advance gift planning and the field of philanthropy. She has also worked as an interior designer and a business advisor on marketing and guest experience for Endion Inn, LLC, (a boutique hotel business) and for the Fitger’s Brewhouse—both headquartered in Duluth, MN and owned by her husband Rod.

    Katrina lives with her family in Duluth where she enjoys hiking, tennis, singing, yoga, and dreaming of her next wellness adventure to the wild and beautiful Abruzzo region of Italy, where she and her husband own a small home to host clients on retreat.

  • Top 5 Clifton Strengths: Futuristic, Connectedness, Belief, Strategic, Arranger

    Kristi is a visionary leader, creative voice, and lifelong learner who has dedicated her life to serving others. Her passion for helping ideas come to life and her ability to reframe conflicts into opportunities for growth have made her a respected figure in various sectors.

    Kristi’s first career was as a cryptologist in the US Navy which allowed her to live and travel to many places across the globe. Recognizing her passion for coaching and supporting her fellow Sailors, she made a pivotal decision to change her job to become a career counselor. This shift allowed her to empower and guide others in their personal and professional development. Through her experiences, she gained invaluable insights into leadership, organizational structure, and the profound impact of culture on morale and team effectiveness.

    Following her honorable discharge from the Navy, Kristi continued her journey of service in the nonprofit sector. While working at the Initiative Foundation, a regional rural community and economic development foundation, she was able to bring her diverse skills and perspectives to help communities and organizations make a positive impact. In 2018, she took a leap of faith and established her own consulting firm, focusing on empowering nonprofits, philanthropic businesses, and women entrepreneurs. In 2023, she merged with Katrina’s company and together they formed what is now Growth By Design, LLC.

    In addition to her consulting work, Kristi is the CEO of Families Abroad, a social enterprise with a mission to build global.citizens and create connections. Kristi believes that through shared experiences and interactions, stereotypes and biases can be challenged, and a foundation of mutual respect and appreciation can be fostered. With her global mindset and dedication to lifelong learning, Kristi is passionate about helping families create meaningful memories and expand their horizons.

    Kristi's educational background has provided her with a strong foundation for her work. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a concentration in accounting, equipping her with financial acumen essential for effective organizational leadership. Additionally, she is a Journeyman Career Counselor, demonstrating her dedication to supporting individuals in their career journeys. To further enhance her skills in philanthropy and fundraising, Kristi attended the prestigious Lilly Family School of Philanthropy's "The Fund Raising School."

Amy Nord

  • Top 5 Clifton Strengths: Responsibility, Achiever, Empathy, Learner, Harmony

    Amy keeps the Growth By Design team on track and provides support to both the internal team and clients in a multitude of ways. Amy is a writer, interviewer, prospect researcher and creative project manager. She holds a BA in English.

    Since beginning work in the nonprofit sector, Amy has helped hundreds of clients plan and execute successful projects during times of transition, including capital campaigns, executive searches and hires, strategic planning, and program evaluation.

    Amy is a diligent and compassionate listener and Ioves to pull together threads of data into a clear picture to illuminate the path forward. She is a wife, mom of two, and resident of Milaca where she has served as campaign counsel for a major endowment campaign for the Milaca Scholarship Foundation.

THE GROWTH COLLECTIVE

The Growth Collective brings together a dynamic team of consultants and specialists whose unique mix of backgrounds, skills, and experiences help spark innovative ideas and produce better outcomes for our clients.

For Growth By Design, a women-owned business, collaboration is a core value, so creating The Growth Collective is a natural development that’s consistent with the kind of culture we aim to nurture. The needs of our clients are often multifaceted, requiring expertise across a broad range of specialties to make the most of our work together. Through The Growth Collective, we thoughtfully curate the right project team with your needs to create a customized solution.

We are so honored to be in community with this collective.

  • Amy brings a wealth of experience and expertise to nonprofit consulting. With a Master’s degree in Organization Design and Leadership from Fielding Graduate University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, La Cross, Amy has honed a diverse skill set over the years working in healthcare, higher education, and community-based non-profits.

    As a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and iPEC-trained coach, Amy leverages her coaching proficiency to guide nonprofit organizations toward sustainable growth and impactful change. Her dedication to empowering nonprofits is evident in her collaborative approach, where she works with organizations to think outside the box and dream big. Helping to cultivate innovation, develop visionary solutions, and foster a culture of accountability and excellence.

    Amy is a seasoned nonprofit professional and fundraiser with a background in organizational change, nonprofit leadership, and development, including board and community engagement; she has a proven track record of success spanning over three decades. Her key organizational roles reflect her ability to drive results, inspire teams, and foster innovation.

    As a dedicated consultant, Amy is committed to inspiring nonprofits to reach their full potential, guiding them through challenges, and helping them achieve their mission with more significant impact. With Amy's guidance, nonprofits can confidently navigate the complexities of the nonprofit landscape, ultimately making a lasting difference in their communities.

    Outside of work, you’ll find Amy reading, learning, creating, cooking, singing, talking on the phone with her four children, and snuggling with her two cats.

  • Sara is an experienced and award-winning trauma-responsive facilitator and coach, a community organizer, school board leader, and published writer. She holds a BS in Community Psychology, with a focus on group work and systems dynamics, and an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an emphasis on trauma education. Sara’s professional experience draws from the fields of mental health, education, and nonprofit businesses, forming an intersection at authentic human interaction. She is a lifelong learner, a seeker, a storyteller, and best of all, a listener.

    Sara is certified with the National Board for Certified Counselors. She is a member of the Association for Women in Communications, Association for Specialists in Group Work, American Counseling Association, and part of the Neuromarketing Science and Business Association.

