Who We Are
Viridian is a strategic partner across public, private, and emerging technology sectors. We connect communities with developers, businesses, and government to shape shared opportunity. Our work delivers actionable strategies that turn vision into implementation.
How We Work
Viridian is intentionally boutique and founder-led.
We scale through partnership ecosystems, not staff expansions.
Our adaptive team model brings the right specialists to the table only when they’re needed , ensuring projects are lean and strategic.
We believe this networked approach allows us to remain high-touch, nimble, and aligned with the values of the communities we serve.
Meet Yvonna
Founder & CEO
With two decades of experience in public affairs, stakeholder engagement, and social impact, Yvonna has worked across government, nonprofit, and tech sectors to bridge diverse stakeholders. She has collaborated with over 300 business, government, and community leaders on policy innovation, AI governance, and public-private partnerships. She also created the Mirrored Engagement™ model as a structured approach to trust-building and equitable public participation, rooted in over two decades of cross-sector stakeholder management work.
As a Governor’s Office appointee and Deputy Director at CalEPA, Yvonna led communications, environmental justice, public engagement, and tribal affairs, overseeing a team of 54 FTE and managing over $10.2M in regulatory programs. She played a key role in the $500M Clean Up in Vulnerable Communities Initiative (CVCI), influencing funding decisions through policy recommendations and multi-stakeholder engagement. Yvonna spearheaded efforts to modernize public engagement through digital tools, which contributed to a 40% reduction in community engagement costs. She worked closely with state regulators, businesses, and community leaders to align policy objectives with economic and environmental regulatory and legislative priorities.
At the City of Oakland, as Director of Community Engagement in the Mayor’s Office, she developed and led inclusive engagement strategies that shaped citywide policies and programs. Additionally, she led several cross-sector efforts, partnering with philanthropic organizations, corporate social responsibility teams, and local businesses to secure and direct over $50M in funding for education, social impact initiatives, housing, and business recovery grants. During the pandemic, she coordinated and directed 34 City of Oakland staff and Disaster Service Workers, ensuring their work aligned with her community outreach efforts that mobilized 535+ community volunteers. This large-scale response connected 20,000+ low-income seniors and families with essential resources, strengthening government efficiency and responsiveness during a crisis. She also managed a team of 15+ staff and fellows, implementing citywide engagement strategies that built public trust and supported inclusive policy initiatives.
Yvonna is a recognized speaker and trainer in digital transformation, AI governance, and public engagement strategies. She has lectured at Code for America, ELGL, and MMANC, sharing insights on responsible AI, civic technology, and modernizing government engagement through digital tools. To date, she has trained over 645 public servants and health care staff across North America, helping them navigate digital innovation, stakeholder engagement, and regulatory adaptation in an AI-driven world.
With experience spanning state, local, and nonprofit sectors, Yvonna has advised on policy and public-private partnerships at California Volunteers (Governor’s Office) and beyond. Her expertise in responsible AI, governance, and digital transformation makes her a trusted voice in bridging technology, policy, and stakeholder trust.
Meet Irene
Senior Advisor
Irene is an accomplished senior executive in global corporate real estate and enterprise operations, bringing over 20 years of experience leading large-scale teams, capital programs, and strategic transformation initiatives. Her expertise spans enterprise facilities management, vendor oversight, and executive-level risk and performance management. She has overseen billion-dollar portfolios, directed high-impact workplace strategies, and guided global teams through periods of growth, transition, and organizational change.
Her career includes leadership roles at JLL, most recently as a Global Account Executive responsible for a 100M sq. ft. global campus footprint, as well as executive roles at Sodexo, and Bank of America. Irene is recognized for her ability to unite people, processes, and long-range strategy, ensuring that operations remain resilient and aligned with organizational values. She has served on multiple boards, including the IFMA Foundation. In addition to her advisory role, Irene teaches college-level courses to students across the country each week, expanding the future talent pipeline in corporate real estate and the built environment.
Her approach reflects her personal philosophy: success is defined not only by outcomes, but by integrity, stewardship, and the ability to elevate the people around us. The teachings from How Will You Measure Your Life reinforced her belief that true success is measured not by title or compensation, but by the lives we touch and the integrity with which we lead.She is committed to building systems that last, which means teams, cultures, and strategies designed for long-term impact.
At Viridian Management Group, Irene provides strategic leadership across our construction, real estate, and infrastructure portfolios. She advises on the planning and delivery of capital projects, including AI data centers and mission-critical facilities, and helps clients build operational systems that are resilient, efficient, and future-ready.
Who We've Worked With
Viridian Management Group has supported projects in technology, government, social impact, and corporate responsibility. We have provided strategy, stakeholder engagement, and policy guidance to organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to startups, universities, and public agencies.
