Let's create
the life + culture you crave.

About us

the SET collaborative is a boutique coaching and consulting firm based in Durham, NC, serving mission-driven leaders, nonprofits, and social-impact organizations. Whether you're navigating a career transition, building a stronger team, or ready to lead with more clarity and confidence, we'll help you get there.

Our approach

  • We help leaders create the rituals, habits and practices that lead to outstanding performance + belonging.

    You want a culture where people can do their life’s best work? We’ll help you find your path there.

  • We specialize in distilling challenges into actionable, operable strategies aligned to your organizational values. And we have fun doing it and bet you will too.

    ‍You want clear execution on values and streamlined processes? We'll help your organization navigate ambiguity with clarity and purpose, driving efficiency, effectiveness and joy.

  • We guide you through the complexities of change and uncertainty.

    You want to lead from a place of ease, clarity, justice and joy? We’ll help you hear your inner wisdom and navigate the distance between your current and future self with confidence.

A woman with light brown hair sitting on a yellow chair, holding a cup of coffee, smiling, in a bright room with light-colored wooden floors and a large plant in a woven basket.

Hello, I’m Emilie.

I'm the founder of the SET collaborative. I believe everyone deserves a place where they can do their life’s best work and I've been helping mission-driven leaders create the kinds of cultures that cultivate that for 20+ years.

Building a thriving organization can be complex. But what if your people strategy could be fun and lead to a happier, more effective team? That’s our mission at SET. Let’s do that good work together.

Our services

  • Two people working on notes and sketches at a white table, with notebooks, pens, and geometric-shaped paper objects.

    Strategy

  • A woman standing and leaning over a table, engaging with a group of three seated people reviewing handwritten notes or a notebook in a meeting room.

    Coaching

  • A woman presents a diagram on a whiteboard to a group of five people seated in a semi-circle, in a modern office space with wooden floors and colorful walls.

    Facilitation

Learn More

“Emilie breathes life into rooms that might otherwise feel uncomfortable. She's approachable and adept at making everyone feel welcome and heard. But she's also not shy about helping companies tackle hard subjects head-on.

I worked with Emilie for four years and continued to be impressed by her ability to help us navigate challenging situations as a team, translate needs between employees and leaders, and make decisions as individuals.”

Devin Desjarlais, Founder

“Emilie Smith’s sterling work with our people and culture and processes has transformed our organization. She has guided us through seasons of scarcity and abundance, whether it be celebrating a multi-million-dollar gift or guiding us through a reduction in force, Emilie has led our people through each and every facet of our hard and dynamic work together with precision and care.”

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Eric Guckian, CEO

A smiling man outdoors with trees and blue sky in the background.

“Emilie wants to know who you are, why you do what you do, and what brings you joy.  She consistently wants to center your whole person in her work with you and finds key motivating pieces to help you move your own work forward.”

Jeff Howell, Chief Program Officer

Smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a blue blazer and a pearl necklace, standing in front of a colorful children's mural with animals and trees.

“Working with Emilie has brought clarity and focus to the type of leader that I want to be and she has empowered me with the skills to bring that vision into reality for our organization.”

Michelle Old, Executive Director      

A man in a suit standing against a plain wall, looking at the camera.

“Emilie has a bag full of tools, visuals and tricks that help to simplify complicated people work.  I've squirreled away some of those for myself and will probably use them for the rest of my career.”

Nick Allen, Executive Director

Current + Past Clients

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Make the change you crave.

Ready? Let's get SET.