About Noella
For the past 12 years, I’ve had the privilege of working at the intersection of big ideas and real impact.
My path has been wonderfully winding: from pipetting samples in a Tuberculosis vaccine lab in Cape Town to designing a public health intervention against malaria in Mozambique, from helping build learning experiences for a university in Mauritius to scaling a workforce development program in Nigeria.
I’ve called eight countries home and collected a Masters in Clinical Science along the way. What drives me is this shift I keep spotting: The moment when smart, caring people decide to build the world they want to see.
Whether I’m designing a pilot to change America’s safety net policies, helping a New York-based family foundation think ten years ahead, coaching social enterprises through growth spurts, I love that I get to help visionaries move from “wouldn’t it be nice if…” to “here’s exactly how we’re going to make it happen.”
When I’m not consulting, you’ll find me playing with my toddler, going for head-clearing runs, or buried in a good novel. I speak English and Swahili, serve on a few boards I care deeply about, and am working on finding serenity in the beautiful chaos of building things that matter.
About ONE
Visionaries are the “What”. ONE is the “How.”
You know what needs to change. The question is: how do you turn that vision into measurable impact at scale?
I break down complex, multi-stakeholder problems into manageable pieces that drive implementation. I build the scaffolding that transforms ambitious ideas into sustainable programs that actually work.
Proven Track Record Across Sectors
Education: When an entrepreneur envisioned developing the next generation of African leaders, I co-wrote the business plan that secured his first $1 million in funding, turning vision into viable venture.
Workforce Development: In Nigeria, I helped triple placement outcomes for a vocational education organization within two years by creating the blueprints for replication.
Strategic Planning & Leadership: I've brought together employers and nonprofits for a pilot to tackle the benefits cliff. I’ve led visioning, strategic planning and implementation as the founding Executive Director of a family foundation. I have created team and board alignment around shared definitions of success.
My Process: From Problem to Solution
Every engagement is different, but my approach contains three key steps:
1. Understand the problem behind the problem. For example, when a workforce program shows declining placement rates, the real issue might be that market demands have shifted, requiring new technical skills, not just more marketing.
2. Define structured, implementable solutions that align incentives across all stakeholders. The best strategies fail when key players aren't invested in success.
3. Build the tools for implementation; whether that's a strategic plan, recruitment process, business intelligence dashboard, or operational framework that your team can execute - the goal is to achieve impact at scale.
ONE provides management consulting, specifically designed for the unique challenges of growing social impact initiatives.