Who We Are

Led by a team of lifelong learners

Our team works with your culture builders to co-create a culture that reflects your values.  We bring lived experience from diverse paths, and we share a deep belief that communication and culture are the heartbeat of a healthy organization. We care as much about the process as the product, and we lead with the same curiosity and integrity we encourage in others.

Karen Gross, Esq.

Founder

Meet Karen

Hi there, I am Karen Gross, the Founder of CD Consulting. I offer strategic advising to leaders and culture builders looking for ways to reset team dynamics and build capacity for trust and dialogue. My professional path has taken me down campaign trails, to city hall, and from courtrooms to classrooms. I am a roll-up-my-sleeves, get-it-done, kind of person. My professional love language includes (but not limited to) preparing and sharing good food.

In addition to CD Consulting, I am also a restoration of rights attorney. Clients with a criminal history engage my services to help them tell their story in hopes of restoring their civil rights.

In high school I had the extraordinary opportunity to represent my synagogue on a trip to Poland. This surreal experience included visiting death camps and devastated Jewish communities alongside Holocaust survivors.The journey seeded in me a ferocity for fairness, justice, and belonging. What I witnessed showed me that democracy is not a sure thing, it is not passive, and living in communities that feel welcoming and compassionate takes the work of caring people. As a culture consultant and a restoration of rights attorney I hope my work counteracts the apathy, the toxicity, the dehumanization, and the polarization we see so prevalent in society today.

I am the product of a public school education. A graduate of Franklin High School in El Paso, Texas, I attended UT Austin as an undergrad. The University of Houston Law Center is where I earned my law degree.

I love to envision and design meaningful gatherings. I am a problem solver and a connector. I feel confident figuring out how to navigate systems whether they be local government, county courthouses, or organizational cultures. I am an expert wordsmither and an avid podcast listener. In my role as a clemency attorney I specialize in helping people tell their story, centering redemption and remorse. I aim to lead collaboratively and to bring an equity lens to the work we do.

Anyone who has experienced a facilitated workshop with me may recall that I give lots of shout outs to the academics, practitioners, and thought leaders that guide my practices. Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering is an all time favorite and a go to resource. I look to Ta-Nehisi Coates’s writing to help center my moral compass. I admire his truth speaking and his desire to center and lift up marginalized voices. As a podcast lover, I extract all kinds of data and findings from various brilliant minds such as Ester Perel (interpersonal relationships) Dan Harris (mindfulness) and Brene Brown (organizational culture).

Meet Ayesha

As a bi-racial woman, born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, I have never neatly fit into any boxes. I was raised in a multi-religious and ethnic household where duality and nuance were lived and breathed every day. I immigrated to the U.S., where I learnt that racial constructs and expectations would still shape my life. Today, I call Fort Worth, Texas, home and have built a loving environment with my husband and two chihuahua mix rescues named Coffee and Vida. I find joy in the quiet hours of the morning with a cup of French-pressed coffee and my journal.

Having grown up in post-apartheid South Africa, I was immersed in complex cultural dynamics from an early age. I spent the first half of my childhood in a formerly segregated community where my mother was the only white person around. At the age of 8, I moved into a predominantly white neighborhood where I was the odd one out. These experiences have fostered a deep desire to create spaces where inclusion and belonging are at the center. As such, I believe that communication and culture building are practices that thrive when people can feel respected, included, and a sense of belonging.

I moved to the U.S. to pursue an education at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where I studied Political Science, Economics, and Communication. I graduated with a B.S. and went on to gain my most cherished educational experience working in refugee resettlement. After 10 years in the refugee resettlement and immigrants’ rights space, I am now pursuing my Associate Certified Coach credential so that I can further develop my skill set and support leaders, especially women of color, in creating a world where we can all belong.

I specialize in cross-cultural communication and thrive in environments where fostering a shared understanding of collective values is a central focus. I often act as a bridge between communities and excel at leading with authenticity that builds trust and lasting relationships. I bring a unique perspective to my work and aim to center the experiences of people and communities who are often left out of the conversation. Additionally, I am an expert dog cuddler, a Tetris fiend, and a sucker for a good macha latte.

I’ve learned a great deal from Brené Brown and Adam Grant, but to tell you the truth, I’m still very much looking for an inspirational thought leader who can blend approaches and create cultures that are resilient yet gentle and that are adaptable enough to meet the needs of the great diversity we hold as a society. Ultimately, I know I may be looking for Bigfoot or a unicorn – no shade to Squatchers – which brings me to think that while there are many brilliant thought leaders in the culture-building space, I may need to do more listening and research to find the people I really admire.

Ayesha Hassan

Deputy & Advisor

Danielle Bryant, PhD

Advisor

Meet Danielle

I’m an educator, researcher, and community advocate who’s spent my career helping people connect across difference and work toward something bigger than themselves. I grew up in Arizona and have called Austin home for over a decade, though my work has taken me across the country, from classrooms to Capitol hearings. I’m a career long educator, a doctoral graduate from Texas State, and someone who still believes stories can change systems. Whether I’m writing, leading, or organizing, my focus is always the same: helping people find their voice and use it to make communities more just, joyful, and human.

I’m passionate about this work because I’ve seen how communication can either build trust or break it. Whether in political spaces, nonprofits, or schools, I’ve watched strong teams fall apart when culture wasn’t intentional and thriving ones emerge when people felt safe and connected. My approach is rooted in the belief that the way we talk to each other is the work and it’s how change actually happens. Coaching and consulting give me the chance to help people slow down, get curious, and rebuild trust in real time so they can lead with clarity, compassion, and collective purpose.

