OUR CONSULTING ENGAGEMENTS OFTEN DRAW UPON THE WISDOM OF CO-COLLABORATORS AND EXPERTS IN THE DC COMMUNITY.
Kate Dykgraaf
DIRECTOR OF SEARCH
Kate Dykgraaf joined the Good Insight team in 2022 as a Director of Search. As a member of Good Insight’s search practice, Kate leads national searches for nonprofit CEOs, association executives, and philanthropy professionals, employing an antiracist approach to talent acquisition. Kate is passionate about bending systems towards equity and justice by supporting individual, organizational, and community transformation.
Prior to joining Good Insight, Kate served as Director of Leadership Development at the Center for Community Investment. In that role, she led the Center’s leadership development programs, including the Fulcrum Fellowship and Field Catalyst programs, which are comprised of multiracial, cross-disciplinary cohorts of professionals from philanthropy, public health, government, finance, and community development, each with a strong commitment to racial equity.
During the Obama Administration, Kate served as Deputy Director of the White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2), which piloted innovative place-based technical assistance models in economically distressed cities. She also managed more than $30 million in federal grants for the administration’s Sustainable Communities Initiative and was a 2010 Presidential Management Fellow in the Office of Community Planning and Development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Kate has a Master’s of Urban Policy and Planning from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and English from The College of William and Mary. She completed the Leadership Coaching program at Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership in 2020 and is pursuing credentialing from the International Coach Federation.
Kate is a Texpat based in Arlington, VA with her husband, son, and labradoodle, always on the lookout for good tacos and brisket.
Edima Essien
Search Coordinator
Edima Essien serves as a Search Coordinator for Good Insight. She joined the team in January 2024 and supports search projects’ operations.
Edima brings significant experience in project management within the nonprofit arts sector. Advocacy, equity, and the arts have been at the center of her work to cultivate safe spaces for all, especially people of color. Prior to joining Good Insight, Edima was the Executive Office Coordinator for the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. She has held positions at Theatre Washington and Young Artists of America, a premiere youth arts organization within the DC region, where she currently serves as an Alumni Advisory Board Member and DEIA Committee Member. Edima earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre with a minor in Arts Leadership from University of Maryland, College Park.
Edima is a proud first-generation Nigerian-American who grew up outside Baltimore. She currently resides in Washington, DC and her hobbies include attending theater and concerts, traveling, hosting themed gatherings, and spending time with family and friends.
ISHA HUNTER
DIRECTOR OF SEARCH
Isha Hunter joined the Good Insight team in 2020 and consults on a range of projects. As a member of Good Insight’s search practice, Isha works with clients to set recruitment strategy, source qualified candidates from her significant network, and design robust candidate assessment processes to ensure the most qualified candidates advance in the process.
Prior to joining Good Insight, Isha served as the Managing Director and Interim CEO of National Urban Fellows (NUF), a leadership accelerator program for BIPOC professionals, now in partnership with Georgetown University. During her tenure, Isha developed new partnerships for talent placement with private foundations, cities across the country, and several Fortune 500 companies, placing 80+ BIPOC leaders in C-suite fellowship positions. She successfully led the organization’s 50th anniversary capital campaign, secured a partnership with NASDAQ, and helped guide the organizational restructure and succession planning. She is an accomplished consultant, providing capacity building, project management, leadership development, and public-private partnership support to nonprofits and government agencies across the country, including the City of Poughkeepsie, NY; North Township Trustee’s Office; Notre Dame University; Miami Urban League; Development without Limits; Pinellas County Urban League; New York City Office of Youth Development; City of Denver-Make Your Mark initiative; BAEO- Black Alliance for Educational Options; Northwest Indiana Security and Sharing Alliance, and served as an advisor to elect Frank J. Mrvan to Congress in 2020.
Isha attained Master’s degrees in Urban Education (Mercy College, New York) and Public Administration (Baruch College, New York) and a Bachelor’s
degree in Legal Studies and Criminal Justice from St. John’s University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Rotary International, and a proud alumna of National Urban Fellows.
Isha values working for purpose driven organizations and lives by the motto L.I.F.E- living intentionally fully everyday. Her life’s mission is to leverage her resources and relationships, on behalf of marginalized communities and BIPOC professionals. She is a US military spouse and enjoys traveling the world with her husband and dog “Bliss” who also has a European pet passport! As an extroverted introvert, she enjoys connecting with people and brokering relationships, while also gaining clarity and peace through solitude, meditation and reading.
ERIN LAU
SENIOR SEARCH ASSOCIATE
Erin Lau serves as a Senior Search Associate for Good Insight. She joined the team in 2021 and supports search projects’ operations and recruitment strategies.
Erin brings significant experience in organizational operations and project management. Her values are rooted in meaningful work, connection and compassion. Prior to joining Good Insight, Erin served as Community Manager for Envelop, a San Francisco-based start-up nonprofit that provides immersive musical and listening experiences. Her role included volunteer management, trainings, and onboarding. Previously, Erin managed operations for a chain of athletic clubs where she oversaw childcare facilities and events management, and developed new standard operating procedures and protocols for a rapidly growing company.
