We hear you. We see you.
We are a talent and organizational development firm with a mission to put humanity at the heart of every organization— right where it belongs.
We imagine a world where leaders and their employees don't merely make it through each week, but thrive. That's why we've developed and shaped a wide range of processes and tools that empower us to do just that.
Using solutions drawn from sources as wide-reaching as the Indigenous world and cognitive neuroscience, we support teams in designing cultures, implementing learning opportunities, and building models of practice that foster an environment of learning and compassionate curiosity. At Humanature, we believe that equity is a process as much as it is an outcome. We believe all of this knowledge is paramount to how we, as a world, think about human development, belongingness, and the future of society. Most of all, we believe we'll get it right. We have to.
Our Team
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Mike O'Bryan
Founder + CEO
Michael O'Bryan is the founder and CEO of humanature, a management consulting firm with a mission of putting humanity at the heart of every organization. Additionally, he founded The Wealth + Work Futures Lab at Drexel University's Lindy Institute of Urban Innovation. The lab focuses on humanity-centered economic development including explorations into the futures of work, asset building, and life-sustaining income. Michael lectures at UPenn's Weitzman School of Design and serves on philanthropic boards in Philadelphia.
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Austin Planer
Chief of Staff
Austin Planer is a multifaceted professional dedicated to fostering democratic, cooperative spaces at the intersection of community engagement, placemaking, systems change, and human development. As the Chief of Staff at humanature, a management consulting firm specializing in organizational design strategy, Austin seamlessly blends client engagement, consulting, and operations management. In this pivotal role, Austin is integral to the execution of operational excellence, responsible for culture building and providing crucial support to colleagues.
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Kevin Carter
Employee Wellness Lead
Kevin Carter has over 30 years of experience in providing psychotherapy and psychoeducation on trauma, grief, stress, and social epidemiology. His current work at Drexel University allows him to collaborate with interdisciplinary training team to offer training in narrative media content creation, design theory, social marketing, and public health frameworks.
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Alicia Atkinson
Research + Evaluation Lead
Alicia Atkinson is a researcher, advocate, collaborator, yoga-teacher, and systems thinker. She is currently the Research and Innovation Officer at the Wealth and Work Futures Lab focused on expanding economic and racial justice in the Philadelphia region and beyond. She brings a deep commitment to centering the community in decision-making to shift systems towards equity and justice.
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Rian Watkins
Creative Director
Rian Watkins is a multidisciplinary artist born in Baltimore, MD. He strives to tell vivid stories, solve complex problems and inspire strategic change through intentional design.His artistic journey began over a decade ago, initially capturing the essence of life through lifestyle portraits and candid street-style imagery.
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TJ Dean
Media Fellowship Program Director
TJ Dean is an Afrofuturist, educator, and Dream Director that brings his passion and drive for creating liberated futures to all his work. TJ gained a passion for working with young people while interning with Freedom Schools and served over a decade as a classroom teacher. He holds a Masters of Education from Cabrini University and now works outside the classroom, helping young people create new futures for themselves and their communities.
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Kyron Ryals
Media Specialist
Kyron Ryals is a Philadelphia-based creative professional with nearly 20 years of experience in photography, media design, branding, and project management. He began his career as a founding member and later managing partner of Glamourville Studios (2005–2019) before launching DVS&Co., an independent creative shop specializing in branding, visual media, and merchandise production. Through DVS&Co.’s mentorship model, senior creatives train and guide young people pursuing careers in the commercial arts. His clients include record labels, Fortune 500 companies, media outlets, and educational institutions, reflecting a career dedicated to storytelling, community, and his guiding principle to “lift while I climb.”
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Nyah Anderson
Operations Associate
Nyah Anderson is a multidisciplinary artist, researcher, and creative strategist exploring the intersections of story, wellness, and community. A graduate of NYU Tisch with studies in music and mental health, she grounds her work in emotional and social awareness. Her work explores how storytelling and design can nurture healing and connection across disciplines
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Larissa Lucas
Design Associate
Larissa Lucas is a professional graphic designer and amateur archivist with a lifelong passion for visual storytelling. Designing since age 11 (thanks to a little help from YouTube), she creates art that informs, educates, and inspires.