About Us
Meet our Ripple Effect Partners team.
Our Ripple Effect Team
Ripple Effect Partners helps organizations transform vision into action. We combine business discipline with social impact expertise to accelerate growth, strengthen performance, and create lasting change.
With experience spanning both the private and nonprofit sectors, we bring proven strategies, practical solutions, and measurable results to every engagement.
Steven Haden, MSW, MBA, CPRP
Managing Partner
Steven Haden (he/him) is a leader at the intersection of social impact, public health, and business strategy. He founded Ripple Effect Partners; a consulting firm launched in 2025 that helps organizations design data-informed strategies for transformative impact and sustainable growth.
Steven brings a rare blend of corporate and clinical experience. He previously founded and served as CEO of the mental health nonprofit Envision:You and founded the public benefit corporation You:Flourish. His background spans senior leadership roles in global communications at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Widmeyer Communications, and Cassidy and Associates, as well as clinical practice as a mental health therapist and counselor.
Steven holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business and a Master of Social Work from Simmons University, and he is pursuing a Doctor of Public Health at George Washington University. Steven is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Provider, a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, and a sought-after speaker on the behavioral health needs of marginalized communities. He lives in Denver with his husband and their two labs.
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Strategic leadership across sectors: Led communications and policy initiatives for Fortune 500 clients and applied this expertise to nonprofit and health equity work.
Culture-driven team building: Built and guided high-performing teams and aligned internal culture with brand values to increase motivation, engagement, and retention.
Research-informed policy advocacy: Co-authored the Colorado LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health State of the State Survey Report (2021), was the Primary Investigator (PI) on the YouFlourish LGBTQ+ Mental Health Needs Assessment Survey (2025), and advises on intersectional, trauma-informed policy and system transformation.
Equitable program design: Created culturally responsive mental health programs that address disparities in LGBTQ+ and other underserved communities and shaped scalable models for equity-focused care.
Scaled organizational growth: Drove a nonprofit to a 50-fold increase in operational efficiency and more than 990 percent growth in fundraising, securing durable support for LGBTQ+ mental health initiatives.
Evidence-based systems change: Delivered scalable, trauma-informed programs grounded in public health and social work principles to influence system-level outcomes.
Cross-sector partnership development: Brokered partnerships with academia, government agencies, and community-based organizations to drive collective impact and innovation in behavioral health.
National visibility and thought leadership: Featured speaker at national conferences including Mental Health America, Active Minds, National Council for Mental Wellbeing (NatCon), and the National Alliance on Mental Illness convention, and media contributor on youth mental health, wellness, state and federal policy, and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Measurable impact through data: Uses behavioral frameworks and social determinants of health to design and evaluate programs, ensuring clear outcomes aligned with funder and stakeholder priorities.
Michelle Wiley, MA, LPC
Senior Consultant
Michelle Wiley (she/her) is a Senior Consultant with Ripple Effect Partners and faculty for the Ripple Effect Leadership Academy. A strategic consultant and behavioral health leader with more than 20 years of experience, she helps mission-driven organizations navigate growth, change, and transformation. Known for her clarity, integrity, and people-centered leadership, Michelle strengthens organizational culture, improves performance, and advances financial sustainability while staying true to organizational values.
Michelle specializes in leading complex change initiatives grounded in the belief that collaboration drives stronger outcomes. She emphasizes clear expectations, effective communication, and shared accountability as the foundation for lasting success.
Her expertise spans organizational strategy, data analysis, financial modeling, culturally responsive service delivery, operational excellence, and risk management. A Colorado Licensed Professional Counselor with a master's degree in psychology, Michelle brings a thoughtful balance of rigor, humility, and compassion to every engagement.
Laura Knudston, PhD
Senior Consultant
Laura Knudtson, PhD, is a mission-driven leader dedicated to advancing equitable outcomes for children, families, and communities through policy, systems change, and nonprofit leadership. She is the Founder and Lead Consultant of Laura F. Knudtson, LLC, and serves as a Senior Consultant and Leadership Academy Instructor at Ripple Effect Partners. In these roles, she partners with organizations and coalitions to strengthen strategy, organizational development, public policy, and systems change across the early childhood, child welfare, behavioral health, and broader social impact sectors.
Previously, Dr. Knudtson was Senior Director of Policy, Strategy, & Innovation at Parent Possible, where she led statewide advocacy efforts to expand evidence-based family support programs. Her career spans clinical practice, workforce development, program leadership, and federal and state policy advocacy, including service as an AAAS Congressional Policy Fellow in the U.S. Senate.
Dr. Knudtson has held numerous leadership roles within the American Psychological Association, including two terms as Colorado’s Representative to the APA Council of Representatives and one term on the Advocacy Coordinating Committee. She has also provided long-standing governance and legislative leadership within the Colorado Psychological Association.
Sara Nadelman, MPH
Senior Consultant
Sara Nadelman, MPH, is a Senior Consultant and Leadership Academy Instructor with Ripple Effect Partners and Founder of Harlech Consulting LLC. Based in Denver, she brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across philanthropy, government, international development, and the nonprofit sector. Her work has focused on advancing child and youth well-being, systems change, and equity-centered grantmaking.
Throughout her career, Sara has managed multi-million-dollar grant portfolios, conducted hundreds of funding reviews annually, directed a federal anti-trafficking grant program, coordinated statewide child welfare response efforts, and led operations for a Cambodia-based nonprofit serving trafficked girls and young women. She is recognized for her ability to translate complex challenges into practical strategies that strengthen organizations and improve outcomes for communities.
MiDian Holmes
Senior Consultant
MiDian Holmes is CEO of Epitome of Black Excellence & Partnership, Founder of 8PM Consulting for Humanity, and a member of the Ripple Effect Leadership Academy. A community leader, corporate executive, and cultural justice advocate, she brings a wealth of lived experience and an unwavering commitment to racial justice.
Her work centers on three core pillars that foster learning, reflection, growth, and meaningful societal change. Through education, dialogue, and leadership, MiDian challenges individuals and organizations to confront racism, advance equity, and create lasting change.
Believing that transformation begins with authentic relationships and honest self-reflection, MiDian helps communities move from intention to action. She is known for translating difficult conversations into practical strategies that strengthen organizations and communities alike.
MiDian leads with compassion, purpose, and courage. She inspires others to embrace discomfort, build understanding, and work toward a future where every culture is recognized, protected, and valued. For MiDian, liberation is not an individual pursuit but a shared responsibility.
Ripple Effect Partners equips organizations and leaders to create equitable, human-centered workplaces. Our training and consulting services empower individuals to lead with compassion, integrity, and courage—creating ripple effects of impact across teams and communities.