Our Purpose
Portage Partners Consulting was founded in 2015 to be the outfitter, navigator and beacon of courage on the journey to excellence for Minnesota's nonprofits, foundations, educational institutions and and government agencies. Putting racial equity at the forefront, we collaborate with the people and organizations making our community a better place through strategic visioning, action planning, community empowerment, leadership coaching, DEIJ culture building and implementation support.
Our Difference
ACTION-ORIENTED: Our plans are intentionally designed to be actionable and we are expert at installing management processes and building staff capacity to ensure successful implementation.
ANTI-RACIST: We are committed to creating a world that is free from racism and other forms of bias. Our approach is built to break through the status quo in how we work as well as the products we help create.
CUSTOMIZED: We have a robust set of analysis, planning and implementation tools to bring to the table. We put together the right approach for each engagement to best meet clients’ unique needs and context.
ENGAGING: We are serious about the work we do with clients, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Our sessions are fun, interactive and engaging. Participants in our processes report feeling heard, respected and energized about the future.
HYPER-LOCAL: Minnesota is our home. We bring local context and connections to every engagement, allowing us to hit the ground running and uncover previously untapped partnership opportunities in our community.
PARTNERS: Our process is designed to turn your vision into a reality. We walk with you and your team as a coach and partner, helping you achieve and sustain transformational outcomes.
PRACTICAL: We favor simplicity and clarity and stay away from jargon and trends. Our approach is streamlined, expedited and designed to get to your desired results fast.
RADICALLY INCLUSIVE: We know that authentically involving stakeholders early and often in a change process is critical to designing the best solution and achieving sustainable results.
RESULTS-FOCUSED: Delivering results that exceed expectations is our top priority. We are frequently called in when organizations are struggling to land the plane on an issue or agenda. We give critical conversations the time and space they require while maintaining a focus on keeping the process moving forward.
ANTI-RACIST: We are committed to creating a world that is free from racism and other forms of bias. Our approach is built to break through the status quo in how we work as well as the products we help create.
CUSTOMIZED: We have a robust set of analysis, planning and implementation tools to bring to the table. We put together the right approach for each engagement to best meet clients’ unique needs and context.
ENGAGING: We are serious about the work we do with clients, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Our sessions are fun, interactive and engaging. Participants in our processes report feeling heard, respected and energized about the future.
HYPER-LOCAL: Minnesota is our home. We bring local context and connections to every engagement, allowing us to hit the ground running and uncover previously untapped partnership opportunities in our community.
PARTNERS: Our process is designed to turn your vision into a reality. We walk with you and your team as a coach and partner, helping you achieve and sustain transformational outcomes.
PRACTICAL: We favor simplicity and clarity and stay away from jargon and trends. Our approach is streamlined, expedited and designed to get to your desired results fast.
RADICALLY INCLUSIVE: We know that authentically involving stakeholders early and often in a change process is critical to designing the best solution and achieving sustainable results.
RESULTS-FOCUSED: Delivering results that exceed expectations is our top priority. We are frequently called in when organizations are struggling to land the plane on an issue or agenda. We give critical conversations the time and space they require while maintaining a focus on keeping the process moving forward.
Our Anti-Bias Commitment
Portage Partners Consulting is an actively anti-bias and anti-racist organization. We recognize that racism and other forms of bias are present in our culture, institutions and systems. We seek to create a world that does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, ability, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, body size, economic status or class. We are committed to :
1) becoming aware of the manifestations of racism, bias and privilege in our own lives, in our culture and in the systems we create and support;
2) working to dismantle and reimagine systems that support bias and oppression;
3) actively supporting our clients and ourselves to acknowledge, honor and appreciate differences; and
4) incorporating anti-bias practices in how we work and the products we help create.
1) becoming aware of the manifestations of racism, bias and privilege in our own lives, in our culture and in the systems we create and support;
2) working to dismantle and reimagine systems that support bias and oppression;
3) actively supporting our clients and ourselves to acknowledge, honor and appreciate differences; and
4) incorporating anti-bias practices in how we work and the products we help create.
Portage Partners Consulting is certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) with MnUCP for strategic planning, community engagement, implementation support, project management, process improvement and equity focused training.
