Strategic guidance for libraries & mission-driven organizations

Today's institutions are at an inflection point: emerging technologies, evolving communities, and new expectations for impact.

From Forward helps libraries, cultural organizations, and mission-driven businesses navigate strategic transitions in the digital age.

The best institutions don’t just serve—they evolve.

What We Do

Strategic Planning

  • Retreat design and facilitation

  • Change management planning for digital transitions

  • AI integration planning and ethical framework development

  • Community impact measurement

Research & Insights

  • Patron and community research (interviews, surveys, focus groups)

  • Staff workflow analysis and operational assessment

  • Competitive landscape analysis / industry benchmarking

  • Accessibility audits and inclusive design planning

  • Digital behavior analysis and user journey mapping

Facilitation

  • Strategic planning workshops and visioning sessions

  • Cross-departmental alignment and team development

  • Technology vendor evaluation and selection processes

  • Leadership coaching for digital transformation

  • Staff training design for new systems and workflows

Design Research Manager, NPR

“We threw Lily into a controversial product area with a lot of moving parts. She is a dream consultant—a natural self-starter who will ensure the correct research is being done in murky spaces with virtually no supervision and fantastic diplomacy.”

Product Lead, Boston Public Library

“Lily understands what is unique about cultural heritage organizations without getting stuck in limitations. She jumped right in to make improvements and identify bigger picture opportunities for digital systems. We continue to partner with her on research and strategy.”

Good work for good people

Some projects Lily has helped lead:

  • Worked with a major city library system to improve digital accessibility for their expansive research collections

  • Enhanced research capabilities at the nation's largest public media company by designing and delivering comprehensive training programs that improved team insight generation and evaluation methodologies

  • Developed creative concepts and product strategy for a women's health and sexual education brand through mixed-methods research

  • Designed and led team trainings for engineers at an offshore wind company around the design thinking process 

  • Led discovery for an academic medical center to reposition their “about us” story and guide information architecture for a new website build

Head of Communications, Commure

“Lily was excellent facilitating our series of strategy workshops, bringing a deep toolkit, keeping us on track, and ensuring everyone was engaged. She helped us boil down our work into something we could use moving forward.”

Director of Programs, Digitunity

“Lily’s ability to listen, integrate, and apply process and rigor to a problem has had long-lasting positive impact on our work.”

Got a project in mind?
Let’s discuss!

lily@from-forward.com