Senior Consultant  

Nora Bergman is a dedicated and innovative business leader committed to advancing elder care and social services across America.

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As a Senior Consultant at Arden Clark, she brings a wealth of strategic insight, operational expertise, and a passion for meaningful impact to her clients.  

Prior to joining Arden Clark, Nora served as Senior Program Manager at CJE SeniorLife’s Holocaust Community Services in Chicago, where she led complex initiatives with focus, empathy, and resilience. Her work was characterized by her ability to bring order to complexity, facilitating collaboration across cross-functional teams and driving high-stakes projects that positively impacted end users and community beneficiaries.

Currently pursuing her MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Nora is honing her leadership and strategic skills to catalyze systemic change in social services and elder care policy. Her unique blend of operational excellence, social consciousness, and strategic thinking makes her an invaluable partner for organizations seeking innovative solutions and sustainable impact.

With several years of experience as a clinical care manager, Nora brings a deeply compassionate approach to her work, understanding the importance of empathy and personalized care in social services. Her genuine dedication to improving the lives of vulnerable populations fuels her passion for creating impactful and humane solutions.

Nora is driven by a deep commitment to making a difference, and at Arden Clark, she leverages her expertise to help clients navigate complex challenges and create lasting change in the social sector. She believes that transformative progress comes from a combination of strategic vision and heartfelt compassion, and she strives to embody both qualities in every project she undertakes. Nora’s ability to connect with individuals and communities fosters trust and collaboration, ultimately fueling her mission to improve quality of life for seniors and underserved populations alike.

Partner at Large, Fundraising & Philanthropy

Amy Day is a seasoned strategist in the nonprofit and social-impact space who guides mission-minded organizations through ambitious growth in fundraising, capacity-building, and sustainable revenue strategies.

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Amy brings more than 20 years of leadership in advancement, philanthropy, and mission-driven growth to Arden Clark. Amy held senior roles leading fundraising, institutional giving, donor cultivation, and strategic partnerships across nonprofit sectors, higher education, and social innovation organizations. She’s built and executed multi-year campaigns, helped align fundraising with organizational strategy, and guided organizations through scaling transitions—always with an eye on financial health and mission alignment.

Her professional credentials include CFRE (Certified Fund-Raising Executive) and FAHP (Fellow of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy). She is deeply experienced in leveraging data-driven approaches, storytelling, operational rigor, and cross-sector partnerships to help mission-led organizations reach their next chapter of impact.

At Arden Clark, Amy will partner alongside executive teams to craft fundraising strategies that are not only ambitious, but resilient. She excels at bridging vision and execution—helping leaders clarify bold goals, set up scalable systems, and mobilize resources to fuel sustainable growth.

Outside of her professional life, Amy is an active mentor in philanthropy networks, a frequent speaker on fundraising trends, and passionate about building connective bridges across sectors for greater social good.

Partner at Large, Strategy & Deal Expert

Veronica Descotte is a highly experienced senior executive with broad expertise in strategy, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and global integrations.

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Throughout her career, she has led over 35 transactions valued at more than $2 billion, including acquisitions, licensing deals, and strategic alliances across diverse markets. Her experience includes more than five years in venture capital and senior leadership roles at publicly traded companies such as Medtronic and Exact Sciences.

Veronica is known for her strategic vision, operational excellence, and ability to scale organizations in both mature and emerging markets. She is passionate about creating sustainable value, innovative deal structuring, and driving long-term growth.

Beyond her corporate roles, Veronica is deeply committed to community service. She is the founder of Cake on Wheels, a nonprofit delivering birthday cakes to children in need, and she is a member of Chief, a network dedicated to empowering women leaders. 

She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College. Veronica is eager to bring her insights and experience to organizations seeking innovative strategies and impactful growth.

Accounting Lead

Danielle Drake is an accounting leader who helps operators keep financials clean so that decisions are grounded in accurate, timely, consistent reporting they can trust.

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At Arden Clark, Danielle partners directly with clients and coordinates distributed accounting teams. She is known for bringing order to the details, building process documentation and training materials, supporting month-end reviews, and stepping in on journal entries and categorization when needed.