Erin graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Redlands, CA. While the West Coast will always be home, she relocated to Baltimore, Maryland in 2020, where she lives with her partner and daughter. Her hobbies include travel and exploration, soccer, mindfulness and meditation, and baking.
CLAIRE HUSCHLE
SENIOR CONSULTANT
Claire Huschle serves as a Senior Consultant for Good Insight, and as a member of the team since 2017. In this role she works on special projects, including leadership transitions, capacity building programs, and executive coaching.
Claire has over two decades of nonprofit leadership experience. She has served as Director of George Mason University’s Arts Management program, where she has been an adjunct professor since 2007. As a recipient of a prestigious fellowship at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Claire worked with senior leadership to study on regional trends in millennial audience engagement. She has held senior leadership roles at visual arts organizations throughout the DC region.
In addition to her work with Good Insight, Claire is the Director of Scaffold, a project management firm for visual artists and arts organizations. As a curator, her exhibitions have been reviewed in the Washington Post and ArtPapers. Most recently, she worked with artist Margaret Boozer and soil scientist Dr. Richard Shaw to produce a chapter in Field to Palette: Dialogues in Soil and Art in the Anthropocene (Taylor & Francis, 2019). She is a founding co-director of the Art Extension Service of the Urban Soils Institute (New York City). An active member of ArtTable, she served on the Washington, DC Chapter’s Board of Directors for many years. Other relevant board service includes One in Ten/Reel Affirmations, Washington DC’s LGBTQ+ film festival.
Claire received her M.A. in Art History from the University of Texas at Austin and her B.A. in Art History from the University of Michigan, with high honors. In addition to her love of the arts, she’s a committed sports fan, making her as happy at a museum as she is in a stadium. She and her wife live in Washington, DC.
CARLYN MADDEN
CEO AND FOUNDER
Carlyn Madden is the founder and CEO of Good Insight, an award-winning executive search firm with an exclusive focus on social impact.
As CEO, Carlyn leads the practice and advises boards and executives about their talent needs. With nearly 20 years of experience in nonprofit recruiting, governance consulting, and philanthropy, Carlyn has dedicated her career to connecting people with causes they care about. She believes in the transformative power of leadership transitions as a tool for racial justice.
Prior to launching her consulting practice, Carlyn spent a decade in philanthropy, starting at The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation where she managed a grant portfolio across education, community service, health, and the arts. She is a sought-after speaker on nonprofits’ generational and demographic shifts, advising organizations and initiatives, including the Obama administration, on the topic.
Carlyn is certified in board consulting by BoardSource, is a Center for Nonprofit Advancement Industry Expert, and a board member of Leadership Greater Washington, the Network of Nonprofit Search Consultants, and the Washington Area Community Investment Fund, a CDFI focused on entrepreneurs of color. In 2019, she founded the Next Gen Giving Circle to cultivate a new generation of philanthropists to support BIPOC-led grassroots organizations in the DC region. She has been recognized with “40 under 40” leadership awards from the Washington Business Journal and Emory University.
With a BA in Art History from Emory University and an MA in Museum Administration from The George Washington University, Carlyn puts her education to good use through frequent visits to museums and art institutions across the globe. She lives off the H Street NE corridor in Washington, DC, the fifth generation in her family to do so.
TEJ PIKLE
SEARCH ASSOCIATE
Tej Pikle serves as a Search Associate for Good Insight. He joined the team in 2023 and supports search projects’ operations and recruitment strategies.
Tej is an experienced recruitment professional who began his career at Shortlist, an executive search firm focused on international talent acquisition in Africa and India. His passion for advancing social equity drives him to create a better world to live in. Tej recently earned a Master’s degree in Industrial Psychology and Organizational Behavior, which informs his people-centered approach to human resources.
Tej was born and raised in India and now calls Northern Virginia home. He is a voracious consumer of pop culture, loves learning new languages, and is always on the hunt for a good documentary.
LYNNE SOMERMAN
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Lynne Somerman joined Good Insight in the fall of 2023. As Operations Manager, she is responsible for the firm’s financial, operational, and HR functions.
Lynne brings a wealth of experience in business consulting and coaching, with a focus on women’s entrepreneurship. Her expertise in optimizing operations and financial management empowers business owners to run their ventures with confidence and effectiveness. Prior to working with entrepreneurs, Lynne held several positions in the corporate sector.
Lynne earned an MBA with dual majors in Marketing and Business Ethics from Bentley University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Southern Maine. A lifelong learner, she is proud to hold an advanced certification as a Profit First Professional.
Lynne lives in Portland, Maine with her partner and their two daughters. Her hobbies include fiber arts, learning new skills including Spanish and standup comedy, and spending time with other people’s dogs.