SARAH KRIVEL

People who know me well say I see things others can't see from inside the trenches, and that once I see something, I say it out loud. I'm a calm presence in complexity, a direct communicator, and someone who stays until the work is actually done. I care deeply about the people and organizations I work with, and I bring what one client called "pragmatic support and loving firmness" to every engagement. That's probably the most accurate description of how I show up.

I've spent 15 years working alongside founders and executive leaders to build the operational infrastructure, team clarity, and leadership capacity that allows organizations to grow without breaking. Inside large, complex organizations like DaVita and DISH Network, and directly alongside founders through my own practice, I've seen firsthand how quickly complexity can outpace structure, and how much lighter things get when it doesn't.

I pay attention to root causes rather than symptoms. I'm particularly attuned to the human side of systems — how clarity, or the lack of it, affects trust, energy, and the ability of people to do their best work. I hold a master's degree in organizational leadership and am a trained facilitator and coach, which shapes how I work with leadership teams as much as it does the operational side.

HOW I WORK

I come in as a fractional operating partner, close enough to understand how the organization really functions, and far enough outside it to see what's misaligned. That means understanding how decisions actually get made, where work gets stuck, and where responsibility is unclear. And then doing something about it.

This isn't observation and recommendations from a distance. I work alongside leaders and teams to design solutions that fit the reality of the organization, not an idealized version of it. The work is practical, systems-focused, and always in service of one thing: getting the organization from where it is to where it wants to be.

The shape of an engagement varies (fractional, interim, project-based) and I'm genuinely flexible about structure. What matters more to me than the arrangement is whether the work is meaningful and the fit is right.

WHAT I CARE ABOUT

I believe organizations work best when people understand how their work connects to something larger, when decision-making is clear and distributed appropriately, and when the systems supporting the work actually serve the people inside them rather than the other way around. I've spent a long time studying how organizations function, and an equal amount of time noticing what gets in the way of people doing their best work together.

I'm particularly drawn to organizations whose work touches people's lives in a direct way — in health, wellness, education, and community-centered spaces. My own life has taken me deep into questions of whole-person health and wellbeing, as a mother, as someone who has navigated my own health journey, and as a person who believes that how we care for people is some of the most important work there is. When I sit across from a leader growing something in that space, I'm not just a consultant. I'm someone who understands why it matters.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO CONNECT

I'm selective about the work I take on, because this kind of partnership works best when the fit is genuine on both sides. If something here resonates, I'd welcome a conversation. The best place to start is an honest exchange about where you are and where you're trying to go.