Our Belief
Every Organization Has a Social Impact.
Is Yours Positive or Negative?
What you choose not to do is as important as what you do. Social impact is about where you are silent, as much as what you say. It’s about the voices you decide not to listen to, as much as those you include. Simply put: Creating prosperity is everyone’s business--because doing nothing has consequences, too.
What We Do
We Work with You to Navigate our Shifting Culture.
We help organizations include the untold stories of all of the people you sell to, serve, employ, and influence so you can confidently navigate this moment of complex cultural change. Together, we will co-create a roadmap that shows you when to lead and who to follow; what partnerships to pursue, and how to authentically serve your stakeholders. In today’s tough social environment, this is how you achieve success.
We share concrete strategies that will help your company power positive change
Listen in as ShedLight joins Jessica Cherry on her podcast, 'ReImagining the Workplace'
We share concrete strategies that will help your company power positive change
Listen in as ShedLight joins Jessica Cherry on her podcast, 'ReImagining the Workplace'
We helped New Jersey retrain underemployed workers for better jobs.
Together with our partner SOUR, we created a new strategic framework and outreach plan for Innovate NJ and the New Jersey Department of Labor.
Our Team
Multi-Disciplinary Team of Cultural Strategists
Melissa Dougherty
Melissa is cofounder of ShedLight.org. After 25 years of on-the-ground research experience with corporate America and non-profits, Melissa is capable of shedding her skin, eliciting deep personal stories & listening without judgment. She weaves diverse observations into a meaningful mosaic; helping clients understand markets, synthesize strategy, & identify compelling programs, positionings & partnerships. Melissa’s recent Masters of Social Work has provided her with additional perspectives on individuals, families, & communities—as well as the systems they operate in.
Before founding ShedLight, Melissa was Managing Director at Firefly, Kantar Millward Brown’s qualitative research division, where her clients included Google, Chase Bank, & Pepsico. She founded, grew & sold Voice Partners, a mobile communications research a& design consultancy; & was Director, UX at Nuance Communications. Melissa has a BA from Northwestern University & an MSW from Silberman School of Social Work/CUNY.
Cheryl Stallworth
Cheryl Stallworth is a co-founder of ShedLight.org. Previously, she was CEO of Firefly, Kantar Millward Brown's North American qualitative research division for a decade. Cheryl prides herself in providing ShedLight clients with insights and innovation that are transforming the social impact landscape for brands and non-profits. Her expertise in revealing meaningful human stories, together with her strategic marketing expertise, make Cheryl uniquely suited to help ShedLight clients develop strategies for driving meaningful social change while achieving their growth goals.
Earlier in her career at Colgate-Palmolive, Cheryl served as a Worldwide Brand Director, General Manager-Guatemala, and VP/General Manager-Multicultural Marketing. At The Coca-Cola Company, Cheryl was Marketing Director/Central America & Caribbean and Consumer Insights Director-Sports and Entertainment Marketing. She holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a member of the Dean’s External Advisory Board at the Wisconsin School of Business. Cheryl lived in Central America for 8 years and is fluent in English & Spanish.
Mel Comer
Mel is a ShedLight board member with two decades of experience in operations & finance in the market research industry. She brings a unique combination of financial acumen, operational expertise, & empathetic leadership to ShedLight. Mel was COO & CFO of Firefly, Kantar Millward Brown’s qualitative insights division, where she developed the structure, process, & technology that supported Firefly’s work for leading global companies—driving profitable growth as well as the highest client satisfaction in the industry. Mel also engineered transformative joint ventures that enabled new research methodologies, including a partnership between Firefly & Second City Works, the B2B arm of the world-renowned comedy theater.
Mel is currently a Partner at ProfitLinq, providing outsourced CFO & accountancy services to fast-growing startups. Previously, she was VP/Controller at Parfums de Couer, & CPA at Ernst & Young. Mel holds a BBA from Pace University.
