Our People

We are a team of passionate problem solvers – mission driven and results oriented - with a unique combination of educational and experiential backgrounds in a broad range of disciplines, including business, corporate finance, social work, communications, government, and education. Through our deep analytical expertise and extensive networks, we develop creative, yet pragmatic solutions that help our clients achieve their aspirational goals.  

 

Susan Gordon

Founder and Managing Member

As the Founder of Strategic Growth Group, Susan has extensive experience working with mission-driven organizations and has worked with many of the leading foundations in Southeast Michigan, including W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Ralph J. Wilson, Jr Foundation, Dresner Foundation, Erb Family Foundation, and Michigan Health Endowment Fund, and with a diverse group of mission-driven organizations. Susan has served clients in a broad range of social sectors, including early childhood, workforce development, mental health, food injustice, and youth services. 

Over the past 30 years, Susan has had an extensive career working with several leading international consulting firms and Fortune 500 companies. Susan leverages her background in management consulting and corporate strategy to make a difference for mission- driven organizations. She is most interested in utilizing her corporate expertise to assist mission-driven organizations achieve financial stability and enhanced social impact. Susan is keenly aware of the financial challenges that mission-driven organizations encounter, focusing her attention and passion on identifying market gaps and creating innovative revenue models. 

Susan is active in numerous community, philanthropic and professional organizations, including parent leadership at Cranbrook Schools, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, and Friendship Circle. Susan serves on the boards of Jewish Vocational Services and Detroit Public Theatre. She is a frequent lecturer at professional forums, and a former Adjunct Finance Professor at Walsh College. 

Susan earned her BA from the University of Michigan and her MBA from the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University.

 

Kristen Rolf

Facilitation and Strategy Consultant

Kristen Rolf is a consultant focusing on general strategy and facilitation. As a strategist, she has served clients across the non-profit and for-profit sectors.  She has special expertise in social services, early childhood, education, philanthropy, diversity and inclusion, broadcasting for social impact, and consumer financial products.  

She frequently works as a facilitator, assisting clients with internal working sessions designed to address large strategic questions, resolve urgent challenges, and balance multiple stakeholder views.  She also facilitates multi-agency strategy sessions that guide groups of local organizations to create shared strategies and practices.  She currently facilitates the Detroit Head Start Provider Network, a collection of leaders from all eight Detroit Head Start agencies.    

Her past consulting work includes projects in a range of functional areas, including operations, research, benchmarking, strategy, and communication.  Her non-profit clients include The Kresge Foundation, Starfish Family Services, Development Centers, and PBS.  In the business sector, she has done work for organizations including Mission Throttle, Coca Cola, and Mastercard.  

Previously she was Director of Market Research and Strategy at Detroit Public Television, where she oversaw strategy, research, foundation relations, and government relations.  Prior to Detroit Public Television, she spent seven years as a strategy consultant at Edgar, Dunn, & Company, a boutique consultancy with focus on financial services.  She has an MBA in general management from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a BA in economics from Harvard.  

 
 
 

Sue Ann Savas

Impact and Evalution Consultant

Sue Ann Savas serves as a Program Impact Subject Matter Expert, working with non-profit and philanthropic communities to articulate, measure and improve program impact. Sue Ann has over 25 years of program evaluation experience, including extensive experience conducting utilization-focused evaluation projects alongside community-based agencies. As an internal and independent program evaluator, she has successfully executed national, regional and local evaluation projects to improve operational efficiency and program effectiveness. 

Sue Ann is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, with over ten years of teaching experience. She co-founded and directed the Program Evaluation Group within the Curtis Research and Training Center at the School of Social Work. The unit operates as a lab to train graduate students in the craft of program evaluation, while meeting the evaluation needs of community-based non-profits, public agencies, professional associations, and foundations. 

Throughout her career, Sue Ann has worked with non-profit organizations to improve program operations, integrate evidence-based practices, and maximize the use of quality improvement strategies to develop adaptive capacity. As the National Trainer for Quality Management with the Council on Accreditation, Sue Ann provided consultation to support the development and implementation of data-informed decision-making models with community-benefit organizations. 

Sue Ann has expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods, the use of mixed methods, and analyzing data for improving individual, family, and community-level outcomes. She regularly presents at professional conferences and has published numerous articles and book chapters on techniques for measuring outcomes, and building impact evaluation capacity within organizations, coalitions, and philanthropy. Sue Ann is an elected board member with the Michigan Association for Evaluation. She has also served non-profit organizations in both board advisor and consultant capacities to improve their program mix, and link stories of impact to financial sustainability. 

With her B.A. in Economics from University of Michigan, Sue Ann continually looks for opportunities to work across disciplines, including business, public health, education, urban planning, and environmental health. 

 

Rachel Gordon Vivas

Strategy Consultant

Rachel has 10 years of experience providing both strategy and management consulting services to non-profits, foundations and public sector entities. In a variety of cross-sector roles, she has developed a toolkit of best practices and data-driven techniques to closely collaborate with partner organizations and drive social impact.

Rachel began her career advising academic institutions on how to increase operational efficiencies, reduce costs and mitigate risk through data analysis, business process redesign and stakeholder interviews. She then transitioned to providing project management support to local governments, including planning, executing and implementing long-term initiatives, as well as advising on performance improvement strategies to enhance their daily operations. More recently, Rachel works with social change organizations to develop high-impact strategies and operational approaches centered on racial equity.

Outside of consulting, Rachel has managed research and evaluation projects to support data-driven decision-making regarding resource allocation and real estate investment in support of community development activities. She has led focus groups with community members and conducted demographic analyses to assess education, health and housing needs and develop models to measure long-term outcomes in their areas. She also served as a Mayoral Fellow focusing on government efficiency, policy analysis and enhancements to city-wide initiatives related to economic development, education, public safety and sustainability for the City of Chicago.

Rachel earned her BA from the University of Michigan in Organizational Studies and Political Science as well as her MPP from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She also currently serves as an Associate Board Member for City Year Detroit and a mentor to its corps members.