We advise and coach leaders, organizations and communities to transform and thrive in a complex and uncertain world.
We facilitate human-centered enterprises to persistently learn, adapt and thrive. Our leading edge advice, masterful facilitation and strength-based coaching crystalizes purpose, principles and a strategic path. We contribute our ideas, talents and time in order to co-create a more just, joyful and generative world.
MJ Kaplan
Leading, learning and leaning in
Supporting others to succeed is in MJ’s DNA and is her guiding light. She earned her stripes as an internal consultant before founding Kaplan Consulting in 2000. She leads a global consulting network and has earned the trust and confidence of clients, colleagues, entrepreneurs, academics, government leaders and innovators throughout her career.
In 2013 MJ took a sabbatical to be Ian Axford Fulbright Fellow in New Zealand to focus on the social enterprise ecosystem. She’s a leading speaker, writer and teacher in social enterprise and co-chaired the board of directors for Social Enterprise Greenhouse. MJ was awarded the Ashoka U’s Cordes Innovation Award for her work at Brown University.
Dazzled by one New Zealand venture, in 2014 MJ put consulting on hold to grow Loomio into a global social enterprise. Loomio is a SaaS platform that enables collaborative decision making. MJ joined the Loomio Board of Directors in 2017. She also serves on the Board of Commerce RI.
In 2022 MJ was honored by Providence Business News with a ‘Leader & Achiever Award and Outstanding Mentor for RI Business Women.
MJ earned her M.Ed. from Harvard University and B.A. Brown University.
Accomplished Board Member
MJ has served on many boards - public, nonprofit and private. She was a governor for a hospital system, school, social service network, tech start up and the state of Rhode Island’s Commerce Board.
MJ has devoted her life to community service, contributing pro bono consulting services and volunteering extensively. She participates annually in the Cystic Fibrosis walk to raise money for research (donate here), provides pro bono strategic advising to food and environment organizations and many efforts that reflect her passions. She’s a generous philanthropist and savvy social impact investor.
Global social impact shaper, connector and storyteller
MJ is internationally known for her writing and speaking on systems transformation, the future of work, social innovation and women and leadership. As adjunct faculty at Brown University, MJ created an award-winning course for student entrepreneurs and a class in adaptive strategy. MJ writes for publications including Stanford Social Innovation Review; Nonprofit Quarterly, OD Practitioner and The RISD Center for Complexity and publishes a blog on Medium. (More writing The Impact Initiative)
MJ is the proud mother of three adult children with her husband of more than 30 years Dr. Scott Triedman.
Our partner network
Partnership is at the heart of all we do. We build potent teams to deliver value for each client’s unique needs. We’re a mix of practitioners, designers, anthropologists, coaches, technologists, changemakers, researchers and storytellers. Each team member brings deep expertise and powerful humility and humanity in service to you.
Our awesome and eclectic clients are zealously committed to purpose and progress.
Their diversity is astonishing, across sectors, stages of growth, size and geography. Social impact nonprofits and B-certified companies, foundations and corporates, startups and leaders.
We guide leaders to navigate change: focus strategic priorities, create agile operating systems, and support your people to work with mastery and joy.
Consulting
We are strategy advisors and org. transformation consultants — partners who support you to develop a capacity for emergent strategy and to create the conditions for enduring change. We coach teams of teams to achieve breakthroughs one cycle at a time.
Sense • Think • Act • Repeat.
Coaching
We listen, question and encourage you to discover your purpose, hopes, passions and goals — and to face your fears and obstacles — to unlock your potential. Our clients tell us that coaching is a gift, precious, sacred space for self-care, reflection and learning.
Speaking
MJ is a storyteller, thought leader and innovation geek who engages audiences of all sizes on the issues that are rocking our world as a conference keynote, guest lecturer, podcast guest and workshop presenter.
We’re powered by clear purpose and enduring principles
We enable people and teams of teams to master better ways to make progress to achieve success through persistent learning, evolving and thriving.
Our principles are our center.
Partnership
Our clients are partners. We co-create the future together. Our partner circle extends to our global network of talented practitioners and suppliers. We connect ecosystems to accelerate value.
Interconnection
Organizations and communities are complex systems where all the parts are interconnected and change is emergent. Strategic thinking-doing requires rapid feedback cycles to learn and adapt real time.
Perpetual learning
We are driven by curiosity and openness, persistently challenging the status quo and experimenting with creative approaches. We are committed to reflection including attention to our own blindspots. We seek to understand others’ perspectives and diverse human experiences.
Stewardship
We generously share our time and talent to support people and communities. We are active stewards of and advocates for our precious natural environment.
Integrity
We strive to show up and communicate in ways that foster respect, trust, compassion and transparency. We develop connections that are authentic and positive.
“MJ’s intelligence and superb facilitation add enormous value across the Gilbane enterprise.”
Paul Gilbane, Former Chairman and CEO, Gilbane, Inc.
“MJ opened a whole new world to us as a purpose-based enterprise. She’s been an invaluable champion of our WikiHouse venture and a force to accelerate the emerging social economy in New Zealand.”
Danny Squires BPD(Arch) B.Arch Director | Space Craft Systems Ltd , & co-founder WikiHouse /NZ Lab