Danielle is also an Accounting Supervisor at Archer Lewis and previously spent five years at Botkeeper, an accounting technology company that uses automation alongside a human accounting team to support firms. In leadership roles across the Accounting Expert function, she supported partner relationships and guided teams delivering work in QuickBooks Online and Xero while collaborating closely with the implementation and product teams to strengthen service quality and workflows.

Danielle also owns DCM Tax Preparation & Bookkeeping, a practice she has operated since 1997, preparing federal and state returns and helping clients set up and maintain their books. She holds a BS in Accounting from Western Kentucky University, is a QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor and Xero certified, and is pursuing a master’s in business administration with an accounting emphasis.

Senior Consultant

Claire Duvallet is a computational biologist and data scientist whose work bridges technology, health, and equity with deep expertise in data-driven problem solving, organizational strategy, and scientific communication.

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As a Senior Consultant at Arden Clark, she helps clients translate complex systems into actionable insights.

Claire holds a PhD in Biological Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she developed methods to extract clinical insight from the human microbiome. She has since built a dynamic career applying data science to real-world challenges—from wastewater-based epidemiology at Biobot Analytics, where she led data science efforts to inform public health policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, to her current work at Science for America, developing novel metrics and tools to promote equity in STEM education.

As an independent consultant and technical advisor, Claire partners with startups and research teams to design robust analytical pipelines, modernize data infrastructure, and shape data strategy. Her work has been published in Nature Communications, ACS ES&T Water, and Genome Biology, among others.

Across all her work, Claire is driven by a commitment to open science, collaboration, and using data for societal impact.

Strategic Advisor

Mark Greene is a seasoned financial technology executive with a long track record of leading, scaling, and transforming complex global businesses. As CEO of Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), he led the company’s evolution into a global leader in credit scoring, fraud detection, and predictive analytics business.

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Mark brings deep expertise in analytics, risk management, and enterprise technology to every engagement and has spent his career helping organizations navigate moments of pivotal growth.

After FICO, Mark became CEO of OpenLink Financial, a $330 million trading and risk management software company serving the energy, commodities, and financial sectors. Earlier, he spent more than a two decades in progressive leadership roles at the Federal Reserve Board, CitiCorp, and IBM, where he ultimately led the firm’s global banking portfolio and guided strategy across a $14 billion business.

A recognized voice on economic trends, financial services, and the technologies reshaping them, Mark has advised senior banking leaders worldwide and helped early- and mid-stage companies scale people, processes, and technology through periods of rapid expansion. Today, he serves on multiple boards across fintech, credit counseling, data intelligence, and content technology, bringing practical operating insight and steady strategic guidance to management teams and investors.

Mark’s commitment to impact extends beyond the private sector. He has contributed leadership on the boards of the Walker Art Center, Twin Cities Co-op Partners, and the Interest for Others Foundation, and serves on the Economics Leadership Council at the University of Michigan.

He holds a BA in Economics from Amherst College and an MA and PhD in Economics from the University of Michigan. A dedicated triathlete and rower, Mark splits his time between New York City and Minneapolis and is the proud father of adult twins.

CEO & Managing Partner, Arden Clark

Troy Groenke is a seasoned entrepreneur and strategic leader with a proven track record of building national platforms, leading successful turnarounds, and simplifying complex strategies to create sustainable growth.

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As CEO and Managing Partner of Arden Clark, Troy brings a personal touch to every engagement, working closely with clients to deliver tailored solutions that drive lasting impact.

With a history of two successful exits and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Troy specializes in strategic and financial case development, business advisory, and operational structuring. His expertise lies in helping organizations clarify their vision, optimize their operations, and implement strategies for long-term success.

Prior to founding Arden Clark, Troy served as Vice President of Marketing & Communication at Urban Ventures, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty. There, he revitalized the organization’s strategic plan, significantly increased both service delivery to youth and families, and boosted financial performance through increased donor engagement.

