When Disruption Is the Climate, Adaptability Is the Strategy.
We help professionals and organizations break the patterns keeping them stuck using neuroscience, design thinking, and behavioral science…
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Services for Organizations
Helping teams and leaders break entrenched patterns, adapt to change, and build sustainable ways of working.
Mission-driven organizations face constant disruption and workforce transitions, burnout, evolving roles, pressure to adapt. Traditional training teaches skills but misses the underlying patterns driving behavior.
Design to Grow addresses what training misses: the limiting beliefs, stress responses, and unconscious patterns keeping teams stuck despite access to resources. Using neuroscience, design thinking, and behavioral science, we help organizations create sustained behavior change, not just insight.
Organizational Workshops
Interactive team workshops that address the psychological barriers traditional training misses.
Popular topics:
  • Disarming Disruption: A Leadership Experience in Awakened Adaptability
  • UNSTUCK: Breaking Neural Patterns
  • Building Adaptability in Uncertain Times
  • Navigating Transitions with Design Thinking
  • Defining Problems & "How Might We?" Questions
  • Prototyping: Test Before You Build
  • Ideation: Generating Breakthrough Ideas
Who we serve: Nonprofits, workforce agencies, government, higher education
What Clients Say
"My session with Lena was exceptional! I was able to release key internal blocks and gain the clarity and wisdom to move forward with a focused 30-day action plan."
"Her neuroscience-based approach delivered profound insight and meaningful transformation. I highly recommend Lena!"
— Tiffany Jeffers
Neuroscience Informed Executive Coach

""Lena brings a thoughtfulness that keeps people open, not defensive. The somatic components were particularly effective. I'm not a fan of talk therapy for the sake of it — this was different."
— Rabiah M.
Organizational Psychologist | Federal Sector
About Lena Jackson, MS, NCC, LGPC
I'm an adjunct professor at JHU, a neuroplasticity researcher, and a licensed counselor who works with leaders and institutions navigating complex transitions.
My work exists at the intersection of multiple disciplines because I believe that's where the most powerful transformation happens. Traditional coaching often lacks the depth to address unconscious patterns. Therapy can get stuck exploring the past without building the future. Design thinking provides innovation tools but sometimes misses the psychological complexity of human behavior.
Lena K. Jackson, MS, NCC, LGPC
Adjunct Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Education
Stanford Life Design Certified | JHU Design Thinking for Innovation
MS, Clinical Counseling — Johns Hopkins University
15+ Years: Federal Policy | Higher Education Leadership | Clinical Counseling
Founder, Design to Grow LLC | Creator, Neural Space Model™
Before founding Design to Grow, I spent 15 years at the intersection of federal policy, higher education leadership, and human development, including directing career and life design programs at Johns Hopkins University. I've sat in institutional leadership. I understand what it costs to lead through disruption from the inside.
Leaders don't need more information about change, they need a framework for moving through it. That's what Design To Grow was built for.
Why This Approach Works
Most coaching focuses on what you should do differently. But knowing what to do doesn't create change. If it did, you'd have already done it.
Lasting transformation requires understanding why you're stuck and how to rewire the patterns keeping you there.
Neuroplasticity: Your brain creates efficient patterns, neural pathways that automate behavior. This works great for walking or driving, but becomes problematic when you've automated limiting patterns like self-doubt or avoidance. Neuroplasticity is your brain's ability to create new pathways through deliberate practice.
Design Thinking: Instead of planning the perfect solution, you prototype small experiments and iterate based on what you learn. This reduces the risk and fear that keeps people stuck—you're not committing to massive change, just testing possibilities.
Behavioral Science: Leaders don't change behavior through information alone. Lasting change requires addressing the unconscious patterns and stress responses that drive decision-making under pressure, the layer most leadership training never reaches.
The integration is the innovation. Neuroscience explains the mechanism. Design thinking provides the methodology. Behavioral science addresses the deeper patterns. Together, they create leaders who don't just think differently, they operate differently.
Ready to lead through what's next?
Whether you're exploring a workshop, a leadership engagement, or a custom partnership, the conversation starts here.
Contact Information
Lena Jackson, Founder
Design to Grow, LLC
Professional Development, Consulting, and Coaching
What to Expect
During our initial conversation, there's no pressure or sales pitch. I'm genuinely interested in understanding your situation and determining if this work is right for you.
If it's not a fit, I'll tell you. If it is, we'll discuss next steps. Either way, you'll leave with clarity about your path forward.

The Neural Space Model is a proprietary framework created by Lena Jackson and owned by Design to Grow, LLC. It may not be copied, taught, reproduced, or adapted in whole or in part without formal written authorization.