A Joy-Based Approach Towards Transformational Change™
At Novalia Collective, we design for transformation. We help teams and organizations build the practices, relationships, and strategies that turn their values into action. Whether through retreats, storytelling, or participatory planning, our work centers belonging and joy as essential components for meaningful, sustainable change.
Our Services
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Staff Retreats
Our retreats provide space for teams to pause, reconnect, and realign around shared purpose. Each experience is designed with care to strengthen relationships, build trust, and spark new energy for the work ahead. Learn more.
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Facilitation
Our facilitation creates space for honest, generative conversation. We guide groups through moments of complexity and possibility with care, curiosity, and clarity that helps teams listen deeply, navigate differences, and move forward together with greater understanding and trust.
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Storytelling
Storytelling is at the heart of how we create connection and change. We help organizations uncover and share the narratives that move people to action, and invite individuals, through our this Is my body program, to tell stories that heal, affirm, and build community. Both paths center voice, belonging, and the power of shared story to transform how we see ourselves and one another.
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Strategic Planning
We partner with organizations to imagine what’s next and build the shared strategies to get there. We design inclusive planning experiences that engage staff, boards, and communities in shaping the future together. Our approach grounds decisions in values while making room for imagination, experimentation, and joy in the work ahead.
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Resiliency Planning
Our resiliency planning helps teams navigate uncertainty with steadiness and shared purpose. We support organizations to surface tensions, align around current priorities, and create dynamic roadmaps that adapt as conditions shift. The process builds clarity, connection, and a renewed sense of agency to strengthen both your team and your mission for the long term.
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Participatory Co-Design
Our co-design process invites teams to reimagine programs, projects, and systems through the lens of inclusion and belonging. We use creative design methods like journey maps, provocations, and prototyping to help participants examine both self and system. The process builds curiosity, optimism, and ownership, transforming how teams design and lead together.
Not sure which service fits your needs?
Since you and your needs are unique, we customize all our services. We can tailor an engagement to your team’s goals and timeline.
Our Partners
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826 Valencia
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![Alena Museum Logo]()
Alena Museum
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Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
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Avenidas
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CIRCLE Lab at UNC Chapel Hill
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![DVAN (Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network) Logo]()
Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network
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Digital Promise
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Ecology Center
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Grunin Foundation
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JVS
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![Mission Rock Logo]()
Mission Rock
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OC&C Strategy Consultants
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![Pacific Institute logo]()
Pacific Institute
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Project Drawdown
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Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)
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![Step Forward Foundation logo]()
Step Forward Foundation
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![The Stress & Development Lab Logo]()
The Stress & Development Lab at Harvard University
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![VIP Kid Logo]()
VIP Kid
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![Vietnamese-American Roundtable Logo]()
VAR (Vietnamese-American Roundtable)
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Wildlife Leadership Academy
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Women's Audio Mission (WAM)
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![Women's Foundation California Logo]()
Women's Foundation California
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Woodland Park Zoo
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Nonprofit Quarterly
Testimonials
“Working with the Novalia Collective was a transformative experience for my team. Through our work with them, we not only developed concrete strategies for building greater diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the team, but also developed strategies for continued evaluation and updating of these practices to ensure that positive changes are maintained over time and as members of the team change. I would strongly recommend the Novalia Collective for any group interested in incorporating a greater focus on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in your work.”
— DR. KATIE MCLAUGHLIN, Lab Director, Stress & Development Lab, Harvard University
"Our team has had the opportunity to work with Odelia and Vina over the last year and VIPKid is so appreciative of their thoughtfully crafted programs and initiatives. Our HR & broader team felt like we gained partners with Novalia, who helped coach, advise, and guide us on our diversity and inclusion efforts. They've been able to take a thoughtful approach to specific goals we wanted to accomplish and I'm excited to partner with them in the future."
— ERIKA LOUIE, HR Director, VIPKid
“We had a great experience with Novalia Collective. Vina and Odelia provided a high level of facilitation, guidance, and support. We especially appreciate their flexibility as we navigated through some challenging but important issues around diversity, equity, and inclusion. They made it a top priority to include and encourage input from all of us, and incorporated a wide range of perspectives into their work. They were also very accommodating when we asked them to adapt their model to meet our needs, which allowed us to become even more invested in the process.”
— PETE STANGA, Chief Operating Officer, Pacific Institute
“We've worked for over a year with the Novalia Collective on our strategy. They have worked patiently with us for months and produced an excellent strategic plan, that propelled us from an almost all volunteers organization to one with four paid staff and six contractors. They then guided us with professionalism and care in the implementation of the strategic plan. They have become in a relative short time a very important part of our organization. It is in part thanks to their contribution that DVAN is nearing its goal to move from having a fiscal sponsor to becoming a non-profit organization.”
— ISABELLE THUY PELAUD, Executive Director, Diasporic Vietnamese Artist Network (DVAN)
“As a new non-profit organization that was coming together and starting to get funding, we needed experienced facilitators to help us tackle some of our growing pains. Vina and Odelia helped us navigate tough conversations about how we wanted to operate and what values we wanted to uphold as an organization. They did this with fun and creative exercises and open ears. Their attentiveness to our discussions ensured that everyone was heard, and that our planning was effective.”
— HUY TRAN, Vietnamese American Roundtable (VAR)
“Novalia Collective curated a conversation on belonging that contributed to our team’s equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. Abstract concepts were made real through creative discussions and exercises. Our team came in with a range of experience, and the Novalia team curated a nuanced session that spoke to folks with different levels of familiarity and comfort.”
— JOSHUA KARLIN-RESNICK
Transportation Director, Oracle Park & Mission Rock
“Brave wisdom and strategic creativity were the hallmarks of Novalia Collective’s facilitation of our group’s team-building virtual retreat. They created the ideal conditions for us to explore our diverse strengths and perspectives, and help us improve our communication and collaborative efforts within a cohesive unit. Novalia was thoughtful, thorough, and served as competent shepherds as we discovered better ways to connect, engage, and thrive within our work environment.”
— WOMEN’S FOUNDATION OF CALIFORNIA
Ready to work together?
Since you and your needs are unique, we customize all of our services. Contact us to learn how we can help you.