Consulting for Change,

Coaching for Courage

Supporting teams and individuals in moments
of growth and transformation to connect
strategy, story, and systems at the heart of change.

Work with me

Whole Story Group relaunches in 2026 as Michelle Mush Lee Consulting!

Read Mush’s Letter
Read Mush’s Letter

Trusted By

Services I Provide

ORGANIZATIONS

TEAMS

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Capacity-Building ›

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• Interim Executive Director
• Strategic Fundraising
• Narrative Change Research & Design
• Impact Storytelling & Grant Writing
• Special Initiatives

INDIVIDUALS

Leadership training, consulting and group coaching

Training & Facilitation›

• Organizational Culture & Change
• Narrative Strategy
• Supervision Toolbox
• Culturally-mindful Communication
• Facilitated Dialogues
• Power, Equity & Systems Change

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1:1 Coaching›

• Executive Coaching
• Coaching for New Managers & Supervisors

  • Faviana Rodriguez - Center for Cultural Power

    Mush creates groundbreaking opportunities for artists and cultural communities. Whether it’s disrupting anti-Asian violence or activating cultural leaders in the national movement to re-image public safety, Mush combines her mastery of narrative strategy and her sharp political analysis to help communities understand what’s possible at the local level.

    — Favianna Rodriguez , President & Co-founder, The Center for Cultural Power

  • Michelle is a force. When she steps in the room, you feel it. She brings an authenticity, power, vulnerability and expertise that is infectious and inspiring. You will be positively transformed by her presence.

    —Candice Wicks-Davis, M.A.Ed., CEO and principal, Edutainment 4 Equity, LLC

  • Michelle is exactly the kind of leader you want when your organization is ready to evolve. She understands how organizations breathe, how people move through change, and how to hold a vision steady while guiding others toward it. She brings wisdom, conviction, and heart to everything she does. If you have the chance to bring her on board, take it.

    —James Kass, Executive Director, KALW Public Media

  • Diane Sanchez-chair-oakland-cultural-affairs

    I have been blessed to see Michelle work her brilliance as an artist and leader in Bay Area communities and concert halls for 25 years. Times have changed, but the urgency of her voice has not. There is never a better time than the present for Mush to bring her vision, wisdom, and innovation to the evolving task of building power with a new generation of leaders to bring truth, beauty, and wonder into a world in need. 

    —Jeff Chang, author Water Echo Mirror: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America, host, cultural organizer

Interim Leadership & Capacity-Building

Interim Executive

Short-term, active leadership during executive
transitions and vacancies.

    • Board Liaison & Governance Stabilization

    • Operational Problem-Solving

    • Short-Term Strategic Prioritization

    • Team Roles Realignment

    • Budget Oversight & Cash Flow Management

    • Policy & Procedure Implementation

    • Search Committee Collaboration & Executive Onboarding

  • Step-in leadership to stabilize and guide teams, oversee operations, and set organizations up for future growth, as you search for a permanent leader.

Fundraising & Grants

Strategic fundraising assessment and plans for growth and new initiatives.

    • Case-making Support for New Initiatives

    • Development Assessment & Strategies

    • Prospect Research

    • Donor Engagement Analysis & Pipeline Development

    • Operational Tools: Revenue Tracking, Budget Development, Metrics, & Staff Performance Tools

  • Fundraising assessments and SWOTs, revenue projections, major donor strategy, wealth screens, interim staffing support, and month-by-month roadmaps that refresh revenue capacities for  future innovation,  programs, and long-term sustainability.

Narrative Strategy

Narrative advising and support for
research, project design, toolkits, and implementation.

    • Conducting narrative research and landscape analysis

    • Messaging and case-making for new initiatives

    • Program design and strategic alignment

  • Effective messaging tools and frameworks that are community-centered and research-informed to equip partners and staff to communicate consistently and confidently.