Troy’s entrepreneurial spirit is further exemplified by his role as co-founder of a successful consulting firm before establishing Arden Clark—where he remains committed to excellence in service delivery. He leads a team of C-suite seasoned professionals and leverages a trusted bench of MBA strategists, operators, and analysts from the University of Chicago’s Civic Scholars Program. This ensures every client receives expert-level guidance, strategic clarity, and hands-on support—delivering results from start to finish.

At Arden Clark, Troy and his team view themselves as an extension of your leadership—combining clear thinking, deep experience, and energized execution to help organizations advance their mission and deepen their impact. Whether tackling complex strategic challenges, refining operational structures, or unlocking new growth opportunities, Troy is dedicated to empowering clients with the insights and support they need to succeed.

Partner

With over 30 years of leadership across nonprofits, education, and financial services, David Hawn brings a wealth of experience and a strong dedication to social impact, economic mobility, and expanded access to education.

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His career is characterized by transformative initiatives and strategic leadership that create lasting change.

As President & CEO of Urban Ventures, David led the organization through significant growth—tripling revenue, completing a $10 million capital campaign, and launching an innovative early learning center and a vocational training school during a challenging period. His efforts focused on supporting families and mentoring young men of color through pathways of personal development.

Previously, David served as President & CEO of ECMC Group, overseeing a $700 million organization with more than 2,500 employees and playing a key role in establishing Zenith Education Group, a major nonprofit vocational training network. His leadership roles at Wells Fargo, Great Lakes Higher Education, and College Loan Corporation further demonstrate his ability to drive organizational growth, operational efficiency, and service expansion.

Specializing in interim CEO roles, David provides stability and strategic focus during times of transition. He also dedicates himself to mentoring emerging entrepreneurs, offering hands-on guidance in operations, financial management, and growth strategies.

David holds a BA in Psychology and Business Management from the University of Minnesota and multiple certificates from the University of St. Thomas. He actively contributes to community initiatives and serves on several boards, committed to fostering positive social change.  

David’s leadership, strategic insight, and dedication to community building make him a trusted partner for organizations seeking meaningful and sustainable impact.

Consultant

Naureen Kheraj brings to Arden Clark a rigorous analytical mindset, deep experience in the education and civic sectors, and a passion for helping mission-driven organizations leverage strategy, data, and systems to deliver sustained impact.

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Before joining Arden Clark, Naureen served as an Associate at The Chicago Public Education Fund, where she played a key role in The Chicago Principal Partnership — a city-wide effort to expand and diversify principal pipelines and support school leadership in high-need communities. Prior to that, she was a Research Analyst at the UChicago Consortium on School Research, working closely with senior researchers to design, implement, and interpret large-scale education studies.

Her analytic contributions include co‑authoring the 2021 5Essentials Survey in CPS report, a landmark study on school climate and improvement in high-poverty contexts. She has also contributed to the UChicago Consortium’s Research & Engagement Agenda (2021–25), helping to shape priorities around equity, student experience, and structural change in schools.

Earlier in her career, Naureen gained cross-sector experience — from serving as a policy intern at Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Social & Emotional Learning, to working with charter networks, and teaching at Wadsworth Elementary. A first-generation American, she is deeply motivated by personal and community experiences, driving her dedication to elevating underrepresented voices in education and social impact.

Naureen holds a B.A. from the University of Chicago and is currently pursuing her MBA at Chicago Booth, where she is also an Edwardson Civic Scholar — a program that underscores her commitment to combining strategic leadership with public purpose.

At Arden Clark, Naureen partners with clients to help bridge strategy and execution in systems change, education, philanthropy, and the civic sector. Drawing on her research background, she will support clarity diagnostics, robust operating models, and stakeholder-aligned roadmaps — helping clients go from insight to action.

Senior Consultant

Alexis “Lexie” Lehmann is an economic development strategist who builds investable coalitions, helping organizations mobilize financial resources and social capital to drive inclusive growth.

