Who is Due East Partners?

In 2022, we worked with The Hatcher Group to produce this 2-minute video, featuring Due East’s leadership, Bess Langbein and Lauren Maddox. It explains how Due East started out, got its name, and created its own strategic direction.

Founded in 2014, Due East Partners was built on the belief that organizations and communities can achieve more when they work together with clarity, courage, and purpose. The name “Due East” reflects our role as a compass — helping leaders find their true direction and chart a course for meaningful, measurable impact.

From the beginning, our co-founders wanted to create a consulting firm that combined big-firm capacity with small-firm attention. That balance allows us to deliver the strategic expertise organizations need while still offering the personal guidance and flexibility that make partnerships effective.

Today, Due East Partners works across the nonprofit, corporate, public, and philanthropic sectors to tackle urgent social and environmental challenges. We’re known for inclusive processes that bring diverse voices to the table, collaborative planning that builds consensus, and equity-driven strategies that lead to lasting change.

Watch the video above to hear Bess and Lauren share how Due East began — and why our values continue to guide everything we do.