Let's Work Together

Culture Trainings & Facilitation

Trainings

  • Communication & Leadership

    • Power, Privilege & Effective Communication

    • Non-violent Communication Strategies

    • Supervision 101 Toolbox

    • Workplace Culture in Intergenerational Teams

    • Analysis of Power 101

    Narratives to the People

    • Introduction to Institutional Storytelling

    • The Story of Now: Narrative Strategy 101

    • Personal Storytelling for Public Leaders

    Budgets & Fundraising

    • Basics of Budget Development Skills for Leaders

    • Learning Revenue Analysis & Forecasting for Decision-Making

    • Create a Strategic Fundraising Plan

Facilitation

    • Trust, Repair & Relationship-Strengthening

    • Conflict Meditation

    • Organizational Culture and Values Alignment

    • Group Dialogues on Strategic Change, Growth, Difficult Transitions

    • Collective Healing & Grief

Get in touch

Executive Coaching

1:1 Executive Coaching

Confidential, culturally-grounded, one-to-one coaching for executive directors, CEOs, “C-suite” leaders.

    • Supervision

    • Public Speaking & Storytelling

    • Power & Humility as Women & Femme Leaders of Color

    • Budgets & Revenue Forecasting

    • Executive Transition & Succession Planning

    • Governance & Board Partnership

  • A safe, human-centered coaching relationship with a successful executive mentor, who uses story-based strategies to help build soft and hard skills.

First-Time Supervisors

Guided support for new and first-time supervisors looking to level-up their program, people, fundraising, and budget management toolbox.

    • Core supervision skills, including clear communication, delegation, and strategy decision-making.

    • Tangible skills, including budget development, performance reviews and assessments, grant writing

    • Build personal leadership habits—prioritization, boundary-setting, decision-making, and practical steps for managing up.

  • A safe, confidential, human-centered coaching relationship where you get to ask your “I should know this” questions.

    Your teams experience clearer communication, stronger accountability, and a grounded confidence in your leadership.

Let's Work Together

Why Supporting New Leadership Matters

Today’s Millenial and Gen Z teams want professional lives that give them the leadership trifecta— purpose, money, and wellness.

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Rising CEOs and early-career C-suite leaders in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are looking for more than just a paycheck.

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Learning Is The New Currency

70% of Gen Z and 59% of
Millennials

Develop skills weekly as an ongoing practice
towards their careers.

    • Top recruitment factor =
      Learning and professional development opportunities rank #1 when choosing jobs

    • Self-directed growth =
      67%       of Gen Z invest in skill-building outside work hours

    • Alternative pathways =
      31%       of Gen Z and 32% of Millennials skipped traditional higher education, prioritizing practical, skills-based learning

  • Organizations that treat professional development as an afterthought will most likely struggle to attract and retain emerging, ambitious talent. Gen Z and Millennial leaders see learning as a job requirement and a personal investment—they will be drawn to workplaces that partner with them in this growth.

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Soft Skills > Technical Skills

86% of Gen Z and 85% of Millennials

Rate soft skills as more critical for career growth than technical or AI capabilities.

    • Communication and active listening

    • Leadership and team collaboration

    • Empathy and emotional intelligence

    • Strategic networking and relationship building

  • While organizations pour resources into technical training and A.I. integration, research suggests that many of today’s leaders and rising leaders tell us they need human skills to be and do their best. This isn’t anti-technology or idealogical naiveté—it’s recognizing that in our increasingly automated world, the ability to connect to our work, influence minds, and inspire hands and hearts becomes even more valuable.

Looking for an Interim Executive Director?

What if you had a team of transition leaders supporting your organization through its executive transition journey?

In addition to leading 1:1 interim leadership engagements with clients, I also work closely with a deeply talented team of former executive directors with executive transition experience.
We turn the page on traditional interim executive leadership models and offer a collective approach to leadership transitions that meet the real complexities that come with new beginnings and endings.

Meet Our Interim Executive Team

  • Stephanie Cajina

    Consulting Partner

    Expertise: Executive Management, Finance & Accounting, Human Resources & Operations, Economic Development, Government Grants

  • Jeff Franco

    Consulting Partner

    Expertise: Executive Management, Fundraising & Corporate Giving, Business Development, Higher Education, Executive Coaching, Strategic Planning

  • Michelle Mush Lee

    Consulting Partner

    Expertise: Executive Management, Institutional Fundraising & Major Gifts, Turnaround & Change Management, Strategic Storytelling and Public Narrative, Gen Z Leadership Coaching

Schedule a call