Our People
A View Askew
As solvers of complex business problems, our creativity shines through not just in our ideas, but also in the way we communicate them. Metaphors and visual language help the message stick. We think differently. That’s what makes us good at what we do.
Our Passion Shows
Think about who you’d want to talk to at a party. We are drawn to people who are enthusiastic about things in their lives. We strive to paint a forward-looking vision by maintaining an energetic, confident, and optimistic voice.
Easy On the Jargon
This is the difference between reading a dishwasher repair manual and reading Hemingway. Clear and concise beats strung-together jibber jabber any day. Human and conversational is key to getting our message across and enabling action.
We Prioritize Grit Over Pedigree
We’re hard-working, easy-going people with a “we” not “me” mentality. This means that our communication is humble, approachable, and relatable.
Jana De Anda
President and Co-Founder
BACKGROUND
President and Co-Founder at Excelerate with 15 years of experience guiding Fortune 500 organizations across many industries through development of go-to-market strategies, identification of new product innovation and optimization of operations standards to drive clear financial benefit.
SUPERPOWERS
Transformational Change Leadership. Customer Experience Optimization. Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis. Strategic Planning.
FOR FUN
Cherishing time with my community of friends and family. Exploring different cultures and their histories. Watching my daughter, nieces and nephews learn and grow. Listening to live music.
BELIEFS
Lead with both your mind and your heart. Be an active listener. Never stop learning. Live an intentional life.
Nilay Thakkar
CEO and Co-Founder
BACKGROUND
CEO and Co-Founder at Excelerate with more than eight years in consulting as a Principal and VP/Market Lead with North Highland. Prior to that, eight plus years in Financial Services with HSBC and Wells Fargo.
SUPERPOWERS
Process Optimization. Portfolio Prioritization. Capability Gap Assessments. Market Assessment. Agile Transformation.
FOR FUN
Spending time with family. Traveling. Running. Yoga. Schooling my kids in hoops!
BELIEFS
Appreciate complex problems. Network a lot and help connect others. Do good.
Dannielle Lowe
Associate Director
BACKGROUND
Associate Director at Excelerate with 10+ years of experience in aerospace, retail, supply chain, healthcare and energy industries. Expertise in manufacturing and lean operations. Leading teams through critical transitions, taking a facilitative approach to finding creative solutions to complex problems.
SUPERPOWERS
Process Improvement and Optimization. Communications. Organizational Change Management. Project / Program Management. Digital Transformation.
FOR FUN
Exploring new cities, restaurants and museums. Perusing old bookstores. Cheering on the Portland Trailblazers, Timbers and Thorns. Catching a play or concert at the Schnitz. Visiting the Portland Flower Market and creating floral arrangements. Spending time with family and friends.
BELIEFS
“Age Quod Agis” — do well whatever you do. Live with intentionality. Speak with authenticity. Lead with vulnerability. Serve with integrity and practice empathy.
Ted Winschel
Associate Director
BACKGROUND
Associate Director at Excelerate with 11+ years of experience consulting in the Energy & Utilities, Footwear & Apparel, Manufacturing, Transportation and Aerospace & Defense industries.
SUPERPOWERS
Storytelling. Program/Project Management. Business Case Development. Business Process Modeling and Optimization. Group Facilitation. Team Building. Problem Solving.
FOR FUN
Creating memories with my wife and two young kids. Trail running. Backcountry skiing, camping and just about everything else outdoors. Traveling the world to experience cultures and cuisines.
BELIEFS
Be present in the current moment. Take nothing for granted.
Atosa Dabney
Senior Manager
BACKGROUND
Manager at Excelerate with an expertise in change management consulting within government agencies, financial institutions, technology firms and freight companies.
SUPERPOWERS
Requirements Elicitation, System Analysis, Process Optimization and Visualization.
FOR FUN
Traveling. Road trips with great playlists. Hiking. Zillow browsing. Fighting game button-mashing, Resident Evil spectating.
BELIEFS
Smile more. Laugh often. Seek the silver lining in every situation.
Brittany Spence
Business Development Manager
BACKGROUND
Senior Consultant at Excelerate with over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, achieving results in program management, workplace strategies, fundraising, marketing, sales, business development, service operations and human resources. A dynamic and focused leader who is particularly effective in building strong relationships and cohesive teams that accomplish results.
