Caring. Committed. Connected.

Matt Lehrman

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Matt Lehrman is a civic facilitator and leadership coach, helping municipal, nonprofit, and community leaders navigate challenges, foster collaboration, and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.

Through courageous conversations and inclusive processes, Matt empowers organizations and communities to make impactful decisions and achieve sustainable progress.

Matt’s career spans decades of experience in leadership, strategic facilitation, and community engagement. As founder and executive director of Alliance for Audience & ShowUp.com, he led a decade-long initiative uniting Arizona’s arts and cultural sector, transforming how organizations connected with audiences and each other. Later, as Interim Managing Director of Arizona Theatre Company, Matt guided the beloved institution through a dire period of governance, financial, and management instability, restoring trust and securing its future.

Matt has facilitated strategic planning for councils, boards, and management teams and led public dialogue for large-scale community initiatives. His work bridges perspectives, helping leaders build trust, resolve conflict, and align around shared goals.

A respected authority on civility and community engagement, Matt inspires civic leaders, nonprofit professionals, and community members, as an interactive keynote speaker, encouraging courageous collaboration, trust-building, and meaningful connection.

And as host of the Community Catalysts podcast, he explores diverse forms of leadership that unite and empower communities.

Matt’s experience equips him to guide organizations, leaders, and communities in reflecting on values, reimagining potential, and fostering thriving connections built on trust, creativity, and shared responsibility.

John Little

Co-Founder & Senior Partner

John’s enduring passion for community building is rooted in more than 35 years of service and leadership in local and regional government plus seven years providing strategic planning services and executive coaching to clients in the for-profit, nonprofit, and public sectors.

Before being named city manager in 2008, John served in increasingly responsible roles within the City of Scottsdale—heading departments of Human Resources, Organizational Effectiveness and Transportation as well as being appointed executive director for Downtown Development where he facilitated an estimated $6 billion in public and private investment over a 4-year period.

John is the City of Scottsdale’s only two-time honoree of the Bill Donaldson Award recognizing excellence in leadership, innovation, risk-taking, teamwork, creative problem-solving and community service.

As well, he has been honored by the Scottsdale Area Association of Realtors as “Citizen of the Year” for his important contributions to community building.