Ethos
Before entertaining a relationship with us, take a little view into our intentions and how we strive to be the best we can be, in business and in life.
Introduction
Our Values in Action
Missions We Celebrate
Our Vision
A world in which good leaders, organizations, and systems thrive because of the value they place on people, the planet, and responsible decision-making.
Our Commitment
We see our business as a living, breathing organism operating inside an ecosystem in which all of us reside, too. We believe that this ecosystem thrives when each of us recognizes that we’re stronger together, activating the potential of all entities to thrive, and treating one another with a kindness, respect, and responsibility that appreciates the bigger picture of the interconnections and implications of our actions.
As such, we are committed to discovering, designing, and supporting avenues for leaders across industries, organizations of all sizes, and systems like policies and platforms to succeed in helping each of their stakeholders thrive.
The Elicit Way
Principles and practices that inform our work…
Substance over
Sparkle
Agility with
Grace
Collaborative
Alignment
Mindfulness and Critical Thinking
Savvy plus
Moxie
Curiosity, Humility, & Courage
Responsible & Ethical Decision Analysis
Excellence, Inspiration, & Breakthroughs
Constructive Celebration of Global Perspectives
…and what we seek to offer all our stakeholders
Our Mission
Explode outward the boundaries of what is perceived as achievable for organizations, entrepreneurs, and leaders in such a way that enlivens purpose, drives performance, engages partners, and connects to global citizenship.
Our Values in Action
How We Show Up in the World
ETHICS & INTEGRITY
“Discipline is doing what you are supposed to do in the best possible manner at the time you are supposed to do it,” as the legendary Coach K taught at The Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership & Ethics (COLE), a premier academic center at the Fuqua School of Business. Dean Bill Boulding introduced the concept of a “decency quotient” (DQ), the final pillar of the triple threat of leadership: the other two being emotional quotient (EQ) and intelligence quotient (IQ). DQ has four leadership components: (1) value, respect and care for others; (2) using your role to elevate others to bring out their best; (3) humility to learn from others; (4) integrity to be honest, transparent and accountable to self and others.
Nalini’s study of Leadership & Ethics at Fuqua as well as her active exploration of personal and professional development around integrity inform Elicit’s positioning in how all of us show up for one another and our clients. At Elicit, we are on a continuous learning journey of being the best we can be, which means that we routinely flex our muscles of humility and seek to challenge ourselves. We believe empathy and openness enable us to listen astutely to our clients and to one another, and to create environments that are welcoming, encouraging, constructive, and activate each of our partners to show up to their fullest potential. We are happy to discuss our Code of Ethics. A few more tangible links for those seeking to work for or with us:
CONSCIOUS GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
“What we are seeing is surely more than the progression of just another business cycle. The unnerving combination of a global pandemic compounded by energy scarcity, rapid inflation, and geopolitical tensions boiling over has people wondering what certainties are left. Today’s events might even feel like a cluster of earthquakes that is reshaping our world.” (Source: McKinsey’s On the Cusp of a New Era?)
With rapidly evolving developments in the world and in how humans interact with one another, with nature and the climate, with machines and artificial intelligence, with consumption and investment against a backdrop of war, warring tides of global consciousness, and power and politics, we believe it’s essential for us to commit to continuous learning such that we educate ourselves and can champion efforts to create learning, dialogue, community, activism, and positive progress for a better future for all of us. Specifically, Elicit is keen to serve as a strategist and executive leadership advisor for those seeking to steer their way and the way of their stakeholders into this new world order via (1) emotional/social intelligence and the science of human-centered design and connection; (2) ethics and innovation, from navigating competition to developments in artificial intelligence and other technology; (3) responsible and effective climate action that overcomes eco-anxiety and activates the energy of youth, innovation, and global collaboration; and (4) decision science informed by critical thinking, agility, resilience, principles, strategy, and influential vision and leadership. We keep ourselves fresh by taking these head-on via our involvement in conscious global citizenship.
COMMUNITY TO “BE THE CHANGE”
Despite access to communication, information, and connection, the world continues to face significant challenges to come together collaboratively and peacefully. The Pew Research Center’s Attitudes on an Interconnected World, along with the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community via the 2023 report titled Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, are just two respected reports on the challenges facing the fabric of human connection, empathy, and agency for good.
