Systems Architect & Strategy Director
Photo by Seth Caplan
I am a systems architect, researcher, and strategy director with over a decade of experience mapping complex organizational structures, civic policy ecosystems, and cultural landscapes. Guided by the resilience of natural ecosystems, I apply ethnographic research and systems visioning to help institutions, brands, and movements, specifically those centered on environmental policy, public lands, health infrastructure, and community care, build sustainable frameworks for the future.
My practice bridges institutional strategy, public programming, and participatory research. I leverage inquiry to turn complex challenges into clear opportunities, translating abstract visions into actionable operational playbooks, multi-channel communication architectures, and long-term organizational design.
I bring a strategist’s architectural precision to creative integration, and an artist’s systems-thinking to organizational design. Explore my parallel site-responsive art practice here.
Core Competencies
Qualitative & Ethnographic Research: Designing and conducting deep-dive qualitative research that uncovers core audience behaviors, community dynamics, and ecological contexts to ground high-stakes strategic decisions.
Brand & Programmatic Architecture: Crafting systemic frameworks that define complex audiences, articulate core mission values, and guide site-responsive positioning across digital and physical public spaces.
Systems Advocacy & Communications: Partnering with diverse stakeholders to translate dense technical, scientific, and cultural concepts into compelling campaigns and public frameworks that drive measurable engagement.
Select Clients and Collaborators
I have partnered with global icons and grassroots pioneers to build foundational strategies that make a difference:
Enterprise & Tech
Institutional & Civic
Wellness & Ecology & Mission-Driven
…and many more
Selected Editorial & Thought Leadership
“THE AMBER HOLLIBAUGH SEMINARS IN THE CITY: Interview with Gili Rappaport”
CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies (CUNY) Annual Report, September 2025
Strategic Focus: Curriculum Architecture, Program Design, & Institutional Validation.
“Ralph’s Beach Parties: In Which The Past Is Also Present”
Elephant Magazine, December 30, 2024
Strategic Focus: Earned Media Strategy, Creative Direction, & Public Archive Activation.
“They Call Me ‘The Mayor’ At Riis Beach”
Strategic Focus: Ethnographic Field Research, Archival Stewardship, & Editorial Lifecycle Management.
ArtsWatch, July 16, 2026
Strategic Focus: Embodiment Advocacy, Narrative Strategy, & Community-Rooted Journalism.
“Harriet Tubman was Tenderheaded: Lisa Jarrett at PAM”
Strategic Focus: Public Pedagogy, Community Engagement, & Educational Leadership.
“The Architecture of Queerness”
Office Magazine, August 9, 2022
Strategic Focus: Stakeholder Interviewing, Creative Direction, & Cultural Positioning Strategy.
Strategic Focus: Institutional Leadership Insights, Partnership Building, & Non-Profit Strategy.
Let’s Build Resilient Systems Together.
I am always excited to connect with new collaborators who share a commitment to thoughtful, culturally engaged, and structurally sound work.
Ready to start a Sprint or Mentorship? Book an initial strategy consultation here.
For larger agency, corporate consulting, or research inquiries: Connect with Gili.
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