You already have everything you need to succeed.

We believe that all teams have unique powers. Often when a team fails, it is not for a lack of skill or creativity, but because they didn’t fully activate the potential of each member. By harnessing their collective capital, teams unlock the unique powers that are created when a group of people collaborate efficiently and with confidence.

Founding partners

We met at Stanford University during our time as members of the Stanford Improvisors (SImps, for short). After exploring a variety of fields, we all realized that improvisation and design thinking were the most valuable tools we had as collaborators, communicators, and leaders. We founded Collective Capital in 2014 to bring these mindsets to as many teams as possible.

Austin Meyer
*Documentarian-Ultrarunner*
Austin is a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and a National Geographic Explorer. His publishing credits include HBO, Hulu, National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, among others. Austin is a former IDEO storytelling fellow, and his work exists at the intersection of storytelling, improv, and design.
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**Erik Olesund**
***For-Good Researcher***
Erik is passionate about helping organizations solve the right problems in the right ways at the right time. Through years of teaching at Stanford's d.school, and currently as the Director of Research for New York Times Audio, he has used design research to connect organizations with their customers, define better challenges, and generate innovative ideas.
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Karrah Phillips
*Cross-Sector Strategist*
As a catalyst and systems thinker energized by the intersection of technology, human capital, and social impact, Karrah believes that solving big problems requires a capacity for empathy, a deep ability to collaborate, and compelling storytelling.
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David Havens
*Social Impact Specialist*
David hopes to use the tools of improvisation, design thinking, and business strategy to create teams that are more eager and more capable to address the world’s biggest challenges. He has a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University,
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Jon Proctor Resident ScientistJon's passion for spontaneity, creativity, and co-creation sprouts from a drive to make the world a better place. When Jon is not leading workshops, he’s pursuing a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Berke… — Jon Proctor
*Resident Scientist*
Jon's passion for spontaneity, creativity, and co-creation sprouts from a drive to make the world a better place. When Jon is not leading workshops, he’s pursuing a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Berkeley.
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Coaches

Our coaches bring expertise in the mindsets of improvisation and design thinking. They are strategists, performers, leaders, and teachers intent on improving the way that teams collaborate, communicate, and innovate.

Mona Thompson Performer-ResearcherMona has performed improv in Norway, Finland, The Netherlands, and 21 cities around the U.S. with her two-woman group, Mona and Shara Do Improv. She has a M.Ed. in Arts in Education from the Harvard Graduate School … — **Mona Thompson**