Potrero Group

Executive Search & Leadership Consulting in San Francisco

Potrero Group is a leadership consulting firm that helps changemakers thrive. We provide strategic planning, executive search, board search and development, and facilitation for leaders across the business, government, and nonprofit sectors who are shaping a better future.

Our clients are committed to long-term change that serves future generations. Potrero Group invigorates organizations with new perspectives, strategies, and top-tier executive and board talent, ensuring our clients stay effective, relevant, and resilient over time.

Potrero Group is the exclusive member firm of IIC Partners in San Francisco, connecting our mission-driven clients with a global network of over 450 consultants in 40 major cities worldwide.

Our Services

• Executive Search: We recruit exceptional leaders for mission-driven organizations, identifying talent that brings the right blend of executive experience, passion for the mission, social intelligence, and strategic insight.
• Strategic Planning & Facilitation: We help organizations envision what is possible at their "growth edge" and navigate the steps to get there. Our team facilitates high-stakes planning processes that invigorate institutions with new strategies to stay effective and sustainably innovate.
• Board Search & Development: We provide boards with the tools and talent they need to elevate diverse voices and maximize strategic insight. Our work includes recruiting board members who bring the right blend of passion and governance expertise to drive long-term impact.
• Organizational Transformation: We support social entrepreneurs, founders, and public agency leaders through every phase of growth, helping them solve complex problems and effect systems change.

Industry Expertise

Potrero Group operates at the intersection of the public, private, and social sectors with deep expertise in:

• Environment & Conservation: We have activated philanthropic and business partnerships for the National Park Service and leading land trusts, generating billions of dollars in economic benefits and support for climate resilience.
• Government & Public Agencies: We partner with federal and state agencies, including the California State Parks system, to lead feasibility studies, business planning, and senior leadership recruitment.
• Nonprofit & Social Impact: We work with foundations, social enterprises, and nonprofits to recruit Executive Directors and CEOs who can secure financial sustainability while expanding mission impact.
• Philanthropy: We help philanthropic organizations envision new possibilities, recruiting leaders who can mobilize resources for causes ranging from equitable access to climate adaptation.

Our Approach

We are rigorous social scientists who understand the complexities of organizations and partner with senior leadership teams to drive positive change. Our process is tailored to gain a nuanced understanding of our clients, pulling together disparate pieces of information—from surveys to literature reviews—into a coherent strategy.

• Navigate Challenges: We believe change is uncomfortable but navigable. We help leaders see choices clearly, enabling them to work through challenges rather than trying to eliminate them.
• Deep Listening: We engage authentically with constituents from the very beginning. Our team brings exceptional listening skills to every engagement, building the trust and knowledge needed to lead assignments in the public interest.
• Focused Partnership: We take on a limited number of clients to provide complete focus. Our focused, long-term partnerships allow us to identify the specific skills and next steps that will support an organization’s current and future phases of growth.

Market Insights: The Non-Profit Sector

The leadership landscape in 2026 is defined by a shift toward inclusive governance and "co-designed" strategy.

1. Engaging External Partners in Strategy: Strategic planning drives an organization to engage its staff and board in a shared vision, but many plans fail because external stakeholders have not been engaged in the process. Motivated partners and supporters are needed to achieve almost any ambitious vision. When everyone feels a sense of ownership, strategy moves off the shelf and into action.
2. Open Board Search: A "Culture Add" Approach: Board recruitment in the nonprofit sector is often driven by personal referrals, creating a closed culture that restricts innovation. A growing number of organizations are breaking that cycle through open board search: a public, competitive recruitment process. Adopters of this method report broader talent pools, more engaged board members, and improved governance practices.
3. The Evolution of Social Capital and Financing: The funding landscape for social ventures is shifting from traditional philanthropy to a diverse "social capital" market, where asset owners representing over $8 trillion now recognize that environmental and social factors drive value creation. This evolution is characterized by the rapid growth of impact investing, which could reach $500 billion within the next decade. The market is adopting innovative legal structures, such as Benefit Corporations (B-Corps) and L3Cs, enabling leaders to prioritize social missions while retaining the ability to distribute profits to investors.