    Sara is deeply committed to the curation of beauty and fun. She believes in honoring the whole person, recognizing our full humanity, and working to find alignment between our actions and our values.

  • Anne Rodenberg, M.A. brings a love of people and a spirit of service to her work in fundraising. She purposefully transitioned to fundraising in 2014 after leading nonprofit communications work for 20 years, and has supported a wide variety of missions including mental health, homelessness prevention, food access, faith-based organizations, higher education, aging services, and entrepreneurship. Her work with donors is thoughtful, highly personalized, and focused on building long-term relationships that result in significant growth in giving and engagement. She loves learning the stories behind donors’ gifts, especially from legacy donors whose planned gifts reflect their deepest-held values.

    She is skilled in building major and planned giving programs, planning and implementing campaigns and fundraising events, and leading all aspects of fundraising communications. She has worked with nonprofits including the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, Second Harvest Heartland, the Catholic Community Foundation, the YMCA’s Camp DuNord, Relate Counseling Center, Dunwoody College of Technology, and WomenVenture.

    She holds a Master of Arts in Leadership from Augsburg University and a B.A. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Her community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Minnesota Gift Planning Association and Metro Meals on Wheels, and as a member of the St. Odilia Parish Leadership Council. For fun, Anne enjoys downhill and cross-country skiing, biking, hiking, yoga, camping, scrapbooking, and cooking for family and friends. She has completed two MS150 bike rides and three YWCA Women’s triathlons. She and her husband Jeff live in Shoreview with their teenage twins Sara and Aaron, a flock of backyard chickens, and rescued Ragdoll cat, Bean.

Tricia Schleper

  • Tricia is the owner of Schleper Coaching and joins our team for The Growth Zone program for women in business. Having to address many of her own limiting beliefs to be where she is today, Tricia understands on a personal level how hard it can be to overcome obstacles and challenges that hold us back, internally and externally.

    As a Certified Life Coach, Tricia Schleper runs her own coaching business, Schleper Coaching, LLC. She has helped many overcome limiting beliefs, walk through life transitions and brought support and accountability to those working towards specific life goals. She currently leads a group of women entrepreneurs to address and develop a growth mindset.

    With 13 years in college ministry and a degree in Exercise, Sport & Health Education, Tricia has always been driven to help others. She has the natural ability to listen, ask purposeful questions and help others create a path from where they are to where they want to be.

    Along with being a life coach Tricia is a wife to Patrick and a mom to three growing boys. She has grown a love for watching football and prefers to be either out in nature or home under a blanket reading, watching movies or in a deep conversation about personal growth.

  • Tammy Wickstrom has more than 30 years of experience in early childhood and human services. Tammy has worked more than 20 years working with Tribal Nations in Minnesota and across the country. She has a Master’s degree in Family Life Education. Tammy has been an early childhood teacher, Tribal Head Start, Early Head Start and Child Care Director, and provided training and technical support for Tribal Head Start and early childhood programs. She is experienced in and has administered Public Law 102-477, Tribal TANF, SNAP, Head Start, Child Care Development Fund, workforce development, supportive housing, and language revitalization efforts. She was the project manager for the team developing the Rosetta Stone for Ojibwe and publishing of 5 monolingual Ojibwe books. Tammy has written and received multiple federal, state, and local grants to promote, advocate, and support early childhood and human services. Ms. Wickstrom supports policies and practices that improve the lives of families in holistic ways that lead to self-sufficiency, family stability, and educational access.

    Ms. Wickstrom is currently the Director of Community Child Care Partnerships at DEED with the State of Minnesota. In this role she is supporting access to quality child care that benefits children, families, communities and local businesses. Her goals are to improve child care options and build connections across sectors that lead to capacity building for child care in private, public and community sectors. This work demonstrates how cross sector, collaborative practices improve the lives of children and families.

    Tammy lives in Northern Minnesota with her husband, 2 dogs, 3 cats, and 6 chickens. She has 4 adult children, who all live close. She is a grandma that sees how 2 or 3 generation support benefits children. She likes to read, bake and spend time with her family.

  • Bio coming soon!

  • Terri is a holistic life coach and organizational consultant. Her coaching practice is primarily focused on helping people who are facing life transitions, seeking clarity, or searching for renewed purpose. Terri’s consulting practice is focused on helping organizations create cultures of connection to foster workplace wellbeing. Terri is also the Founder of the Holistic Leadership Academy, which supports women in discovering a holistic way of leading and living. When she is not working, you can find her looking for seashells with her family, creating pottery or snuggling with her dogs at home.

  • Jess is a digital marketing specialist based in Duluth, MN, who specializes in improving the online presence of small businesses in the Twin Ports area. Her work includes creating websites and digital assets for Lake Effect, Fitger's Barrel Room, Jeff Foster Trucking, and The Great Duluth Sweat Together. Over the past two years working with Just Take Action, Jess has effectively utilized her skills in marketing and graphic design to promote several bars, restaurants, and boutique hotels in the Duluth area.

    She has actively pursued further education in graphic design and digital marketing, completing a comprehensive program at the University of Minnesota College of Continuing & Professional Studies in 2022. This program covered digital advertising, web design, and the use of tools such as Google Ads and Analytics, enhancing her ability to provide complete digital marketing solutions.

    Outside of work, Jess enjoys bringing well-loved furniture back to life and finding it a new home. In the summertime, she enjoys kayaking on Lyman Lake, camping up the North Shore, and going for bike rides along Park Point, and spends her free time snuggling up with her cat, Riley. Her hobbies include embroidery and making DIY projects with her Cricut machine, demonstrating her creativity outside of her professional endeavors.