About Us

At YUMEUS Collective, we believe that the heart of nonprofit work is people — their vision, their lived experience, their passion, and their ability to build something meaningful together. Our consultancy was created to support leaders, teams, and mission-driven organizations as they navigate the complexities of building healthy, effective, purpose-aligned operations.

Who We Are

YUMEUS Collective is led by Benny Baird, a nonprofit leader, youth development advocate, and organizational strategist with more than two decades of experience supporting community-centered programs across Washington State. With a professional background spanning leadership development, program design, equity-driven capacity building, and organizational operations, Benny brings both lived and learned expertise to every partnership.

Benny’s philosophy is shaped by years of working alongside educators, youth workers, community leaders, and nonprofit staff from all walks of life. He’s seen firsthand that when people feel valued, connected, and supported, the work becomes not only more effective — but more joyful.

How We Work

We collaborate with organizations as true partners. We center:

Listening. Understanding your people and your culture is the first step in supporting it.
Co-creation. We build solutions with you, not for you.
Transparency. You’ll always know the why behind our recommendations.
Sustainability. We focus on practices that strengthen your organization long after our work ends.
Connection. Because everything — teams, systems, leadership, and mission — is part of a shared, interwoven whole.

Why YUMEUS Collective

Our name reflects our values: you, me, us.

The truth that we create the best futures collaboratively.
The belief that every person has expertise that matters.
The understanding that everything is connected.

At YUMEUS COllective, we’re here to support the work you’re already doing, strengthen the systems that hold it, and help your organization grow in ways that honor both your mission and your people.

What We Bring

We approach every engagement with a blend of curiosity, structure, and deep respect for the interconnected nature of nonprofit work. Our strengths include:

Leadership Development

Helping leaders grow their confidence, clarity, and communication skills; supporting decision-making, accountability systems, and the emotional labor of leadership.

Team & Culture Building

Facilitating team alignment, trust-building, conflict navigation, and shared values practices that strengthen collaboration and make teams feel like teams.

Operations & Systems Strategy

Supporting organizations in building internal processes that are humane, functional, and sustainable — from workflow mapping to role clarity to organizational structure.

Youth Development Expertise

Grounded in years of experience working with youth-serving agencies, afterschool programs, and statewide initiatives, we help organizations design programs that honor young people’s strengths and needs.

Equity-Driven Practice

Our approach is shaped by a lifelong commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and equity — not as a buzzword, but as a foundational principle of how people thrive when systems are designed with care.