As a long time social entrepreneur, now leading an international NGO and engaged in a Masters in Divinity program at Naropa University, Tyler's passion is in improving the health of people and their communities. Beyond his work with the Abraham Path Initiative at Harvard University’s Global Negotiation Project, his consulting work is focused in three areas:

• Advising social entrepreneurs and mission-lead institutions.
• Designing and sustaining community collaborations that revitalize participatory democracy, and effectively addresses complex population health and place-making issues.
• Advancing public and private sector policies for healthy food systems and active community environments.

Currently he consults for a half-dozen organizations including: Kaiser Permanente, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Active Living by Design of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the YMCA of the USA, the Health Research and Education Trust of the American Hospital Association, and the Estes Park Institute.

Tyler has served as President and CEO of Community Initiatives Inc., founding co-Chair of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's National Leadership Alliance, NAC Chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living by Design initiative, “head coach” for the YMCA of the USA's Activate America initiative, a strategic advisor to Kaiser Permanente's Community Benefit team, the founding director of the “Convergence Project” (a consortium of philanthropies focused on healthy eating, active living and sustainable agriculture), and as a consultant to scores of community health partnerships across the nation.

In 2001, Community Initiatives LLC incubated a healthcare technology start-up called Workforce Engage^TM dedicated to driving clinical quality, patient safety and enhanced employee experience. We grew and then sold this venture to a national healthcare informatics firm in 2004.

Before the fall of the Soviet Union, Tyler founded the Kuhiston Foundation, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan (Central Asia). Kuhiston was formed to help start Tajikistan's nation's national park system, retain its scientific and educational leadership, and grow its micro-credit finance institutions. Later it helped draft portions of the new Tajik constitution relating to international NGO's and became a leading force for healthy ecosystems in Central Asia. In the 1990's I served at the National Civic League, and as Director of the U.S. Coalition for Healthier Cities and Communities -- a network of over 1,500 community partnerships and organizations.

Tyler and colleagues co-authored Healthy People and Healthy Places a 2006 report to leading philanthropies related to healthy public policy; Pioneering Healthier Communities, (YMCA of the USA 2006); Communities that Learn (Community Initiatives, 2004), Trendbenders (American Hospital Association, 2002), Facilitating Community Change (Grove International, 2000) and the Community Indicators Handbook (Redefining Progress, 1997).

Tyler is an avid whitewater kayaker, mountain biker, backcountry skier, pilot with over 2,300 hours, and practitioner of Kriya Yoga. With artist and activist Juliana Forbes, he is blessed with 2 amazing children, Eliza and Emmet.

» Tyler Norris's Resume