Our experience spans:
Technology & AI: Emerging startups, enterprise software firms, and digital engagement platforms
Government & Public Sector: Federal, state, and municipal agencies focused on innovation and community engagement
Social Impact & Nonprofits: Philanthropic initiatives, higher education institutions, and mission-driven organizations
Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability: Health systems, climate and energy firms, and companies prioritizing ethical business practices
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Testimonials
“With Viridian’s partnership, we launched a leadership development training series for government workers. Viridian helped us shape a curriculum that was practical, community-centered, and deeply aligned with our values. Their support and guidance ensured the training would strengthen the confidence and capacity of public sector leaders to work collaboratively with communities toward long-term systems change.”
— Larisa Casillas, Program Director, Leadership Development & Advocacy, Urban Habitat"Viridian Management Group transformed our business development approach with their strategic and meticulous support. Providing proposal management and pipeline development to help us vet 5-10 opportunities weekly, resulting in successful submissions for over $3.2M in infrastructure, transit, aviation, and municipal projects including Job Order Contracting (JOC) proposals."
— HL Miller Construction Inc."Yvonna and Viridian Management Group were instrumental in developing our go-to-market strategy for our financial technology platform. Their expertise in community relations and strategic communications was crucial in helping us target Latin American and US Latino populations, effectively expanding our customer base for our innovative money transfer and investment app. As a visionary thought partner, Yvonna brought unique insights that transformed our approach to lead generation and market penetration. Her ability to craft a comprehensive strategy that bridged technology, community engagement, and sales development has been invaluable to Ziggurat Technologies' growth."
— Sia N., CEO, Ziggurat Technologies"Viridian Management Group was pivotal in helping us refine our investor pitch strategy. They meticulously extracted and amplified our most compelling customer success stories, transforming raw review data into a powerful narrative of impact. Yvonna's team doesn't just provide communications support, they help us articulate our value proposition with precision and persuasiveness. When we need to drive a message that resonates with investors and stakeholders, Viridian is our go-to strategic partner."
— Junior Smith, Ouipay App"We approached Viridian Management Group as we explored AI data center development opportunities. Their nuanced guidance on government relations and market entry strategy connected us to the right contacts. In addition, their innovative community benefit frameworks and public grant alignment, was critical to navigating complex market dynamics for land reuse development plans. Viridian's strategic insights helped us approach our projects with a comprehensive and thoughtful methodology."
— John, Managing Partner, Citivest Ventures“Viridian played a key role during a critical early stage of SHCLA’s growth. They helped us articulate our mission, develop our narrative, and produce foundational grant and outreach materials that we continue to use today. Their team led a film shoot, storytelling campaign, and government relations strategy that connected us with city, county, and regional housing partners. Their support amplified our voice, strengthened our organizational presence, and created new avenues for funding and partnership.”
— Teslim Ikharo, Executive Director, Supportive Housing Community Land Alliance“Viridian Management Group has been instrumental in elevating Unidos Network's fund development strategy during a critical growth phase for our organization. As a small, rural environmental justice nonprofit working across some of the Central Valley's most underserved communities, we needed a partner who could help us translate complex, on-the-ground work into clear, compelling narratives for funders who may not understand the realities of unincorporated places like Kettleman City or Buttonwillow.
Yvonna and her team provided expert support that included creation of key presentation and donor materials, grant identification and grant writing support, and improved communication of program impact. They've been particularly valuable in helping us articulate our Green Futures Fellowship Program with clarity and precision—taking what we know works in practice and shaping it into something funders can immediately grasp and get excited about. That kind of translation work is hard to find, especially for organizations like ours that operate outside traditional nonprofit centers.
Viridian has positioned us to more effectively communicate our impact to potential philanthropic partners and funders, which directly strengthens our ability to serve the communities that depend on us.”
— Miguel Alatorre, Executive Director, Unidos Network“Yvonna's team helped implement new offerings for our staff and professional development training, redesigned our critical presentation materials, and developed comprehensive stakeholder engagement workshops that brought our faculty, staff, and community together.”
— Oron Jackson, PhD., Administrator,
Desert Sands Unified School District“Yvonna’s dedication and work performance is impressive and with Virdian's highly skilled team, you can rest assured that your project will be in good hands. Her team is committed to providing the highest quality work and exceeding expectations.”
— Micah Jordano, Administrator,
GeoSyntec Engineering“Viridian Management Group helped our Urban Planning Dept. deliver an exceptional CEQA training program that set a new standard for professional development in environmental policy. Their comprehensive workshop, which drew 140 participants, provided critical insights into California Environmental Quality Act compliance and implementation. Yvonna's expertise and strategic approach helped transform complex regulatory information into actionable knowledge for our faculty, researchers, as well as state transportation and municipal professionals. The training not only enhanced our team's understanding of CEQA but also provided practical tools for effective environmental planning and analysis.”
— Ana Marques, Faculty Chair,
San Jose State University