SUPERPOWERS
Positivity. People-Centric Approach in finding Creative Solutions. Facilitation. Relationship Building. Attentive Listener.
FOR FUN
Enjoying time with family, friends and pup Jack Murphy. Surfing. Yoga. Walks on the beach. Aiming to live each moment with intentionality and compassion.
BELIEFS
Be kind. Be humble. Find gratitude. Soak up every heart-burst moment.
Philip Croome
Senior Manager
BACKGROUND
Business Process Improvement Leader with more than 20 years of global experience enabling clients to achieve sustainable process efficiency improvements across Operations, Finance, Supply Chain and IT. Expert at managing change and building relationships across organizational boundaries to enable new process adoption.
SUPERPOWERS
Process Analysis and Design. Change Impact Analysis and Management. Program management. Ability to rapidly absorb and interpret ambiguous or new information to drive decisions and action.
FUN
Multi-generational family time. Gardening. Road cycling. Cooking, Wine and Craft Beer.
BELIEFS
Be kind. Always be learning. Seek to understand. Recognize that analysis will only take you so far and needs to be spiced up by a bias for action. Believe in what you do but don’t take yourself too seriously.
Austin Juarez
Manager
BACKGROUND
Manager at Excelerate with experience in data analytics through consulting in various industries including automotive, medical device, advertising and tourism. An empathetic servant leader who is skilled in analytical problem solving and translating data into actionable business recommendations.
SUPERPOWERS
Data Visualization. Scripting, Data Translation. Storytelling, Data Analytics. Strategic Planning. Servant Leadership. Technical Communication.
FUN
Surfing Tourmaline. Golfing at The Crossing, Snorkeling at La Jolla Cove. Traveling for new experiences. Morning coffee walks. Exploring the outdoors.
BELIEFS
Live a life that matters. Be kind. Always put your shopping cart back.
Sarah Parsons
Associate Director
BACKGROUND
Associate Director at Excelerate with 15+ years of experience in the retail, sports entertainment and healthcare industries. Expertise in project management, marketing and creative operations.
SUPERPOWERS
Portfolio, Program and Project Management. Process Improvement and Optimization. Team Development. Strategic Planning. Digital Transformation.
FUN
Spending time with family and friends. Game nights. Reading. Travel. Outdoor exploration.
BELIEFS
Ask the right questions. The value is in relationship (with both people + data!). Be hard on the problem, not on the people. Above all, give grace.
Mike Butler
Senior Manager
BACKGROUND
Senior Manager at Excelerate with more than 17 years of experience in B2B and B2C subscription software. Expertise in sales and marketing process optimization and go-to-market strategy development.
SUPERPOWERS
Process Design and Optimization. CRM and Marketing Automation Implementation. Strategic Planning. M&A integration.
FUN
Spending time with my wife and two young daughters. Snowboarding. Skiing. Cross-training. Grilling and smoking meats.
BELIEFS
Intangibles matter – strong work ethic, positive attitude, kindness, humility, integrity and a willingness to learn. Family and friendships.
Colby Ross
Senior Manager
BACKGROUND
Manager at Excelerate with over 20 years of project management, program/portfolio management, process development and product management from start-up e-commerce retailers to Fortune 500 financial brands.
SUPERPOWERS
Organizing chaos. Bringing diverse teams to work together for a common goal. Adapting to challenges and changes and finding the "right fit".
FOR FUN
Spending time with my wife and sons - surfing, hiking, watching movies and playing video games. Traveling to new locations and enjoying a great meal with family and friends.
BELIEFS
Look for reasons to be happy. Demonstrate kindness, selflessness and love to help make the world a better place.
Patrice Cannataro
Sr. Director of Finance and Operations
BACKGROUND
Director of Finance and Operations at Excelerate with over 12 years of leadership and operations experience focusing on capacity and resource management, situational leadership, process implementation, and employee performance and development.
SUPERPOWERS
Organizational Development. Capacity Modeling. Building High-Performing Teams. Leadership Training and Development.
FOR FUN
Hiking. Snowboarding. Rock climbing. Camping. Board games and jigsaw puzzles. Live music. Discovering new passions.
BELIEFS
Blame the process, not the people.
Elissa Haddad
Senior Manager
BACKGROUND
Manager at Excelerate with more than ten years of experience specializing in leadership development and training. Expertise in forging stronger organizational culture, developing a cultural mindset, and change management. Lecturer in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego.
