Today begins my last week as executive director of the Berrett-Koehler Foundation. This is the second time I’ve done this with an organization—served as executive director during the startup phase—and I’ve learned many lessons along the way.

My involvement began two years ago when Steve Piersanti, president of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, asked me to help create a new organization that would further the company’s mission of “helping to create a world that works for all” in a way that went beyond what Berrett-Koehler could do as a publisher.

I began by facilitating a design team. After research and serious consideration, we determined the focus would be to support the next generation of leaders in putting into practice the systems-changing ideas and tools that authors were writing about.

We named it the Berrett-Koehler Foundation, incorporated, and applied for 501(c)(3) status as a nonprofit.

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