We can help you map, measure, and strengthen your network's impact.

Our team of experts help organizations map and visualize their community partnerships, measure their collaborative impact, and build strategies to scale their impact in the future. Learn more about our team and expertise below, or contact us to get started!

Contact our Team

Why Work With our Experts?

Our team of experts has a broad skillset and diverse backgrounds to create uniquely valuable insights related to network science, community collaboration, systems change, and social connectedness. With a focus on relationships and community expertise, we work with our partners – not for them – to build your capacity while generating new ideas and innovation. Get to know our team of network scientists and data analysts below.

Richard Funkhouser, M.A.

Research and Evaluation Manager

Kaley Bachinski

Kaley Bachinski, Msc

Senior
Project Manager

Andy Zheng

Andy Zhang,
M.P.A.

Senior Data
Analyst

Jalece

Jalece Wherry, M.H.A.

Customer Success
Manager

Alena Lidey (she/her)

Customer Success
Manager

Kellan Warwick-Diaz

Network Data
Analyst

Dr. Danielle
Varda

CEO, Founder, & Network Scientist

Amanda Beacom

Dr. Amanda Beacom

VP of Research and Data Science

Sara Sprong

Sara Sprong,
M.P.A.

VP of Customer
Experience

Rose Hardy

Dr. Rose Y.
Hardy

Network Data
Scientist

Lea Xenakis

Lea Xenakis,
M.P.A

Director of Research and Evaluation

Laura M. Johnson, M.A.

Network Data
Scientist

Areas of Expertise

Our team brings together a mix of skills, knowledge, and experience to provide a unique set of services. We provide expert advice and recommendations while taking time to understand your unique history and context. We believe our clients and partners are the primary experts in their field, and work to provide them data and evidence to make better decisions – rather than making those decisions for them.

Measure your network's impact

Network Evaluation

Our experts can help you evaluate and demonstrate your impact using process and outcome network measures.

Learn how to tell a compelling story with your network data

Network Visualization

Our network analysts create compelling maps and visualizations to tell your story to stakeholders and drive action.

Customize your network science tools

Tech Development

Our in-house developers can create custom features and tools to help solve difficult-to-answer problems.

Discover insights to inform your strategy

Strategy Design

We can help translate your data into actionable insights to inform your strategy and collaborate more effectively.

Enhance your network's capacity

Training & Coaching

Learn to build, manage, and evaluate networks through training, coaching and support from our experts.

Get comprehensive project support from start-to-finish

Comprehensive Project Design

Our team can help you get started, identify learning goals, design your project, and implement it from start-to-finish.

Available Service Packages

Our services range from hourly technical assistance and onboarding support to full evaluations and complex research projects. If you are not sure what kind of service is best for you, please contact our team and we can walk through your options and answer any questions you have.

Standard Package

Standard Package

This package includes a one-year PARTNER CPRM license and support from our experts to design and implement a project.
See Pricing

Standard+ Package

Standard Plus Package

This package includes the option to customize your work in numerous ways to answer more unique questions.
See Pricing

Enterprise Package

Enterprise Package

Our enterprise projects include complete customization, tech development, and advanced analytics.
See Pricing

What Our Clients Say...

“Community-based organizations (CBOs) work together every day to meet the needs of those we serve. Philanthropy, both public and private, expect and support collaborative efforts. The team at VNL does an extraordinary job visually demonstrating the collective impact of CBOs and philanthropy working together to achieve quality of life improvements in communities. VNL’s core principles of trust and value humanize and demystify why some cross-sector relationships are strong while others may need some attention. The analysis provides a road map, not only to strengthen community partnership but to maximize their effectiveness.”
Dr. Kameron Hodgens
Dr. Kameron HodgensCEO & Executive Director, The Glasser/Schoembaum Human Services Center
"VNL and their PARTNER network data have been critical components to support County Health Rankings & Roadmaps in analyzing existing networks around the country. VNL provided important training on network science concepts, network mapping and analysis, and SDoH resource allocation within networks. We were able to align health rankings data with VNL’s analysis of inter-organizational relationships and partnerships to identify gaps for targeted outreach."
Justin Rivas
Justin RivasNetwork Strategist, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
"We have worked with VNL over the past eight years, working with their team and utilizing PARTNER to assess the collaborative function of community-based quality improvement learning teams. Their evaluators allowed us to assess how we work together for health improvement planning and identify how we can target our efforts to optimize capacity development. It is a pleasure to work with Dr. Varda and her team."
Lea Ayers LaFave, PhD, RN
Lea Ayers LaFave, PhD, RNHealth Policy Consultant, JSI Research & Training Institute
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Learn About our Ongoing Projects

March 2021 – December 2021 // Nationwide Project // PARTNER CPRM Learn About the Project > We are helping Brightbeam map and track its network of community activists to identify and leverage opportunities for new partnerships. Brightbeam is the umbrella organization for three national platforms

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February 28, 2022 No Comments

January 2022 – Ongoing // Colorado Project // PARTNERme Learn About the Project > We are helping Forward Flag implement a social connectedness screening and referral program for the veterans they serve. Forward Flag is a 501c3 charity, founded in 2013, focused on helping prevent

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February 3, 2022 No Comments

October 2021 – Ongoing // Colorado Project // PARTNER CPRM Learn About the Project > We are supporting Denver Public Schools as they map and track their network of community partners to create a network strategy. Denver Public Schools is Colorado’s largest school district, serving

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February 2, 2022 No Comments

How We Work With Clients

While our team can customize our plans to fit your needs, most projects follow a standard timeline that walks through the steps of our PARTNER Method for building data-driven network strategies. Here is what a typical project looks like.

Shift Your Mindset & Build a Foundation

We start with a webinar called “Thinking Like a Network Scientist” to reframe the way you think about building and evaluating networks.

Design a Survey & Identify Partners

Our experts will work with you to identify the questions you want to ask, and help determine who you want to survey in and around your network.

Launch the Survey & Analyze Results

After pilot tests we will launch your survey and begin mapping and analyzing your results as they come in, focusing on key actionable insights.

Create & Share Your Network Reports

We will assemble your data, along with key network maps and visualizations, in a series of Highlight and Full Reports for you to share with your network.

Build Your Network Capacity for the Future

As we near the end of our engagement our team will help empower you to use this tracking system in the future with training, coaches, and other resources to build your network science capacity.

Learn About our Method
Let's Connect!

If you are curious about working with our team please send us a message. We look forward to connecting!