Imagine an organization as a living entity shaped by the beliefs and behaviors of its...
Ramsey Ford
Director of the TiER1 Performance Institute
Alma Mater
University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
What He’s Passionate About
Ramsey loves supporting people in their development toward becoming their best selves. Ramsey loves building things—art, furniture, new businesses, and relationships.
What He Brings to the Table
Ramsey is a collaborative change facilitator who brings creative and inclusive approaches to purpose-driven organizations seeking change and innovation.
In 2009, Ramsey co-founded Design Impact to co-create solutions to complex social problems with communities and grassroots organizations. Over 13 years, he grew this idea into a nationally recognized consulting organization whose work spanned the globe and sectors, ranging from workforce development to senior hunger, to children’s health, to organizational change.
Prior to co-founding Design Impact, Ramsey spent a decade in corporate consulting. He received a Master’s of Design from the University of Cincinnati, where he developed the concept of embedded design—deeply engaging design as a change process in organizations and communities.
Where He Sees His Potential Fully Realized
Ramsey’s potential is fully realized when he is working collaboratively with others. Ramsey thrives in creative environments where individuals trust each other and extend grace for mistakes. This orientation can be seen in his professional career through the many intimate and diverse teams that he’s been a part of—often working on highly complex social change projects. Ramsey also really loves making art with friends.
What He’s Fully Committed to
Ramsey is fully committed to bringing a power and privilege lens to his work. How can the work of organizational change challenge and heal injustice? How can we address power and privilege when working to improve organizational performance? If Ramsey had to focus on one topic at TiER1, it would be to support building a racial justice lens into our work with partners.
Fun Facts
Ramsey is married with two children and a dog.
Ramsey has driven a car from Cincinnati to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and rode a motorcycle across the U.S.
Ramsey has started and failed a few businesses, from medication organizers to fair-trade soap to COVID mask clips.