Associate

Gayle Karen Young is a culture-builder and a catalyst for human and organizational development. She comes from a rich organizational consulting background with both corporate and nonprofit clients. She was in process of becoming a monk when she became an executive instead, taking on the role of Chief Culture and Talent Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia and its sister free-knowledge projects) until early 2015, when she decided to return to private practice as a rogue provocateur. Born in the Philippines to Chinese parents and raised in the United States, she has a multicultural perspective, an adventurous spirit, and a deep commitment to expanding human freedom.

Gayle works to create dynamic organizational cultures in which people can thrive and thus make greater contributions. She acts as the interface between individuals and the systems within which they work, and fosters the development of both. From high-level strategic thinking to practical implementation, her skills include leadership development, change management, instructional design, training, strategic communications, team building, and personal and organizational transformation. Gayle has a rare capacity to hold multiple perspectives at once, remaining sensitive to the needs of diverse stakeholders and working for higher synthesis. Combining wisdom and warmth with expertise and effectiveness, she elicits trust and inspires transformation. She is currently based in the United States between San Francisco, California, and Whidbey Island, Washington.