Stories Move Mountains is led by Ariella Tilsen, who weaves together her nonprofit leadership experience with 17+ years of values-focused, mission-driven consulting for public, nonprofit, and private organizations. Ariella has presented nationally and internationally on relational, narrative and collaborative practices, transformational leadership, and post-conflict transformation. Her consulting practice reflects a deep commitment to intercultural communication, mindful leadership, and community engagement, as well as social, gender, and economic justice in a post-colonial world.
While Associate Director of International Programs for the American Refugee Committee, Ariella directed recruitment for eight countries in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. As Assistant Director for the British American Arts Association in London, she managed public relations and special events. She also helped co-create cross-cultural and interracial dialogues and programs, including youth programs on leadership and social change.
Ariella holds an M.A. in Organizational Leadership and has taught at the University of St. Thomas’s Center for Nonprofit Management. Her work is rooted in the traditional South African principle of ubuntu: I am because we are.
