Joel Getzendanner is a leading authority in the design of "network" or "distributed” organizations, especially those with a strong social mission.

He offers strategy consulting and executive coaching support to select clients attempting to implement first-in-world organizational strategies. Recent projects include: An ownership and legal structure for a hydrogen car manufacturer to ensure that the financial interests of investors cannot subvert its environmental and social purposes, or vice versa… A self organizing, team-based staffing model for the largest country office (India) of a multinational development bank… The structural redesign of an international organization offering mother to mother support for breastfeeding; converting a top-down control structure into a distributed network based on consensus.

Joel was a founding Board Member of the Chaordic Alliance, the nonprofit initiated by Visa founder Dee Hock, with whom Joel worked closely for a decade. Joel brings to his work a unique blend of experience in for-profit, nonprofit, and governmental sectors.

As Vice President for Programs at the Joyce Foundation in Chicago ($600M assets, $25M grants) from 1987-94, Joel oversaw the repositioning of its six major program areas and designed and managed a unique cross-program staff structure. In the late 1990’s as Associate Director for Investments at the F.B. Heron Foundation in New York ($250M assets, $12M grants), Joel’s task was to answer the Board’s question, “How can we invest all of the foundation’s assets in a way that advances our charitable purpose?” He conceived and implemented an overarching financial strategy, trained the staff and board in investing options and practices, administered the development of a philanthropic investment portfolio, and oversaw the management of the foundation’s corpus.

Prior to entering the foundation world, Joel worked with Catholic Charities on the west side of Chicago in the early 1980's, spent several years in manufacturing with Borg-Warner and Booz-Allen & Hamilton, and a year with a political action committee and Presidential exploratory committee.

Joel earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. He has coached springboard diving at the high school and college levels. Joel lives in Olympia, Washington.