About

Growth shouldn't break the people doing the work.

We help growing companies get to the heart of their people decisions: explored together, grounded in evidence, sized for their stage, and theirs to own.

The team

The people behind our work

Kristen Cooper

Kristen Cooper

Founder & CEO

Kristen has spent her career designing how people learn and grow at work, most recently inside venture capital. She has supported fast-growing companies and ecosystems around the world as they scale. She started Holon & Co. to help companies build their people practices before something breaks, not after.

Senior Associate, Organizational Design

Open role

Structure, roles and decision rights for companies outgrowing their org chart.

Apply: hello@holonand.co →

Senior Associate, Learning & Development

Open role

Manager development and learning that changes how people work, not just what they know.

Apply: hello@holonand.co →

Senior Associate, People Operations

Open role

Practical people systems, from performance to pay, sized for each client's stage.

Apply: hello@holonand.co →

Marketing Specialist

Open role

Tell the Holon & Co. story across our site, Substack and social channels.

Apply: hello@holonand.co →
Why "Holon"

Whole in itself. Part of something bigger.

A holon is something that is complete on its own and part of a larger whole. Every person on your team is one. So is every team, and so is the company they make up together.

That's how we look at your organization. A fix that helps one team but strains the company isn't a fix, and neither is a company-wide program that ignores how each team actually works. We design for each part, and for the whole.

Three nested rings: a person, inside a team, inside a company. Person Team Company
What we're working toward

Every growing company deserves an organization as well designed as its product.

Most companies put years of care into what they sell, and very little into how they're organized to build it. We close that gap, one stage at a time.

Our values

Six promises you can hold us to

Our values are working principles. Here's what each one means for you.

Get curious together

Every business is its own case. We learn how yours really works, in your words, and explore what we find with you before recommending anything.

Build for the stage

The right answer is the smallest thing that works now. We'll tell you what not to build yet, even when it means a smaller invoice.

Cause before cure

No solution until the cause is clear. We don't sell training, or anything else, as a reflex.

Show the evidence

Claims need proof, and "we don't know yet" is an acceptable answer. You get numbers from your own organization, not generic statistics.

Leaders own it

Our success is when you no longer need us for this. You make the decisions and keep every tool we build.

Candor with care

We say the hard thing plainly and kindly. Difficult findings come with sources protected and a path forward.

How we're built

One firm. One method. The right specialist.

  • One accountable lead on every engagement. Associates bring specialist depth; your lead owns the relationship and the quality of everything we deliver.
  • One method. Every engagement runs on the same tested toolkit, so you get consistent quality whoever is in the room.
  • Documented as we go. Nothing lives only in one consultant's head.
  • Your people's trust is protected. Interview and survey responses are never attributed without consent.

We build the structure.
You get the upshot.

Tell us what's happening at your company. In 30 minutes we'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and where we'd start.

Book a 30-minute call