ZENO CASE STUDY

Zeno was founded in 2003 as Explorations in Math by Norman Alston and a group of parents at Wilder Elementary School in Woodinville, Washington. They observed the impact that a positive math culture had on student's success and set out to spread the love of math.

In 2019 Zeno came to The Citizen Group after completing an extensive strategic planning process resulting in a new organizational directive to place greater emphasis on serving communities of color. At this critical stage of Zeno's development, they struggled with how to talk about the "New Zeno" and to ensure that their commitment to mathematics endured while taking on new work focused on racial equity and justice. It was critical that Zeno refined their messaging as organizational change comes with tension and confusion at every level of the organization.

We started our work by conducting 20 1-on-1 conversations with representatives from every aspect of Zeno's organization. We looked for consensus on Zeno's values and purpose and identified potential conflicts between the various factions. Next, we hosted a 2-day workshop for 15 members of the Zeno team where they learned the art of persuasive speaking and delved deeper into their beliefs, messages, and desired audiences.

After a three month engagement, Zeno received a messaging architecture which clarified their values and demonstrated the unique ways they live their values through their work. Furthermore, this new message bore fruit immediately. Zeno saw a 25% increase in donations at their annual fundraiser, sparked by Julie's powerful keynote address, and new funders joined their board in response to Zeno's unique methods to achieve their mission.