Nalini founded the award-winning Connecting the Dots 501(c)(3) non-profit to facilitate opportunities for listening, learning, action, and connection in June 2020. We created a unique, immersive, virtual experience of global dialogue for reflective and constructive action to inspire people around the world to make a difference for positive social change themselves and in community with others. The partners we invite to curate these experiences range from social justice advocates, academics, activists, to artists, and they share their lived experiences and learned perspectives. With the help of participants like you, we strive to create conditions for constructive dialogue that moves the needle toward a more socially, economically, and environmentally just world and for all of us to “be the change” we wish to see.
HUMANITARIANISM
Per the Global Humanitarian Overview 2024, next year, “nearly 300 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection, due to conflicts, climate emergencies and other drivers.” “There are 3 main drivers of these needs: conflict, the global climate emergency, and economic factors.” (Source: UN Global Humanitarian Overview 2024)
Upon finding that displaced people facing humanitarian crisis and conflict are often without trusted information or resources, and that well-intentioned organizations and individuals are often working off grassroots infrastructure powered by volunteers, Nalini identified an opportunity to help. What started out as an empathy-based human-centered design for rescue and relief effort morphed into PORTAL, which Nalini founded to facilitate the flow of accurate, secure, actionable information such that trusted grassroots organizations, NGOs, private entities, nation states, global humanitarian volunteers can swiftly and collaboratively respond to crises and disasters to mitigate unnecessary losses and to save lives. The principles behind PORTAL powered each of the efforts our team was involved in with the crises in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Mexico, and other places where people found themselves displaced and seeking rescue, relief, and rehabilitation.
CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION
“Conservation protects the environment through the responsible use of natural resources. Preservation protects the environment from harmful human activities. For example, conserving a forest typically involves sustainable logging practices to minimize deforestation. Preservation would involve setting aside part or even all of the forest from human development.” (Source: National Geographic)
Our team strives to reduce single-use plastics, reduce food waste, eat plant-rich diets, reduce air travel, buy local, and consider our carbon footprint and use of fossil fuels in all our consumption and travel choices. We also encourage clients to modify their manufacturing and supply chain processes to better care for our environment and to join us in promoting a circular economy.
RESTORATION
“We need healthy and productive ecosystems to benefit from the multiple environmental, economic and social benefits they provide. Ecosystem restoration offers the opportunity to effectively halt and reverse degradation, improve ecosystem services and recover biodiversity.” (Source: United Nations)
1t.org US Chapter Pledge: 25,000 trees.
Elicit seeks to activate our stakeholders from our client base, our professional colleagues and members of our local communities where we do business, and our friends in taking on the charge of conserving trees, restoring trees, and reducing emissions through ethical and environmentally responsible decision-making.
We Support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals
While “high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions” is necessary to respond to “the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world”, it is our objective at Elicit to do our part. (Source: SDG Summit 2023)
Elicit strives to support organizations and efforts that are dedicated to helping the achievement of the UN SDGs by the 2030 deadline. Having attended events at the UN’s General Assembly in New York in 2023, we are especially energized to serve clients working on the SDGs.
We Support the Urgency to #ActInTime with Respect to Climate Action
Elicit embraces the responsibility to make educated personal, professional, community, and civic choices to mitigate the dangers of climate change. We seek to continuously learn and do better in how we show up for the environment and our planet as a whole.
The Climate Clock melds art, science, technology, and grassroots organizing to get the world to #ActInTime within a critical time window to reach zero emissions, and serves as a constant reminder to all of us to be part of the solution rather than the problem.
Causes We Appreciate
How We Source
B-CORP COMPANIES
These companies meet the highest standards of
social and environmental impact.
CONSCIOUS COMPANIES
CORALUS VENTURES
Coralus (formerly SheEO) is a global community of radically generous women + non-binary folks working on the World's To-Do List by co-creating new economic and social models that distribute crowdsourced support.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
“Be the person you have always wanted to be — in business and in life.”
You have the power to transform yourself, your organization, and your community. The path to accessing and harnessing that power can be unclear.
Together, we will unravel what is getting in your way, reclaim your strengths, and sculpt the perspective, articulation, and systems for your success.