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Before joining Arden Clark, Lexie worked in Birmingham, Alabama’s innovation ecosystem, where she helped convene public, private, and civic partners around the Birmingham Biotechnology Hub and the federal Tech Hubs program. This work was grounded in aligning stakeholders, sharpening the region’s strategic narrative, and moving complex initiatives from ambition to execution.

At Southern Research, she helped bring Station 41 to life—from early feasibility work through launch—strengthening Birmingham’s commercialization infrastructure for early-stage life sciences companies. Station 41 includes an incubator offering shared wet lab and office space designed to support biotech startup growth.

Lexie also brings an investor’s lens. At Chicago Booth’s student-managed Steven Tarrson Impact Investment Fund, she served as deal lead on a $50,000 seed investment in Moxi, a tech-enabled childcare platform addressing childcare deserts in the American South.

Lexie earned a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University and is currently completing a joint MBA/MPP at Chicago Booth and the Harris School of Public Policy as an Edwardson Civic Scholar and Harris Merit Scholar. At Arden Clark, she supports clients at the intersection of place-based development, capital/partnership strategy, and impact diligence.

Senior Consultant

Trevyr Meade is a strategic thinker and problem solver who combines expertise in data analysis, technology, finance, design thinking, and cultural insights to address complex business challenges.

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He focuses on crafting airtight financial cases, optimizing operational systems, and launching successful go-to-market strategies—always with a people-first, creative approach supported by disciplined data-driven methods.

As a co-founder of ownAI, Trevyr advocates for human-centered AI adoption, helping social ventures, employee-owned firms, and nonprofits harness AI’s potential responsibly and ethically. His extensive experience includes leading certification programs at Green Business Certification Inc., managing projects for the U.S. Green Building Council, and co-founding the Steven Tarrson Impact Investment Fund, supporting early-stage impact startups.

Trevyr’s diverse background enables him to deliver innovative, scalable solutions that generate measurable impact. At Arden Clark, he partners with organizations seeking to navigate complexity, transform operations, and emerge stronger—driving sustainable growth and meaningful change through disciplined, creative problem-solving.

Consultant, Data Strategy, Engineering, Analytics

Prathik “Tik” Nair is a data engineer and analytics strategist who’s expertise spans the full data lifecycle: data architecture, model building, semantic layers, pipelines, and dashboards. He specializes in creating the end-to-end systems organizations rely on to make sharp, timely, and confident decisions.

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Prathik’s approach blends strong technical depth with the ability to translate source-data insights into clear, actionable narratives for executive leaders. He brings experience across supply chain, finance, technology, and social impact to his consulting and advisory work. Most recently Pratik served as a Senior BI Analyst at Suntory Global, where he redesigned global forecasting models, built automated portfolio optimization tools, and developed integrated reporting systems used by planners and executives worldwide. His work focuses on systematically uncovering hidden value, strengthening planning accuracy, and improving cross-functional visibility.

Before Suntory, Prathik worked in private equity, where he developed dashboards and financial models that shaped investment decisions and contributed to meaningful cost reductions across the portfolio. Earlier in his career, he engineered predictive models at IBM that improved manufacturing reliability and automated critical workflows, work that sharpened his ability to connect technical rigor with the business’ operational needs.

Prathik is trained in advanced machine learning, predictive analytics, and large-scale data systems. He is fluent across modern data tools and infrastructures, including Python, SQL, Power BI, DAX, Databricks, Azure, and GCP.

Prathik holds a master’s degree in Data Science from the University of Chicago and is an MBA candidate at Chicago Booth. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University. Based in Chicago, he brings a calm presence and a builder’s mindset to every engagement.

Senior Consultant

With over 15 years of experience in healthcare informatics, data analysis, and strategic decision support, Alexis Nunez offers a wealth of expertise to organizations seeking to leverage data for informed, impactful outcomes.

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Her background spans both public and private sectors, where she has consistently delivered rigorous, high-quality insights tailored to diverse audiences.

During her tenure as Director of Data Analytics at Optum, Alexis specialized in risk adjustment analyses and provided strategic insights to stakeholders across all levels, including senior leadership. Her approach emphasizes analytical precision, innovative measurement methods, and thorough quality assurance, ensuring data-driven recommendations are reliable and actionable.

