About the Client

TEDxStLouis (Co-Founder and License Holder: Mich Hancock)
Independent TEDx organization amplifying ideas worth spreading across the St. Louis region

Context

TEDxStLouis is a well-established organization with a strong brand, deep community trust, and a volunteer-led operating model. As the organization continued to grow, so did its complexity.

• Expanding programming and partnerships

• Increased coordination across volunteers and leaders

• Greater demand on executive and operational capacity

• Desire to scale responsibly without adding full-time overhead

The organization did not need reinvention — it needed embedded leadership and operational capacity to support its next phase.

Approach

Salva’s founder partnered with TEDxStLouis in a long-term fractional capacity, providing strategic operations leadership, governance support, and executive continuity.

• Embedded as a fractional Chief of Staff supporting executive and volunteer leadership

• Designed and facilitated quarterly and annual planning rhythms

• Built lightweight operating systems to support execution and accountability

• Supported governance maturity through bylaw revisions and updated documentation

• Designed and launched a Board of Advisors to strengthen leadership capacity

• Served as Interim Executive Director during a defined leadership transition, ensuring continuity and momentum

This approach balanced strategic leadership with hands-on execution — meeting the organization where it was while preparing it for what came next.

Deliverables

• Strategic planning frameworks and execution priorities

• Operating calendars, timelines, and coordination tools

• Updated bylaws and governance documentation

• Board of Advisors structure and onboarding materials

• Organizational documentation to reduce institutional knowledge risk

Outcomes

• Clearer priorities, ownership, and decision-making across teams

• Reduced operational strain on volunteer and executive leadership

• Stronger governance and leadership continuity

• Improved follow-through across initiatives and events

• Greater organizational confidence entering future growth cycles

Why It Mattered

For established, volunteer-driven organizations, growth often strains the systems that enabled early success. This fractional partnership provided experienced leadership capacity exactly where it was needed — strengthening operations, governance, and execution without compromising mission or culture.

Momentum Matters

Fractional leadership enables organizations to scale thoughtfully — adding senior capacity without permanent overhead.