stop managing vibes.

fix what’s broken.

When the old playbook stops working, we help you write a new one. Smashworks Consulting helps mission-driven organizations face hard truths, make tough decisions, and rebuild strategies that hold up under pressure.

Fix It Now
A woman with wavy, shoulder-length brown hair and light skin smiling in front of a brick wall. She is wearing a yellow blazer over a blue top with a silver necklace.

MEet Tess

Tess McEnery, founder of Smashworks Consulting, has spent two decades leading through crises at the White House, the State Department, and USAID Missions in two dozen countries. She has merged struggling nonprofits during war and funding collapse, coordinated global strategies across 18-plus federal agencies, and advised cabinet officials and C-suite executives through high stakes decisions that can end careers if made poorly.

None of this happened by managing vibes. It happened because Tess asks questions people would rather avoid, tells the truth even when it is inconvenient, and gets diverse teams to agree on the problem before they barrel toward a solution.

Tess founded Smashworks Consulting because she wants more organizations to un-stick themselves from managing symptoms and protecting sunk costs instead of building new strategies for action.

If your organization is navigating change, trying to close the gap between what you stand for and how you operate, we’d love to talk.

See the CV

Drawing on crisis-tested experience at the highest levels of government and civil society, we partner with clients to build organizations that are resilient, impactful, and ready for the future. From the grassroots to the global stage, we translate bold vision into practical action.

Our Services

    • Strategic planning and priority setting

    • Organizational design and restructuring

    • Executive team alignment and role-setting

    • Board engagement and governance support

    • Leadership transitions and succession planning

    • Mergers, acquisitions, and collaborative ventures

    • Managing through conflict and major change

    • Building movements and coalitions

    • Creating advocacy and policy campaigns

    • Mobilizing teams and stakeholders

  • "We felt as though we were lost before Tess arrived, and afterward we were found. "

    —USAID Mission client

  • "Tess takes on and helps fix some of the National Security Council's most vexing problems—bureaucratic, budgetary, and policy."

    —Senior Director, White House

  • “Tess is refreshingly honest and willing to speak truth to power in ways that advance the dialogue and move the bureaucracy to solutions.”

    —Front Office Executive, USAID

  • "Tess delivered the best intervention I’ve ever heard."

    —State Department Undersecretary

  • "Tess delivered exactly what we needed – an actionable set of recommendations aligned with our strategic plan."

    —VP, International NGO

  • "Tess has an incredible ability to turn complex information into practical, strategic recommendations - she delivered exceptional work under a tight timeline."

    —Strategy Team, International NGO

Ready To fix what’s broken?

Send your brief, and let’s start solving your toughest challenges.