From Forward is led by strategist and design researcher Lily Mathews.

With roots in performance and playwriting, Lily is now a professional people-watcher—embedding in cruise ship operations, following mail carriers in Norway, interviewing couples about intimacy, and sitting with New Yorkers to rethink how they use their public library. She helps organizations across sectors understand who they serve, how their operations actually function, and what to do next.

Theater taught her that every group has its own rhythm and dynamics. That there is story in the subtext. And that new narratives are best co-created, not dictated.

In a past life, Lily traveled around the world facilitating design thinking and social impact programs with students and young professionals. She also led research and strategy for a Scandinavian-American industrial design consultancy focused on new technology experiences related to automation and mobility (i.e. helping machines play well with humans).

On nights and weekends, she writes and produces shows with her creative collaborative, Dugway Theater. She holds a BA from Brown University, with additional studies at Rhode Island School of Design.