ABOUT DR. STORM
The Illuminated Futures Project is led by Dr. Stormy Compeán Sweitzer. Storm employs her over 20 years of experience working with global corporations, humanitarian organizations, government agencies, nonprofits and individuals to support vision, change, and impactful action towards a brighter future.
Her career experience spans risk and safety management, digital transformation, social enterprise consulting, entrepreneurship, and leadership and organizational development – especially within impact organizations – in the US and abroad. She is also a certified strategic foresight practitioner and executive coach, who brings human-centered design expertise along with research-backed social & behavioral insights into her work. She regularly speaks and writes on the topics of wonder & imagination, futures of education, and the ethics and impact of emerging technologies.
Storm’s diverse professional and personal experiences provide a unique perspective on leading, innovating and evolving organizations and communities, as well as equipping changemakers with the skills and mindsets needed to flourish, in an uncertain future.
Full Bio
Dr. Stormy ‘Storm’ Sweitzer is founder of The Illuminated Futures Project™–a strategic possibility advisory. Stormy began her career as a researcher and NGO Development Consultant in the former Soviet Union during a time of political, economic and social upheaval. This experience shaped her interest in how collectives draw on the past and navigate tremendous change to create a more desirable future.
In the 20+ years since, Stormy has spearheaded national projects on digital transformation, human-centered design, and systems change to improve patient safety and health care quality; founded entrepreneurial ventures involving the development and use of new technologies and approaches to education; and worked with and within global corporations, humanitarian organizations, academic and health institutions, government agencies, local nonprofits and community groups, and individuals to develop their leadership capacity, strengthen team effectiveness, and envision and sustain organizational change around health, education, gender, and economic access and equity.
Stormy has extensive training in human-centered design, teamwork, organizational development, strategic foresight, executive coaching, and behavioral science. She conducts research on inclusion, wonder, identity, and social media’s role in enabling new possibilities. And, she has served educational and community organizations in a variety of advisory and board capacities. Her diverse expertise offers unique perspective on building individual and organizational capacity to thrive in the face of complexity, disruptive technology, and social change.
Stormy holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH; an MPH from Emory University in Atlanta, GA; as well as an MBA, an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Russian Language & Literature, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Utah. Originally from Utah, Stormy has spent years studying and working in Venezuela, Russia, Finland, Moldova, and Armenia. Today, she calls Cleveland, OH home.
kind words
“I guarantee you’ve never met anyone quite like Stormy. A ‘socialpreneur’ at heart, Stormy brings creativity, passion and expertise to her work, and combines right-brained, big-picture thinking with left-brained process and execution in a style unmatched in my experience.”
Testimonial from Merrilee Buchanan
/ Principal Consultant, Villa Leadership Group
“Stormy is one of the smartest people I have ever worked with. Each time I’ve called on her, she’s helped me flesh out ideas that allowed me to forge a path forward in the critical work we do. She has a unique combination of talents that serve both her and her clients well.”
Testimonial from Lynne R.
/ Executive, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
“Stormy not only has the unique ability to bridge big picture strategy and execution planning, she has a way of conceptualizing things that allows her to communicate a vision or complex ideas in very practical, action-oriented terms, enabling her to work effectively with all organizational stakeholders. She adds enormous value.”
Testimonial from Sharon Donnelly
/ Healthcare Transformation Executive
“Stormy’s insights and guidance were instrumental in enhancing our foundation’s outreach and impact. Her expertise not only helped us identify improvements in the way we communicate our vision — strengthening the connection between our foundation and supporters, but also to position us for growth. Stormy’s commitment to making the world a better place is evident, and we’re grateful for her contributions to our mission of empowering girls through education in Nepal. I’m confident she’ll make a significant positive impact within your organization as well.”
Testimonial from Bibhuti Aryal
/ Founder, Rukmini Foundation