Hi, I'm Serena (she/her). I am a connector, facilitator, and creative strategist based in Richmond, VA. My focus is on helping individuals and groups transform themselves and their relationships through the spaces and containers created to hold work.

As the oldest of three children, facilitation is in my bones. From organizing my 7th-grade class’ talent show performance, to starting a discussion group in college, to launching a coworking office in my early 20s, I have always felt called to initiate in ways that bring people together. 

I am shaped by the rolling hills and lush forests of rural Pennsylvania, where I learned the art of gathering from elder mentors, peer experimentation, and organizing community art projects. Blending influences from my background in organizational development, coworking, entrepreneurship, wilderness therapy, and community development, I approach my work through a multi-discipline lens.

Before starting Rootspace, I leveraged my big-picture thinking, creative facilitation, and strong project management skills for 5 years at Floricane, an organizational development consultancy based in Richmond. I worked on a multi-year change management and culture-building healthcare initiative, consulted on strategic planning projects, developed onboarding programs, and facilitated team and leadership development trainings as an Insights® Discovery Practitioner.

When not consulting, you can find me working on various community organizing projects, going to jazz shows, dabbling in poetry and film photography, or hosting a potluck. My favorite words are vision, murmuration, and intention (you will probably hear me say them often, don’t say I didn’t warn you). 

My Approach

Over the past decade, I have consulted hundreds of employees and organizations on how to work better together. While I have witnessed tremendous transformation, joy, and respect, I have also seen many people harmed, depleted, and stressed out by their workplaces, or by running a business. I started Rootspace to help others get to the root of what matters to them, so they can access more autonomy and control in their day-to-day lives.

I do this work because I don't think people should be miserable at work, let alone be harmed by an environment where we spend so much of our time and emotional energy. I like to dream about what would be possible if businesses and workplaces weren’t extractive, and actually provided us with the capacity to invest in our relationships, in our interests and passions, and in the collective care of our communities. If this sounds like a future you would like to build, I look forward to dreaming and scheming with you.