Collaborative Networks International

The synergy created by the Collaborative Networks team

Mindy and the CNI Team harness the energy of decades of collective expertise in the high-tech, manufacturing, life-sciences industries and professional firms that service them.  We help business leaders accelerate profitability with more effective strategy execution through integrating collaborative leaders and connectivity within and across organizations.   Team capabilities include leadership and top team effectiveness, collaborative alliances, organizational network development and analysis, organizational strategy, global project alignment, project leadership and virtual teaming.

Mindy L. Gewirtz, Ph.D., President and Founder

Mindy L. Gewirtz has 18 years external consulting experience as a leadership and organizational strategist—a choreographer of change from family-owned businesses to global corporations in high-tech, life sciences, manufacturing, professional service firms and the not for profit sector. She leads her company collaboratively and has demonstrated success leading teams in complex engagements to drive business performance. Mindy continues to actively coach, publish, present and conduct research.

Organizations such as MITRE, EMC, Evergreen Solar, Malden Mills, Palmer & Dodge and many others have engaged Mindy to conduct interventions including large scale organizational change and connectivity, leadership development, project leadership and executive effectiveness. Currently, she is Presidential Advisor to ATCC, (American Type Culture Collection) a global biological resource center. CNI clients are provided special entrée to the Emerging Business Collaborative (EBC), a not-for-profit multi-disciplinary business advisory alliance Mindy helped to found. Companies in transition or growing a business, benefit from the network of business relations, acumen and access to capital.

Prior to her consulting business, Mindy’s career included serving as an educator, therapist and a leadership team member at not-for- profits. This provides a strong cross sector understanding of not-for-profits in addition to the private sector.

Mindy earned her Ph.D. at Boston University. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa and a graduate of Brooklyn College, she is also a Board Certified Diplomate in Psychotherapy. Sample publications include the co-authored book chapters: Network Weaving OD Strategies in 24/7 Cultures, which appears in Workplace Temporalities, published by Elsevier, 2007 and Sustaining Top Leadership Teams, in The Collaborative Systems Field Book: Jossey/Bass, 2003. People Power was published in the UK journal IMIS (Institute of Management Information Systems), 2004. Mindy invites your dialogue on her latest research and other publications. She can be reached This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Collaborative Networks Team

Patti Anklam

Patti an independent consultant, Hutchinson Associates brings her expertise in time-to- collaboration practices, social network analysis, and knowledge management systems strategy and architecture. Patti’s business experience and expertise encompass technology, culture, and work practice modeling focused on enabling clients to adopt collaborative and networked processes.

Recent clients include a biopharmaceutical firm, an international telecommunications provider, a US government research and development firm, an e-Learning solution development company, a financial services firm, and a global telecommunications firm. She is a recognized leader in the field of organizational network analysis (ONA), and is a frequent speaker and writer on the topic. Her practice work includes providing Master Classes in ONA for general audiences as well as customized in-house competency development for organizations who are transitioning to network-based organizational models.

Deborah Heller, Ph.D.

For more than thirty years, Deborah has helped small and large organizations in almost every sector including for profit and not for profit organizations make the necessary changes and connections to be competitive in today's market. Deborah Heller focuses on strategic and operational issues confronting leaders in competitive environments and guides clients to collaborations and alliances to generate effective strategies. She has particular interests in strategy, leadership, change and group dynamics and has facilitated small and large groups at all levels of organizations. She is an experienced public speaker and author of several books and articles.

Prior to beginning her consulting firm in 1982, Deborah was the Director of Ambulatory Services for the Department of Psychiatry at The Cambridge Hospital and was a Lecturer in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Deborah is a founder of the New England Women’s Fund and past Chair of the Board of Directors, past Chair of the Fenway Health Center Board of Directors and past Chair of Development for The Boston Club, and the past Vice-Chair for Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology. She received The Boston Club’s President’s Award. She is a graduate of Smith College and received her masters and doctorate from Boston College.

Client list available on request.

Kathleen McInerney Kane

Kathleen is an accomplished consultant who specializes in managing projects which take place in a global setting. Kathleen has managed a number of enterprise-wide initiatives that have included multi-functional teams, working in various locations throughout the world. Kathleen is particularly effective in understanding the complexity and interdependency of global initiatives, as well as embracing and utilizing the multi-cultural components of project teams.

The scope of her 20 year career at Towers Perrin, Ernst & Young, Deloitte & Touche has included, Enterprise Resource Planning software implementation, Performance Management, Strategy development and execution, and Training and Organizational Development. In her most recent role as Global Leader of Project Learning for Deloitte Consulting/ICS, Kathleen led a global operation in the design and deployment of an extensive professional development curriculum. Kathleen also partnered with business leaders throughout the firm in a succession planning and coaching capacity. An innovator in helping global teams deliver outstanding results to clients, Kathleen and her staff supported the success of teams at Eurotunnel, National Bank of Australia, Telstra Corporation and the United Bank of Switzerland. Kathleen has also partnered with a broad range of domestic clients, including Federal Express Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, and the Turner Broadcasting System. Kathleen holds a B.A. from the University of Denver, and is also a certified PMI Project Manager.

Nancy Settle-Murphy

Principal and owner of Guided Insights, Nancy helps geographically dispersed organizations achieve exceptional results within a surprisingly short time. A skilled cross-cultural communicator and seasoned facilitator, Nancy has helped a wide range of global organizations to strengthen communications among virtual teams, especially those where cultural differences may act as barriers.

Nancy plans and runs high-impact working sessions, applying the best combination of methods, tools, and techniques for each unique client situation. Nancy also provides training and coaching in several areas, including facilitation skills, intercultural communications, remote team leadership, and change management. Nancy is an active member of the International Association of Facilitators, the Boston Facilitators’ Roundtable, and the American Society for Training and Development.