Warm Authority. Real Transformation.

I came to organizational development the long way around—which, it turns out, was exactly the right way.

For twenty years, I did OD work without knowing what to call it: leading volunteer organizations, guiding companies, and facilitating teams through change, conflict, and growth. I learned the work by noticing patterns, naming roadblocks, and figuring out what groups were actually willing to do to evolve. At 50, I went back to school to understand why it worked.

I earned my MA in Organizational Development from Sonoma State University, writing my thesis on humor as a tool for consulting and facilitation. I interviewed field pioneers—including the late Edgar Schein and Peter Block—and what I learned from their decades of research still informs my approach today.

Since then, I’ve facilitated sessions with the Socio-Technical Systems Roundtable and collaborated regularly with Roland Cavanagh (co-author of The Six Sigma Way), joining global think tanks on leadership, organizational culture, and systems thinking.

My work bridges deep understanding of OD principles, Lean Six Sigma thinking, and the Finding Good coaching framework. One of my professors described my facilitation style as "quiet authority that fosters feelings of safety and humanity." I’ve been living up to that ever since.

Based in Napa Valley, I work with individual leaders, leadership teams, and organizations locally and globally.

Susan LarsonBouwer, M.A.O.D.[She/Her]

Read enough? Let's talk! →
BUT WHY?
Leaders deserve better support than they usually get.

Not a consultant who hands over a framework and walks away. Not a coach who only reflects questions back at you. You deserve a real thinking partner—someone with honest perspective, genuine curiosity, and zero interest in making things more complicated than they need to be.

My approach combines Brian Fretwell’s Finding Good framework with the best of Alfred Adler’s research, both of which point to a core truth: belonging, not just fitting in, is fundamental to how humans thrive. When someone helps leaders see clearly, they are far more capable than they’ve been led to believe.

Seeing the Sub Rosa

I spot patterns, undercurrents, and the things nobody is saying out loud. Navigating the world with late-diagnosed neurodivergence gave me a finely tuned ability to read a room—to hear the story beneath the story while everyone else is still responding to the surface. Decades of navigating systems not built for my brain taught me to watch closely, build workarounds that actually work, and eliminate waste. It isn't a liability; it's my superpower.

I also coach neurodivergent leaders and parents of LGBTQIA+ kids—not as a marketed niche, but because these communities deserve support from someone who understands their experience from the inside.

What I Believe

  • Work should be energizing. A sense of humor bridges the gap between expectations and reality. A well-timed laugh does more for a stuck leader than another round of bullet points (a conviction I literally defended in my master's thesis).

  • Inclusion is a practice, not a program.

  • Life is meant to be lived. I love Napa Valley's food, wine, and light, traveling wherever work takes me, Sierra Nevada summer campfires, and ending the day with my FrankenCorgi, St. Bougainvillea Von Teef ("Boogie").

I bring all of that into the work. Always.

Ready to find out what's possible? Let's talk →
St. Bougainvillea von Teef "Boogie" [She/Them]

CLO - Chief Levity Officer and Activity Director

Rescued from the center divide of Highway 99 on St. Patrick’s Day 2026, Boogie was clearly meant for bigger things. After a few foster stops, they found their forever office in The Napa Valley.

Seeing the Sub Rosa

Boogie has a rare talent for reading the room. They bring quiet comfort to residents at a local assisted living center and approaches old dogs gently and kindly, assuring everyone without words that they are loved. During the workday, she specializes in supportive napping with occasional breaks for ear scritches.

What She Believes

  • Work should be active. Daily field operations at the park involve jiu-jitsu with Layla, zoomies with Teddy, and discussing philosophy and antiquities with her colleague, Henry Jones, Jr.

  • Inclusion means community. Everyone deserves a good lap, a friendly tail wag, and an enthusiastic greeting.

  • Life is meant to be lived. Especially when it includes facilitating a daily walk for her human and keeping the workspace grounded.

Did Boogie convince you? Reach out!→
A tall metal telecommunications tower against a sky filled with large white clouds
Susan Larson-Bouwer
Napa Valley, California

boogie@larsonbouwer.com

If you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong — Groucho Marx

© 2026 Susan Larson Bouwer All Rights Reserved

WE PROUDLY WELCOME CLIENTS, CUSTOMERS, AND TEAM MEMBERS OF ALL SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS, GENDER IDENTITIES, AND EXPRESSIONS. HATE, DISCRIMINATION, OR DISRESPECT HAVE NO PLACE HERE. BE PROUD. LOVE OUT LOUD. YOU MATTER.