Previously, Alexis contributed to public health initiatives with the Minnesota Department of Health, where she developed SQL-driven insights and managed system testing efforts to support program integrity and behavioral trend analysis.

Alexis holds a Master’s in Health Informatics from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor’s in Biology with a minor in Spanish from Macalester College. Her proven ability to communicate complex data insights clearly and effectively makes her a trusted partner for organizations aiming to turn data into strategic advantage.

Strategic Designer

Palma Perez is a graphic designer and creative strategist who helps teams turn strategic narratives and complex information into polished, final materials: presentations, campaign assets, and reusable templates.

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She pairs strong visual judgment with disciplined production, building and maintaining materials across Microsoft PowerPoint and Word, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Notion, and related tools. Her work emphasizes consistency, clarity, and reusability so teams can communicate powerfully without reinventing the wheel.

Alongside her work with Arden Clark clients, Palma designs campaign assets, social content, event materials, and UI elements across TV, mobile, and web at Kiswe Mobile, collaborating closely with marketing and engineering teams from concept through delivery. Previously, at Casio America, she supported the G-SHOCK and Electronic Musical Instrument divisions, producing campaign creative, retailer and partner artwork, and event graphics that needed to hold up across channels, timelines, and audiences.

Palma holds a Bachelor of Interactive Media Design and Advertising from Bond University in Queensland, Australia, where she was recognized on the Vice-Chancellor’s List for Academic Excellence. She also earned an Associate of Arts in Fashion Design and Merchandising from Chavón–Parsons (The New School affiliate), graduating cum laude. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she brings a global perspective and high attention to detail to every engagement.

Senior Consultant, Operations and People | Chief of Staff

Monica Silva Gutierrez is a mission-driven senior executive with over 15 years of experience across technology, nonprofit leadership, and government. She specializes in building the operational and people-focused systems organizations need to scale with clarity and purpose.

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At Google, Monica served as Chief of Staff and Head of Strategy and Operations for VPs and Executive leaders across tech and people operations divisions, leading complex, cross-functional initiatives like launching a centralized PMO supporting a 14,000-person engineering organization and helping design and roll out GRAD, Google’s company-wide performance management system.

From orchestrating major corporate organizational redesigns and enterprise-wide performance management initiatives to building a nonprofit from the ground up and raising over $20M, Monica is known for turning ambiguity into structure, aligning talent with strategy, and guiding teams through high-stakes change with discipline and care.

Monica specializes in helping Arden Clark’s clients:

· Build scalable organizational and talent systems

· Navigate strategic shifts and complex transitions

· Strengthen execution through clear processes and decision-making rhythms

· Align mission, culture, and performance for sustainable growth

Monica earned her BA from St. Mary’s University and holds a Master’s in HR from the University of Southern California. She has also completed executive education programs at Stanford University and the University of Northwestern Kellogg School of Business. She resides in upstate New York and is an active member of her community.

Strategic Advisor, AI Enablement

Michael Zimmer is a recognized expert in artificial intelligence, with over a decade of experience at the forefront of education, innovation, and strategy. As the co-founder of ownAI, he helps organizations leverage AI to transform operations and create competitive advantages.

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His work focuses on integrating AI solutions into business processes and individual workflows, enhancing decision-making and fostering data-driven growth. Michael leads with a practical approach rooted in technical knowledge and real-world application, ensuring that organizations can successfully navigate AI adoption.

As Associate Professor at National University, he serves as founder and chair of the AI Strategy Group at NU’s School of Arts, Letters, & Sciences, where he has taken a leading role in driving institutional innovation and strategy around AI, teaching, and assessment. Michael has also designed artificial intelligence courses that have reached more than a thousand students, faculty, and staff.

Michael holds an MBA with high honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he received the Booth Impact Award, and a BA in Political Science from Yale. Based in the Chicago area, he is committed to helping clients harness AI for sustainable success.