About the Allison Group
The falls in Idaho Falls. Photo: Elisa Saffle
The Allison Group is an evolving practice rooted in research, experience, and care for the futures people create together.
Founded by Mary Ann Allison and shaped with Sheila Burnet Nedrow, the work continues to grow through research, practical experience, conversation, and learning with others.
Here are some things we believe
- We believe that every person matters.
- We think kindness, beauty, and fun are important.
- We strive to engage in a practice of always learning and always teaching. And we invite everyone to do the same.
- We believe we collectively have the capacity to co-create a world that we want, beginning with appreciating what we already have.
- We look for emergent strategy and failing forward.
“The Allison Group demonstrates that evolution can be natural and life affirming and that we can have confidence in the future.”
The people in the Allison Group
Mary Ann Allison, MBA, PhD
Founding Principal
Before the current Allison Group, Mary Ann led global emerging-technology projects for Citibank and Avis, led a New York-based international management-consulting business, and taught Media Studies at Hofstra University, where she is Associate Professor Emerita. The Allison Group’s offerings are based primarily on her research and practical experience.
She has co-authored three nonfiction books, including The Complexity Advantage. She also co-authored the murder mystery Through the Valley of Death with her husband. She was a New York City poet in residence. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum, serves on the board of the Idaho Humanities Council, and is delighted to be co-leading a program to train at least 100 conversation facilitators as part of the Greater Idaho Falls Village Improvement Society.
Sheila Burnet Nedrow, BS
Principal
Sheila taught elementary school in rural Idaho for 35 years, focusing on the health and learning of the whole child. Committed to all of her students regardless of limiting circumstances, she learned how to enable or improve their reading skills and help them feel accepted and find delight in the world.
She brings this experience to support the Allison Group vision that every person is important and needed during this time of rapid social change.
Sheila brings a place-based perspective to the Allison Group’s work, grounding it in the practical problems and joys of farmers, teachers, and families. She shapes client experiences that appreciate people’s strengths, experiences, and values.
Experience with clients
The earlier Allison Group, headquartered in New York City with Mary Ann as principal, provided leadership development and real-time feedback to clients in the United States and internationally. This experience informs the Allison Group’s work today. Selected clients included:
Federal clients included the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, and Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
The Complexity Advantage
Mary Ann co-authored The Complexity Advantage, an early practical guide to using complexity science to help businesses work more effectively.
“Anyone who grasps the concepts in The Complexity Advantage will have the power to change a business in startling ways. … These are big ideas.”— The Wall Street Journal, 1999Explore the research behind our work
Ideas
In Ideas, Mary Ann shares current thinking, essays, videos, conversations, poetry, and selected data about social change and the future we are creating together.
Explore IdeasBegin with a question.
Bring a question, challenge, opportunity, or decision you are facing. The first conversation is 45 minutes, with no charge.