“Matteah offers a presence of peace and an invitation to evolve. She helped our staff see value in one another and the work we do together. I’ve learned the power of truly being myself and bringing my best self to work.”

"Working with the Proponents team was one of the most rewarding and challenging processes our organization has ever faced. From the beginning, it was evident that the team’s values of equity and empowerment were a perfect alignment with the values of our project. We are grateful for the ways they have challenged, encouraged, and supported our development"

"The work Matteah did with our team to slow down was new, kind of uncomfortable and extremely valuable!"

"With emphasis on collaboration and mindful alignment, Proponents has helped Well House embrace new insights and creative thinking. There were many spaces that seemed impenetrable prior to working with Kurt. He is a natural convenor with a thoughtfulness that others are drawn to."

"Working with Proponents has been transformative for our organization! From the very beginning, it was clear that we shared deeply aligned values around equity, justice, and actively challenging white supremacy in our work. They didn’t just support or guide us—they worked alongside us and pushed us to grow in ways we hadn’t even imagined. They brought expertise and critical insight to every step of the process. And their relational approach helped us see long-standing challenges in new ways. We’re grateful for their partnership and reciprocity!"

“Matteah’s questions have been the stuff of transformation.”

"Partnering with Matteah created a pathway into living in harmony with my purpose. Every interaction with Matteah provided a safe space where I left gaining insight on how my perspective of life matters, and provides reading material that proves the many ways of interacting with the world within communities. "

"Working with Proponents was a transformative experience for Access of West Michigan. Kurt took the time to meet with each of us individually, building genuine relationships and earning our trust through his presence, empathy, and professionalism. Rather than imposing solutions, Kurt aligned himself with our mission and vision, and from that place of shared purpose, helped us set clear, achievable goals."

"Matteah is an expert in equity systems change and leadership development. She was objective in her approach, thoughtful with her inquiries, and thorough in her work. While our focus was on a specific project, Matteah’s approach has forever changed my style of leadership and the ways we engage with our community. New knowledge, thought processes, and an enhanced equity lens has pushed us to incorporate the skills learned during this process throughout our entire organization. There will always be more to do, but we now have a clear path forward and revitalized sense of purpose."

“During somatic coaching with Matteah, I discovered several areas of myself I either never paid close attention to or ignored altogether. If one reflects closely on their experience, one will find areas for growth and improvement.”

"Matteah is wise, kind, gentle and confidently curious. She has a presence that can make it feel like your meeting or conversation with her is the only thing on her agenda. I leave every encounter with her a more centered version of myself as a result of the way she asks questions and invites reflection."

“What I cherish about working with Kurt is his holistic approach to all issues. He brings both head and heart to every project, recognizing the unique qualities of the individuals and teams he partners with. Through his thoughtful approach, he helps streamline efficiencies, improve team dynamics, and foster equitable shifts. Whether he’s navigating the complexities of city governance, championing affordable housing, supporting nonprofit leaders in their wellness, or guiding organizations through seasons of change, his experience across nonprofit, faith-based, fund development, and elected city leadership roles brings invaluable wisdom to every challenge he tackles.”

"Matteah asks the right questions, distills things to the essentials, and gave us the safe space to work through the hard things we are doing together. We had the ability to say things because of how she began our relationship and how she carried herself all along. Thank you for being a gift to us."

"Facilitating a staff retreat, Matteah helped our organization by using different techniques on tapping into organization work styles and how to work together. It showed us how coworkers need to be sync to work together. And how everyone has their own work style and energy that they bring in to office daily."

"Matteah took the time to have a deep understanding of our organization and asked probing questions that helped us identify areas where we were strong and areas that needed attention. Proponents' thorough work has been beneficial to our project and the families we serve. What impressed me the most about Matteah is her genuine interest in our organization. She became a cheerleader for our success and went above and beyond by sharing articles and information even after our work together was completed. She is a gem in our community and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for organizational, evaluation and strategic planning support."

“Wow. Thank you, Matteah, for being my guide to new levels of awareness. Our time together was fun, transformative, emotional. Fascinating to learn so much about myself from how my body moves.”

"The most beneficial aspect of working with Proponents has been discovering our “why.” It’s like you put a mirror up to our work and showed us who we are and what we’re doing, flaws and all. Before our work with Proponents, the staff felt a little aimless and ungrounded. But Proponents helped get everyone on the same page about where we’re at and what we do. Matteah provided a safe, comfortable space where we could do some valuable team-building. Staff were able to engage in conflict in a constructive way during this process that they weren’t before. Our work with Proponents exceeded our expectations. Thanks, Matteah, for really hearing us and for your dedication and patience. You made each staff member feel heard and valuable, which resulted in a truly 360-degree analysis of the organization. You captured all of our staff’s views and work very well. It was a true pleasure working with you!"

"Our team retreat with Matteah was an incredible experience. We were able to step back from the daily expectations and find a space to connect in a meaningful way. Matteah's ability to hold space that is open and non-judgemental created paths for people to be honest, build trust, and lead us to improve. Matteah’s facilitated exercises were creative and useful. But the most valuable thing that Matteah did for us was bring her reflective, thoughtful and empathetic self into the space, creating an environment that allowed staff to feel comfortable while experiencing each other in a new way. I know that the diversity of our staff makes it a challenge to facilitate in a manner that all people can truly participate but I think Matteah stepped into that challenge incredibly well. Matteah is a great facilitator."

"I am incredibly thankful that Proponents emphasizes a collective learning experience. I deeply valued Matteah’s ability to ask insightful, direct questions that helped clarify underlying assumptions, identify potential problems/tensions, and encourage staff to keep the overall objectives of our work in mind. These conversations changed how we see and talk about our work. It was incredibly helpful to have Matteah reflect with staff regarding our processes, assumptions, and goals. And we began having more reflective conversations regarding our work."

"Matteah brings a warmth and sense of joy to every conversation, an energy that invites participation and relationship while honoring all that others bring into a space at a given moment. Her ability to hold complexity and offer encouragement, wisdom, and guidance through reflection, offering, and generative questions is a gift to any and everyone who gets the opportunity to work with her. I leave each of our conversations feeling more centered and grounded, and always with a thoughtful question to noodle on as I go forward."

"I can’t think of anyone who would have been a better fit to guide us during this time. We’re so excited to forge ahead better and more thoughtfully equipped. We appreciated Matteah’s ability to listen deeply, consider, and formulate a response. Her flexibility and sense of humor made our work together enjoyable and helped turn us into learning and evaluation geeks."

"As a group experience, the somatic coaching exercise Matteah introduced to us helped each of us learn a beautiful series of movements. We got a chance to work in teams. And learned some things about each other (some people were more competitive than we thought!). I would recommend this to others looking to connect as a group, and reflect as an individual.”