About Devon

Devon is a Bay Area-native with 15 years of partnering with social entrepreneurs, leaders, and founders to build and sustain thriving organizations. She is a strategic implementer, convener, connector, systems thinker, disruptor and deep co-creator. She co-designs projects and navigates complexity and dynamic tensions with people at the center and inclusive processes to back them up.

In a few words, her story is…social entrepreneurship, equity, belonging, and [women-led] leadership.

Devon’s entrepreneurship story started as a kid. A young women she worked for as a personal assistant modeled what it was like to start businesses (along with her Aunt, Stepmom, Mom, and Grandmother).

She saw the ability to start something herself. At 17, she created her own summer job by launching a sports camp teaching kids 5-16 how to play her favorite sport, lacrosse. Having coached before, she lived in the community she was serving, held existing relationships, and figured out a business model with the help of her parents. This camp was her income for several summers and eventually sold to a larger sports/youth development company.

Since then, Devon has found powerful women founders and leaders to work with. She is a Jackie of all trades and believes in uplifting incredible visions for social change and equity that already exist. Leaders Devon works with are ahead of their time, meeting needs where others aren't, or are just the best at what they do. Isn't this the definition of true social entrepreneurship?

From early on, Devon could see strong visions for social change and has helped create pathways to execute on them. Devon’s journey is guided by her core values- liberation, justice, and equity. Her intentions this year are to live out work related to these three values: creativity, belonging, and growth.

Strong women in Devon’s family and community have shown her the way for a long time and she is on the path to uplift other [women] leaders to pave a new way forward!

UPDATE: As of Spring 2023, Devon reached her long time dream of becoming a mom and birthed a sweet babe named Emery. As a new mom and working parent, she is navigating new complexities and holding new empathy and understanding for folks who are also raising children, running a business or leading liberatory work in the oppressive systems we live in and are working to transform.

A Note on Connection

family photo.jpg

As a child, Devon was forced to build meaningful relationships and make strong connections on her own. Her Mom passed away in 1995 from cancer. Deeply impacted from the trauma, she choose to find and sustain nurturing relationships over the years.

Because of this loss, Devon holds tightly to the practice of belonging— across families, communities, and cultures. She learned as a young person that building spaces for others to find this too is incredibly rewarding.

Having lived and worked across the U.S. (D.C., Boston, San Francisco) and internationally in México and Nicaragua, Devon easily adapts to changing environments and loves learning complex social and emotional dynamics. This has helped her thrive in holding a curious mind, doing the inner work leadership requires, and creating deep connections for successful client work. 

(Co-)Facilitation Experience (10+ years):

Virtual
Possibility Project - co-facilitating convos with changemakers disrupting the status quo (virtual)
Conveners.org - facilitate accelerator sessions at SOCAP
Education Outside - staff and board retreats, meetings, and relationship building for productivity
Kansas Action for Children - network cultivation and relationships building Female Business Leaders of Color - monthly peer learning group Blue Heart - design engagement sessions for donors, peers, & new members
Tendrel - using forum methodology to support social entrepreneurs and founders in 12+ countries

In-Person
Bottom Line - regional leadership team strategic annual planning retreat
Acterra - strategic planning / focus groups with the board, community, + donors
Opportunity Collaboration - how to engage millennials & social entrepreneurship for youngsters
Center for Story & Spirit - co-design and facilitate storytelling workshops

Client Stories

"Devon is, first and foremost, a superb listener, and she has the ability (even working virtually) to create and hold a space that feels productive and safe to discuss the thorniest of issues. Whether you are looking for ways to increase your effectiveness as a leader/communicator or to explore new directions for your organization, Devon can frame the right questions and then help you in examining your own thinking in depth before supplementing with resources and connections that will help you figure out your next steps."

- Bill Meyer, rhizōma at EMA Foundation Chief Catalyst

“Devon brought great new and fresh perspective to my work. She is a bright and talented organizer, synthesizer, and facilitator. Devon helped inform our strategy and kept me thinking in new ways. She was a great sounding board for new ideas and her fearless attitude was invaluable during a period of rapid growth.”

-Rachel Pringle, VP of Strategy at Education Outside

Devon's web video community facilitation skills are top notch. She did a great job ensuring that the meetings were full of enthusiasm, intelligence, purpose and respect. Devon is "Must See Web TV." 

- Joseph Mouzon, Chief Program Officer, OutdoorAfro

"If you’re looking for a thought partner who can help you articulate your values/goals and help you figure out how to reach them, Devon Davey should be your first call."

Convenings + Community Time

Here is where Devon spends her time outside of client work and running a social impact consulting business:

2023

  • Hilton Humanitarian Symposium and Prize Ceremony "Roots of Resilience"

  • Center for Third World Organizing: The Liberatory Leadership Partnership "Movement for Life: Building Sustainable Lives to Build Sustainable Movements" - 2-day virtual conference broadening the discussion around liberatory leadership.

  • Blue Heart - Bay Area-Based Reparations-Aimed Funding Community

  • Converge - National Network of Impact Network Consultants

  • Positive Intelligence - A 6-week intensive coaching program building a foundation of mental fitness by strengthening three critical mental muscles to shift the balance of power from inner Saboteurs (negative self) to inner Sage (positive self)

  • Rooted Strategy - book club on Emergent Strategy by adrienne marie brown

2022

  • Blue Heart - Bay Area-Based Reparations-Aimed Funding Community

  • Bottom Line - Regional Leadership Team Annual Planning Retreat, New York, NY

  • Converge - National Network of Impact Network Consultants

  • Positive Intelligence - A 6-week intensive coaching program building a foundation of mental fitness by strengthening three critical mental muscles to shift the balance of power from inner Saboteurs (negative self) to inner Sage (positive self)

  • Women’s Earth Spirit Circle (Quest in Aug 2021) - The intention of the Earth Spirit Circle is to create a close circle of women, steeped in sisterhood and time outdoors with the collective vision to be the fullest, truest expression of yourself.

  • Black Women’s Business Leaders - Monthly facilitation of deep personal and professional sharing and support of peers covering topics such as hiring and firing equitably, sustaining self resiliency, engaging boundaries with family, etc.

2021

2020

2019

Meet Emery and Rosa

“About Devon” wouldn’t be complete without an intro to her son, who is in his first year of life and her pup, Rosa, both of whom are integral to Devon Davey Consulting. You will find this family of four at Lake Chabot or out in the neighborhood walking most days.