Lena Tom

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Strategic senior leader with 15+ years of progressive experience in organizational strategy, change management, and team development across mission-driven organizations. Proven track record of leading complex multi-stakeholder initiatives, managing budgets exceeding $15M, and building inclusive, high-performing teams. Deep commitment to social impact and organizational excellence.

Interim Chief of Staff/COO | September 2024 - January 2025

DDX - Data Exchange

  • Strategic Leadership: Steered organizational strategy and operational initiatives during critical transition period, ensuring alignment with long-term objectives and maintaining leadership continuity

  • Change Management: Led process development, curricula creation, and operations for staff off-site retreat and strategic planning sessions

  • Team Development & Equity: Proposed improved salary and benefits structure aligned with union and collective bargaining agreement standards; reviewed and recommended promotions and bonuses with focus on equity

  • Budget & Operations Management: Oversaw day-to-day operations including $15M+ budget management, resource allocation, and interdepartmental coordination

  • Executive Support: Provided high-level support to CEO and senior leadership, managing complex schedules and facilitating communication across all organizational levels

President & Founder | 2019–2024

Meso Solutions

  • Organizational Leadership: Founded and scaled B2B business to $2.3M revenue, specializing in equitable hiring for social impact organizations

  • Diversity & Inclusion: Achieved exceptional diversity outcomes with 65% of hires identifying as People of Color and 82% as women or gender-nonconforming

  • Team Management: Hired, managed, and developed full-time staff of 8 with 89% retention rate; created culture prioritizing productive autonomy and mutual trust

  • Strategic Impact: Acquired 70+ clients and placed 132+ employees in executive-level roles including CEOs, Executive Directors, CFOs, and Managing Directors

  • Research & Thought Leadership: Co-authored comprehensive Disability Access Report with political PhD researcher, providing concrete workplace accessibility recommendations for employers

Consultant | 2015–Current

Independent Practice

  • Program Development & Training: Designed comprehensive training programs for organizations serving up to 250 participants with measurable career advancement outcomes

  • Operations & Event Management: Led program, data, and operations projects for high-profile clients including Democratic National Convention (2024) as Data Director managing security of hundreds of thousands of tickets and attendee information

  • Volunteer & Project Management: Recruited, trained, and supervised hundreds of volunteers across multiple projects, including rapid mobilization of 200 volunteers in one week

  • Strategic Advisory: Provided board advisement and organizational reviews for organizations, conducting comprehensive assessments and strategic planning

    Organizational Leadership | 2013–2015

Associate Political Director / Senior Analytics Lead | 2013–2015

American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)

  • Strategic Advisory: Advised senior leadership on data-driven strategies for organizational programs and initiatives

  • Budget Management: Managed $5M+ annual budget including staffing, research, and technology infrastructure

  • Team Leadership: Supervised 11 full-time analysts and project managers; developed professional development programs graduating 12 new professionals over 2 years

  • Systems & Technology: Led complete infrastructure modernization including database migration, integration improvements, and cloud tool implementation

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Built working groups across diverse organizational interests to identify needs and lead implementation

Outreach & Engagement Director/Research Manager | 2016–2020

Analyst Institute

  • Strategic Advisory: Advised major foundations and organizations on research-based program improvement, including technical advisory role with major foundation grantees

  • Program Development: Designed and implemented 15 complex research projects in 2016 to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness

  • Training & Capacity Building: Developed briefings, convenings, and training programs for foundation teams and grantees

  • Technology & Analytics: Identified and implemented technology solutions including cloud-based tools, large datasets, and programming pipelines

Data Director | 2011–2012

Obama for America – National Headquarters

  • Program Leadership: Designed and operated training academy serving 200+ participants, resulting in 12 direct hires to key operational roles

  • Strategic Analysis: Used quantitative analysis and custom reporting to inform strategic decisions across multiple regions, improving program effectiveness

  • Leadership Collaboration: Worked directly with senior leadership to guide programmatic decisions for hundreds of staff nationwide

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

President & Co-Founder | Progressive Data Jobs (2017–Current)

National Data & Targeting Director | Alliance for Climate Protection (2009–2011)

Personnel Fellow | Presidential Transition Team (2009)

Deputy Data Director | Obama for America (2008)

Design Associate | Interfaith Worker Justice (2007)

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts | Loyola University Chicago (2007)

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

Strategic Leadership & Change Management

  • Extensive experience orchestrating strategic initiatives and managing intricate, multi-partner projects, effectively navigating executive-level dynamics and competing priorities among senior leadership teams and organizational decision-makers with measurable outcomes

  • Proven experience in organizational change management with focus on equity, transparency, and sustainability

  • Experience assessing and reforming practices that perpetuate inequity or inefficiency

Team Management & Development

  • Consistently supervised and developed teams of 10+ professionals with high retention rates (89% at Meso Solutions)

  • Led staff planning, hiring, evaluation processes, and team structure development

  • Created development and support systems for sustainable organizational culture

Budget & Operations Management

  • Experience managing budgets ranging from $2M to $15M+ annually

  • Expertise in resource allocation, compliance management, and risk mitigation

  • Strong background in financial oversight and operational efficiency

Training & Development

  • Designed and delivered comprehensive training programs

  • Experience in adult education, curriculum development, and capacity building

  • Proven ability to translate complex concepts into actionable learning

Mission-Driven Leadership

  • Deep commitment to social impact and organizational excellence

  • Extensive experience in mission-driven organizations including nonprofits, advocacy groups, and social impact companies

  • Track record of operationalizing values of equity and inclusion in organizational practices

Operations & Event Management

  • Extensive experience in complex logistics coordination and large-scale event management

  • Proven ability to manage intricate operational challenges from strategic planning to execution

  • Experience coordinating security, logistics, and operations for events with hundreds of thousands of participants

Communication & Stakeholder Management

  • Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills across diverse audiences

  • Experience maintaining trust with staff, members, leadership, and external partners

  • Proven ability to work across lines of difference and build collaborative relationships

Contact Lena