behind the scenes
About Thrive
Thrive Community Consulting is led by Jeanette Koncikowski, Ed.M. We provide consulting services to organizations including nonprofits, schools and institutions of higher education, foundations, and other groups working to change the conditions in society that harm communities.
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Our mission is to uplift public health and social justice by offering services to change makers that inspire, empower, and grow resilient and equitable communities. We do this by guiding organizational development, identifying and achieving learning outcomes, and creating effective community campaigns, all related to the vital conditions for well-being.
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Our approach to community health and well-being is asset-based, trauma-informed, equity-focused and takes care to integrate the personal and professional. It's whole-person and whole-community engagement. We believe communities thrive when they do not have to worry about their basic needs, when well-being can be centered, and when justice is within reach. The federal government has recently defined these vital conditions for justice and well-being. Until all communities can thrive, we continue our work with the people and organizations that reduce harm and provide hope.
What makes us stand out from other consultants is our values of radical transparency, accountability, and vulnerability along with our implementation of ADDIE. While ADDIE is used regularly as a framework for change in the world of instructional design, we have found that it has deep implications for practice in nonprofits and community organizing as well. Jeanette's background in psychology, human development, and learning science combined with lived expertise in nonprofit leadership, community organizing, trauma and post-trauma growth provides her with a unique perspective to problem-solving.
Our Approach
About Jeanette
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Jeanette is a community educator, organizer, and advocate. Born and raised in a working-class family in Buffalo, she witnessed, early on in her life, the disparities that kept some families surviving while others were thriving. She received her Bachelors in Psychology and Women's Studies from the University at Buffalo and has a Masters of Education in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University.For 25 years, she's worked deeply with communities who have been affected by poverty, violence, trauma and other systemic forms of oppression. She has worked as a crisis counselor and family therapist, as an instructional designer and adult educator, as a writer, and a nonprofit Executive Director. In addition to consulting, she is currently teaching psychology and child welfare courses at SUNY Buffalo State University.
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Never lacking in energy for the causes she cares about, Jeanette has volunteered extensively on health education and environmental campaigns and also worked as a consultant since 2016 with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network to develop resources for bereaved families. She's also just completed her first book about the challenges of being widowed with young children and parenting through loss. Jeanette firmly believes that thriving requires external access to community resources for health and well-being. But she also sees it as an internal process about learning to stand in your power and propel your life towards your dreams. Thriving is an act of resistance to a world that says you are not enough!
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Download Jeanette's resume here.
Download Jeanette's full CV here.
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