Our History – Stewards of Change Consulting

INNOVATION AND ACHIEVEMENT FROM THE START

In 1998, a small group of dedicated business and child welfare professionals teamed up to initiate a marketing improvement project for Aspiranet, one of California’s largest nonprofit foster care and adoption agencies. At the time, we had no idea we were taking the first steps on a long and important journey. But we were, and the innovative (and successful) work we did for Aspiranet led us into a four-year contract with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services to provide business, marketing, research and training programs for the agency and its private providers.

Through those efforts and others, in child welfare and a growing number of other fields, relationships were forged, tools were developed, and out of shared goals, a partnership was born. We named it Stewards of Change because that’s who we are, what we do and how we enable our clients to see themselves. Today, we work in a broad variety of fields on a diverse array of important issues for clients from coast to coast, enabling them to succeed on their own terms, in their own ways, with proven business practices, innovative tools and thinking, and comprehensive support.

FOUNDING PARTNERS

DANIEL STEIN

Daniel Stein is a co-founder of Stewards of Change Consulting and leads SOCC as its Managing Partner. He brings over 25 years of experience in business and consulting to public, private and nonprofit organizations focused on building capacity, solving problems and improving outcomes. He has directed multidisciplinary engagements across the U.S. and at the federal level. His broad experience and knowledge include strategic visioning and planning, business process re-engineering, quantitative analysis, organizational development, performance management, marketing and communications, and information technology. He holds an MBA from Yale School of Management and a BA from Evergreen State College.

VERNON BROWN

Vernon Brown is a co-founder of Stewards of Change and its Institute, as well as a member of their leadership teams. He brings 30 years of experience as CEO of Aspiranet, a private child welfare agency with 44 service sites throughout California serving over 2,500 clients weekly. As a child welfare leader and innovator, Vernon has developed nationally recognized programs that serve children, youth, families, and communities. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado and a Secondary Education degree from the University of Colorado.

MICHAEL SMITH

Michael Smith is a co-founder of Stewards of Change. He has over 30 years of experience in business consulting and marketing as CEO of Linx Communications, providing overall leadership and strategic services. Michael is also involved in the Young Presidents Organization, where he spearheads Helping Disadvantaged Kids Network, a global project to support children in developed and developing countries. He received an MA from Bentley College, with degrees in management, marketing, finance, and computer science. He attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program.