Growing with Purpose: Reflections on Community, Change, and Growth
- Shae Noble
- Jun 7
- 5 min read
As we prepare to close the first half of 2026, I've been reflecting on how much growth and change can happen in a relatively short period of time. We've expanded our services, welcomed new team members, strengthened partnerships, returned to the classroom, launched new projects, and continued conversations about what it means to create workplaces that balance accountability, performance, and humanity. We've had the privilege of supporting more than 15 organizations across healthcare, nonprofit, education, social enterprise, and mission-driven sectors.
One of the things I appreciate most about this work is that no two days look the same. One day we may be helping a leader navigate a difficult employee relations issue. The next, we're teaching future HR professionals about Total Rewards, facilitating a workshop, supporting a workplace investigation, or helping a small business build its people practices from the ground up.
Along the way, we've been fortunate to work with incredible clients, collaborators, referral partners, students, and community members who continue to challenge and inspire us.
As we head into summer, I wanted to share a few updates from our team, celebrate recent milestones, and reflect on what we're seeing in workplaces as we head into the second half of 2026. Growth doesn't happen because of a logo, a website, or a business plan. It happens because of people willing to contribute their time, expertise, and energy toward a shared mission.
Team Updates
One of the greatest joys of building a business is getting to work alongside talented people who care deeply about building workplaces that don't break people.
I'm excited to officially welcome Skye Thacker, SHRM-SCP to Trauma-Informed HR. SSkye brings more than 20 years of HR experience spanning employee relations, benefits, talent acquisition, HRIS conversions, and HR administration across healthcare, government, higher education, and manufacturing. She combines deep employment law knowledge with a commitment to building people-centered organizations that are compliant, equitable, and strategically aligned.
As an HR Business Partner, Skye supports client work, research, and people-centered solutions behind the scenes. Her curiosity, thoughtfulness, and subject matter expertise have already made a positive impact, and I'm grateful for her partnership as we continue to grow.
I'd also like to recognize Devon Carter-Loya, whose role has expanded alongside the growth of the business.
What began as administrative support has evolved into a broader operations and project coordination role that keeps clients supported, projects organized, and ideas moving forward. Devon has become an essential part of our day-to-day operations, and I'm incredibly grateful for her partnership and dedication.
With a background spanning military operations and the Oregon cannabis industry, Devon brings a rare combination of discipline, adaptability, and entrepreneurial problem-solving. She helps create the operational foundation that allows our team and clients to focus on the work that matters most.
This season also brings a few farewells.
As Reverend John Telyea, MDiv, BCC departs Trauma-Informed HR, I want to thank him for the many contributions he made during an important chapter of our journey. From client support and consulting work to website improvements, social media management, content development, and countless behind-the-scenes projects, John helped build pieces of the foundation that support our work today.
Over his time with Trauma-Informed HR, John grew from an HR People Operations Client Support Coordinator into an HR Consultant, expanding both his skills and contributions along the way. I am grateful for his time, energy, adaptability, and commitment to our mission, and I wish him all the best in his next chapter.
I'd also like to thank Mica Hua, our marketing intern, for her contributions. We believe strongly in creating opportunities for emerging professionals to gain meaningful experience, and it has been a pleasure to support Mica's learning and development. We appreciate the enthusiasm, fresh perspective, and support she brought to the team, and we wish her continued success in whatever comes next.
Every chapter of a business is built by the people who contribute their time, talents, and energy. I'm grateful to everyone who has helped shape Trauma-Informed HR's journey so far.
Recent Highlights
It's been a busy and rewarding season. A few highlights from the past several months:
Welcomed new clients across healthcare, nonprofit, education, and mission-driven sectors.
Reached our first Honeycomb funding milestone within 48 hours of launching our campaign (see below for how you can help us reach our next milestone).
Continued teaching Total Rewards through Portland State University's Center for Executive and Professional Education (CEPE).
Expanded our team and strengthened our capacity to support growing organizations.
Supported leaders navigating workplace investigations, employee relations challenges, leave management, compliance, and organizational change through a trauma-informed lens.
Prepared for upcoming speaking engagements focused on trauma-informed workplaces, leadership, and the future of work.
Continued building resources that help organizations balance accountability, performance, and humanity.
While the work is constantly evolving, our mission remains unchanged: helping organizations create workplaces where people and communities thrive.
What We've Been Seeing
One theme has appeared repeatedly across our client work this year: most workplace problems aren't caused by bad people. They're caused by unclear expectations, inconsistent communication, competing priorities, and systems that were never designed to support the humans operating within them. Whether we're supporting a workplace investigation, helping a manager navigate performance concerns, responding to leave and accommodation questions, or building HR infrastructure from the ground up, the work often starts in the same place: helping people slow down, gather information, and move forward intentionally. Trauma-informed doesn't mean lowering standards. It means creating systems that make success more likely.
Growing Through Community: Our Honeycomb Campaign
I believe the future of business is community. For years, I've spent my career helping organizations build cultures rooted in trust, accountability, belonging, and mutual support. When it came time to invest in the growth of Trauma-Informed HR, I wanted to use a model that reflected those same values: The Honeycomb campaign gives people an opportunity to participate in the growth of a business they believe in. Honeycomb is a community-funded microloan that allows us to scale sustainably without sacrificing the personalized service and thoughtful support our clients have come to expect.
What has been most meaningful isn't the funding itself, it's the conversations. I've had former colleagues reach out, clients share ideas, friends introduce me to potential partners, and community members ask thoughtful questions about where the business is headed.
If you've followed our journey, I'd love your help with one of three things:
1. Ask a question.Curious about our growth, services, future plans, or the Honeycomb campaign? Ask away on the discussion tab of the campaign. Some of the best ideas we've implemented started as conversations.
2. Share the campaign.Even if investing isn't right for you, sharing the campaign with a colleague, friend, or business owner helps us reach people who care about building healthier workplaces.
3. Consider becoming an investor.Honeycomb allows community members to support small businesses while participating in their growth. If you believe in trauma-informed, human-centered workplaces, I'd invite you to learn more.
No matter how you choose to engage, thank you for being part of our community. You can help us out by clicking here.
Much of our growth has come through referrals, and we're incredibly grateful for the trust that represents. If you know a business owner, nonprofit leader, executive director, people manager, or HR professional who could benefit from a thought partner, we'd love an introduction.
Looking Ahead
As we move into the second half of 2026, we're excited about what's ahead. We'll continue supporting clients, teaching future HR professionals, speaking about trauma-informed workplaces, strengthening partnerships, and helping organizations create cultures where both people and performance can thrive.
To our clients, collaborators, referral partners, students, supporters, and community members: thank you.
Your trust, encouragement, and willingness to engage in these conversations make this work possible.
Here's to a strong second half of 2026.
With gratitude,
Shae Noble, SHRM-SCP
Founder & Principal Consultant
Trauma-Informed HR
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