Empowerment Now is dedicated to advancing positive social and economic change by creating sustainable solutions that strengthen organizations and improve communities worldwide. Our mission is to empower and equip leaders, teams, and systems to operate with greater clarity, compassion, resilience, and long-term sustainable impact.
Dr. Anne Friesen
Researcher. Chief Strategy Consultant.
Dr. Anne Friesen holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Research and Programming and brings more than 20 years of experience across the social justice, nonprofit, and human and health services sectors. Dedicated to advancing positive social and economic change, she is committed to creating sustainable solutions that strengthen organizations, empower leaders and teams, and improve community well-being locally and globally.
Activities & Affiliations
Anne has partnered with foundations, governments, nonprofits, and advocacy networks across the U.S., Africa, South Asia, and Saudi Arabia. Her expertise includes organizational design, operational design, strategic planning, systems transformation, and sustainable growth for health and human service organizations and government response systems. Previously, she served as Executive Director of Friend to Friend, where she advanced data-driven, trauma-informed programs for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. She also created HELP, an evidence-based life skills program that helps survivors build long-term safety and self-sufficiency.
Anne has served in key leadership roles on U.S. and international boards, including as Co-Chair of the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the North Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Chair of Springs of Living Water (Ethiopia), Chair of Freedom Rising (Bangladesh), and Vice-Chair of Fields of Hope. Her contributions have been recognized through awards such as Moore County Citizen of the Year and Moore County Woman of the Year.
Anne holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Professional Practice and executive certifications from Harvard University’s Kennedy School and Duke University in nonprofit management, leadership, and performance measurement.
Areas of Expertise
Dr. Friesen brings broad and unique expertise in:
• Transformational & Adaptive Leadership
• Organizational Design & Strategic Planning
• Operational Design for Long-Term Organizational Sustainability
• Data-Driven Operational Systems & Models
• Trauma-Informed Coordinated Rapid Response Systems
• Leadership Transition Consulting
• Empowerment & Women’s Leadership Programming
• Strength-Based Team Building & Culture Development
• Evidence-Based Programming for Survivor Self-Sufficiency
• Working with Underserved, Rural, and High-Risk Communities
• Conflict Resolution & Team Building
• Sustainable Growth Through Strategic Alignment & Process Efficiency
Anne offers leadership consulting and training services to nonprofits and government agencies, specializing in organizational design, strategic planning, trauma-informed systems development, and sustainable growth strategies.
To reduce barriers for nonprofits, her services are offered on a sliding fee scale.