I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University and went on to complete both my Master’s in Education Leadership and Ph.D. in School Improvement at Texas State University. My doctoral research explored storytelling as a change agent in a neoliberal era of education, connecting individual narratives to larger systems of power.

I specialize in culture-building, communication strategy, and leadership development. I’m good at creating clarity in complex spaces and helping people move from ideas to aligned action. I bring experience from classrooms, city commissions, and national advocacy work, always centering relationships as the foundation of real progress.

I draw a lot of inspiration from Zaretta Hammond, whose work reminds us that culture is deeply connected to how our brains learn and build trust frist in classrooms. I also believe that some of the best lessons about organizational culture start in classrooms, where belonging, psychological safety, and shared purpose are daily practices. Understanding the science behind connection helps me think about how systems and organizations can create cultures where everyone feels valued, seen, and supported.

Outside of work, I’m an over-organized travel planner, an amateur outdoors person learning to love long hikes, and someone who commits to year-long challenges, like last year when I tried one new recipe every week for the full year.

Meet Mindy

Hi! I am Mindy. I am a mom, an attorney, entrepreneur, activist, lover of nature, and a person who tries everyday to make the world a little better- even if just for one person. I grew up in the mountains of Utah, made my way to the beaches of San Diego and landed in Austin over a decade ago. I am passionate, intense, loving, kind, and funny if you spend enough time with me. I have been in courtrooms, boardrooms, and living rooms and I am comfortable in all spaces. I love people, their stories and how they live their lives. I am fierce but have a soft side. I have built a successful consulting practice rooted in discipline, curiosity, and a sense of adventure and I help business leaders make sound decisions for their organizations. It is fulfilling work.

We spend so much of our lives at work. We form relationships at work, we derive meaning and sense of self at work. And because of all of this, I know the incredible importance of building workplaces where people can thrive. I began my consulting firm to help businesses create cultures where people learn, grow, find purpose, and are able to live a healthy, balanced life. When people leave work and have a good day and experience, they are better parents and partners at home, they are nicer to the strangers at the grocery store, and they are more free to give to their community. If people leave work stressed, defeated and unappreciated, they go home and out to the community with a negative energy that causes harm, even if very unintentional. Healthy workplaces can -and do- change the world for the better.

I have a bachelor of arts in Political Science and Women’s Studies from the University of Utah. I have a juris doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
I am licensed to practice law in California and Texas.

I specialize in being calm under pressure.
I am the most reliable person I know. I do what I say.
I am fantastic at building and maintaining relationships.
I am an amazing speaker- great at public speaking and can do so off the cuff with little to no preparation.
I can rally a crowd and inspire people to take action.
I can figure out most things.
I have a long attention span.
I make good business decisions.
I am extremely caring which is a blessing and curse for me.
I will survive the zombie apocalypse. You want to be with me in an emergency because you will survive.

I have met so many great people. I think Josh Jones Dilworth is an amazing person in the culture space. All of the people on my team are great in this space and I have seen their work in action.

Mindy Gulati, Esq.

Advisor

Muna Hussaini

Advisor

Meet Muna

I am a soccer mom, tech executive, and accidental community activist. I currently serve as Senior Director, Product Strategy + Operations at Cornerstone onDemand. I have worked in tech for 20+ years across IBM, eBay, PayPal, Magento, and Indeed. After 9/11, I was a victim of several hate crimes and I am passionate about building the world for all children. I founded Muslim Space, an inclusive Muslim organization, and I am a co-founder for Recode the Quo, helping Austin-based tech startups be more diverse, inclusive, and equitable. I serve on the Advisory Board for Muslim Legal Fund of America and as a Senior Advisor and guest lecturer for Bayan Islamic Graduate School. I am the mother of a 17 year old daughter and a 9 year old monster.

As a victim of hate crimes, I believe we build the world and cultivate peace through creation of opportunity and connection in our daily lives. When we start by listening and connecting, we can solve the real problems we face and build excellence where we have a locus of control. I am passionate about helping folks remove the noise to find the signal and do their best work.

I attended the University of Texas at Austin and is a proud Longhorn. Hook’ em!

I like to get things done, do things right, and have fun in the process. We spend so much time at work, what would happen if we loved what we did and were fully engaged so that we could do our best work? I specialize in strategy, operations, and execution at scale. And, when we can build trust and identify real problems, we can solve the things that actually matter. I like to think big and find the yes and navigate through ambiguity to find the path forward.

When I first started working at IBM, I had the opportunity to meet Ted Childs. He was leading DEI efforts and was the first executive I worked with who was focused on social justice who was able to bridge different cultures and experiences while creating equity at work. I remember being so inspired by how we could translate what folks were actually feeling and thinking and turn it into programmatic value. People are at the core of what we do, and we have to center our humanity in our work.

Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

Our mission is to help organizations strengthen culture, communication, and resilience. We equip leaders and teams with the tools to build trust, navigate conflict, and engage in conversations that move work forward with clarity and confidence.

Vision

Communities of trust and connection comprised of civically mindful, emotionally intelligent people prepared to communicate with clarity, listen with empathy, and steward just and compassionate systems.

Values

  • Be respectful
  • Listen to understand
  • Act with good intentions
  • Support ideas with evidence and experience
  • Disagree without being disagreeable
  • Critique the idea not the person
  • Invite wonder