SUPERPOWERS
Leadership Development and Training. Organizational Culture. Group Dynamics. Cross-Cultural Communication. Problem-Solving.
FOR FUN
Spending time with my husband, young son and two dogs. Hiking. Cooking. Reading. Stand-up comedy.
BELIEFS
Lean into the discomfort, that’s where growth happens. Always craft your message with your audience in mind. You can learn something from everyone; show up with an open mind, open heart and open will.
Bryn Ritchie
Manager
BACKGROUND
Senior Consultant at Excelerate with more than 15 years of project and program management experience, primarily in the non-profit industry. Experience in leading cross-functional teams through critical transitions and process development. Prior to that, played professionally for the Portland Timbers.
SUPERPOWERS
Process Improvement and Optimization. Project / Program Management and Oversight. Organizational Change Management.
FOR FUN
Spending time with my wife and four children. Exploring in our camper and visiting as many national parks as we can. Hiking. Hunting. Playing golf. UFC fight nights and watching movies.
BELIEFS
There is always more to learn. Every challenge is an opportunity for transformation. Life is a journey; the destination is the purpose.
Heidi Halsey
Strategic Director
BACKGROUND
Practice Director with Excelerate with over 20 years of in-house industry and strategy consulting experience in consumer products, digital entertainment and aviation. Focused on leveraging data and customer insights to develop & implement strategies that maximize the global market potential of products, enhance the customer experience (CX) and maximize profit. Previously held global leadership positions at Disney, Paramount Pictures and was the Principal of an Aviation Consulting Firm.
SUPERPOWERS
Data-driven Insights. Customer Experience Optimization. Strategic Planning. Financial Analysis. Design Thinking. Opportunity Prioritization and Implementation.
FOR FUN
Anything outdoors, ideally done with family or friends. Watching my two girls get enjoyment out of their own activities. Binge watching the latest TV drama. Traveling to explore new places.
BELIEFS
Value collaboration and communication. Be kind. Have empathy. Laugh often & have fun!
Amy Stencel
Associate Director
BACKGROUND
Customer Experience (CX) leader with 15 years experience in financial services and healthcare, across key players in the payer, provider, and biopharm space. Previously worked in consulting at North Highland, and in industry most recently at Delta Dental Insurance Company. Passion for aligning teams around customer insights and empathy to meet customer needs and deliver business value.
SUPERPOWER
Customer experience optimization. Human-centered design and product innovation. Interactive workshop facilitation (in person and virtual via Miro). Communication and storytelling. Organizational change management.
FOR FUN
Cuban salsa and other Latin dancing. Quality time and enjoying life's simple pleasures with family and friends. A mix of "city discovery" urban hikes and "forest bathing" nature hikes, in the Bay Area and beyond!
BELIEFS
Try everything at least once. Give credit and show appreciation — even for the little things. Be open to new possibilities.
Adriana Cantu
Manager
BACKGROUND
Manager at Excelerate with over 10+ years of public and private sector experience working in Technology, Defense, Insurance, Manufacturing, Finance, Agriculture, Government, Oil and Gas and Apparel and Fitness Industries. Passion for finding efficient and innovative optimization solutions for purpose-driven organizations.
SUPERPOWERS
Connecting large, diverse groups and helping them find commonality. Serving and leading teams. Strategically using data to help drive a company’s mission.
FOR FUN
Spending time with son. Coaching. CrossFit. Basketball. Personal Development. Learning new things.
BELIEFS
Everything is figureoutable. You can accomplish anything you set your mind on. Life doesn’t happen to you; it happens for you.
Kiera Shepard
Manager
BACKGROUND
Manager at Excelerate with extensive experience in project/program management and business operations. Skilled at leading cross-functional teams and strategic initiatives. Expert in designing efficient, scalable processes that enable sustainable business growth. Passion for leveraging data to achieve high impact results.
SUPERPOWERS
Project/Program Management. Data & Analytics. Process Design and Implementation. Continuous Improvement. Stakeholder Engagement. Risk Management.
FOR FUN
Playing with my dog Scooby. Sunset walks at La Jolla Shores Beach. Traveling to new places. Enjoying homecooked meals and wine with friends and family.
BELIEFS
Believe in the kind-heartedness of others. Trust yourself. Keep learning.