“David is an incredible listener and mediator. At Educate78 he was able to effectively and lovingly wrangle a passionate group of senior leaders and help us to build an equity-centered north star and theory of action. He's great at checking in with folks, listening deeply, and using what he's learned from a diversity of perspectives to move individuals to collective action. David embodies the notion of "getting started anyway", even when the work is complex.”

— Carolyn Gramstorff, Founder at s3dx

“David is such a great, reliable and thoughtful leader. He has this rare combination of a strategic mindset and strong operational instincts. He has the interest of the community, the organization and the partners he works with. He cares deeply for his team. Add to that the warmth and the humor... I am so lucky to have worked and to continue to work with David!”

— Philippe Sion, Managing Director at Humanity United

“I consider David Phillips a professional, a colleague, and in many cases, a motivational speaker. Anyone who knows the charter landscape in California knows these schools require a lot of work that often feels chaotic, never-ending, overwhelming, and sometimes thankless. [Our school has] required healing that David has been able to successfully facilitate in a meaningful way.

David works in a way that feels personal and that allows for vulnerability and sensitivity. He offers calm during chaos.”

— Annette Dennett, Project Director at PACT, Inc.

“We have been so lucky to have David lead our school's strategic planning process. He is a very thoughtful facilitator who works hard to engage everyone in the room. David has a knack for distilling and synthesizing complex information into actionable recommendations. He is an insightful strategist who is also full of ideas about how to bring out the best in organizations and teams. I'm grateful to have had the chance to work with and learn from him.”

— Erin O’Donohue, Managing Director at Three Mountains

“[David made] a dramatic difference in the productivity level of our organization. He is a superb strategic thinker and he moves from highly skilled big picture analysis to rapid decision making and meticulous implementation with integrity and a remarkable work ethic. 

David is extremely talented at bringing people together on projects and getting the most from their varied skills, talents and perspectives. He is a master facilitator with groups and a tremendous resource to colleagues one-on-one. I admire his willingness to give and receive feedback, his humility, and genuine concern for teammates.”

— Maribel Gonzalez, Director of Community Partnerships and Policy at Educate78

“David put in countless hours to guide [our] board through big picture questions and process improvement related to governance and strategic planning, as well as dive into the details on communication strategy and community engagement. 

On the latter, David took particular care to engage with and really listen to both [our school’s] staff as well as other stakeholders in the broader Oakland education community. With his excellent facilitation skills, he is able to actively listen and build bridges to move things forward, while always keeping a student-centered focus.”

— Carolyn Choy, Director of Real Estate Development and Partnerships at Community Arts Stabilization Trust

“Thoughtful, approachable, and genuine are three words that I would use to describe David. Throughout [our work together] I continued to be impressed at how David could work across diverse perspectives and guide the group to address the heart of an issue – he is not afraid to address the elephant in the room, always doing so with tact and thoughtfulness. 

David [brings a] blend of skills in facilitation, team building, interpersonal dynamics, and systems change all rooted in an equity lens.”

— Dana Wellhausen, Senior Director of Strategic Operations at Rogers Family Foundation

“[David] is knowledgeable, analytical, and compassionate. His patient, hands-on, and responsive nature ensured that our staff gathered data, vetted opportunities, and made important decisions to keep the project flowing. It was clear that David cared personally about the success of this project as he went well beyond expectations to deliver a high-quality product. 

The greatest testament to David's impact is that we are actively utilizing the strategic plan that his team delivered.”

— Lauren Taylor, Vice President of Programs and Learning at Hyde Family Foundation

“Listening is Key: David starts by asking questions of a process or about the needs of those involved to ensure a well thought out plan. 

Strong Equity Lens: David is comfortable with leaning in to learn more about equity and his role as a white person in an organization and whiteness in the systems he seeks to change.”

— Rachel Garcia James, Chief Operating Officer at Educate78

“David is an amazing facilitator. He has an almost magical ability around facilitating and formulating the right questions. He plans agendas and activities that somehow feels spacious enough for us to get deep while balancing multiple needs/requests for the shared team time. His questions are always so inquisitive, deep, and thoughtful all while gently shepherding people towards where he wants them to head. I’ve never seen someone use questions so effectively as a tool as David does.”

— Carrie Chan, Data Analyst at Educate78