Team | Sagebrush

Sagebrush partners with a growing and diverse network of facilitators and consultants committed to equity, systems healing, organizational and community change. We craft customized teams with lived and professional experience to support projects and participants as fully as possible.

Sagebrush operations are supported by an Executive Assistant, a Bookkeeper, and robust project management and accounting systems to manage large and complex projects, that allow our team to collaborate most effectively in supporting our clients.

Sandhya Atkinson

Sandhya Atkinson, pronounced "SUN-dee-ah", (she/her), is the Founder and Lead Facilitator of Sagebrush Ltd., a facilitation and consulting practice rooted in the landscapes of the Southwest and partnering with organizations, coalitions, and communities nationwide. Through Sagebrush, she supports nonprofits, Tribal entities, businesses, local governments, and cross-sector collaborations in navigating transformation, strengthening alignment, and moving forward together.

Her work focuses on strategic planning, facilitation, community coalition support, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement, grounded in the belief that lasting transformation happens through shared leadership, authentic collaboration and right relationship with the Earth and one another. She designs participatory, equity-centered processes that bring diverse voices into meaningful dialogue and support groups to move from complexity to clarity.

With over 15 years of experience, Sandhya is a strategist and systems partner, known for helping groups build shared understanding that translate vision into practical, coordinated action. A master practitioner of Technology of Participation (ToP) methods, she brings structured, inclusive facilitation that supports building shared ownership and momentum.

Her facilitation and consulting are grounded in equity, cultural humility, and a deep respect for place. She has worked extensively with rural, Tribal, and multi-sector communities across the Southwest. Sandhya holds a BS in Environmental Science from Colorado College and brings a background as a nonprofit Executive Director, along with training in NonProfit Leadership & Management, Facilitating Racially Just Spaces and Healing & Reconciliation practices. She is a member of the International Association of Facilitators and Technology of Participation network.

Specialties

Strategic Planning & Action Planning
Community Coalition Facilitation & Collective Impact
Organizational Development & Capacity Building
Board Governance & Leadership Development
Equity-Centered Facilitation & Community Engagement
Backbone Organization Support & Systems Coordination
Retreat Design & Facilitation (Board, Staff, Multi-Stakeholder)
Participatory Decision-Making (ToP Methods)
Rural & Cross-Sector Community Engagement

Selected Impact & Experience

Sandhya Atkinson brings over 15 years of experience facilitating community-centered planning, coalition-building, and action-oriented convenings across the Southwest and nationally. All projects listed here.

Selected examples include:

Colorado Health Foundation – Locally Focused Work, San Luis Valley (2026 - ongoing)
Supports capacity building efforts with organizations and Hispanic community leaders within the San Luis Valley, CO through strategic support, community engagement and resource activation. This work centers community voice and local leadership, helping to uplift community-envisioned priorities and strengthen the ability of partners to advance equitable systems change.

Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition – Strategic Planning (2025 - 2026)
Led a comprehensive, multi-phase strategic planning process with Tribal leadership, staff, and partners to develop a 5-year vision and strategic direction for the Coalition. The process integrated leadership interviews, environmental scanning, and facilitated workshops, resulting in a clear, actionable framework grounded in Tribal sovereignty, land stewardship, and long-term organizational sustainability.

State of New Mexico CYFD – San Juan County Pilot (2023–2024)
Led an eight-month, multi-sector stakeholder process to develop actionable recommendations for statewide child welfare reform. This work engaged community members, service providers, and state representatives, resulting in one of the most robust community-informed recommendation sets received by the department.

Navajo Food Summit (2022)
Co-designed and facilitated a two-day, 75+ participant summit with the San Juan River Farm Board (Navajo Nation), engaging elders, youth, farmers, elected leaders, and service providers to strengthen Navajo food systems. The process resulted in shared priorities and concrete next steps grounded in community voice and cultural knowledge.

Regional Coalition & Backbone Support (Ongoing)
Facilitates and supports multiple coalition and backbone initiatives across Southwest Colorado, including the Regional Housing Alliance of La Plata County, Southwest Opioid Response District (SWORD), the ROAR Coalition youth prevention work, Team Up (United Way), and the La Plata County Coordinating Council on Homelessness. This work has strengthened cross-sector alignment, clarified roles and decision-making, and supported more coordinated and effective collective action

Approach & Philosophy

Sagebrush’s work is rooted in the understanding that how groups come together shapes what becomes possible. We design processes that:

Center equity, voice, and lived experience
Balance structure with emergence
Build shared ownership and accountability
Translate vision into grounded, actionable pathways

Our facilitation integrates participatory methods, systems thinking, and relational practice - supporting organizations to move at the speed of trust while still achieving clear, practical outcomes.

Select Affiliations & Training

BS Environmental Science – Colorado College
Master Practitioner, Technology of Participation (ToP) Methods
International Association of Facilitators (IAF)
Facilitating Racially Just Spaces
Healing & Reconciliation Institute Training
Community Resource Center – Nonprofit Leadership & Management
Leadership La Plata (Graduate)

Relevant Professional Experience

Sagebrush Ltd. — Founder & Lead Facilitator
Bayfield, CO (Serving clients nationally) | 2019 – Present
Founded and leads a facilitation and consulting firm supporting nonprofits, Tribal organizations, local governments, and coalitions. Designs and facilitates strategic planning processes, retreats, and multi-stakeholder engagements; provides consulting on organizational development, board governance, leadership, and systems change. Guides participatory processes that build alignment, strengthen collaboration, and translate vision into actionable strategies.

Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) — Nonprofit Consultant
Durango, CO | 2019 – Present
Provides advising and capacity-building support to nonprofit organizations across Southwest Colorado. Supports leaders with strategic planning, organizational development, governance, and operational challenges to strengthen long-term sustainability and impact.

The Garden Project of Southwest Colorado — Executive Director
Durango, CO | 2013 – 2018
Led a community-based nonprofit focused on school and community gardening, food access, and youth education. Oversaw organizational strategy, board development, fundraising, partnerships, and program implementation. Grew the organization’s reach and impact, earning Nonprofit of the Year (2017) from the Durango Chamber of Commerce

Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE) — Weatherization Program Coordinator
Durango, CO | 2011 – 2013
Coordinated a federally funded weatherization program, supporting contractors, budgets, and client services to improve energy efficiency for low-income households across the region.

Community Leadership & Service

Shanta Village Partners — Program Committee Member (2019 – Present)

Four Corners Slow Money — Founding Steering Committee Member (2019 – 2023)

Growing Partners of Southwest Colorado — Steering Committee Member (2013 – 2016

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