Staying connected is challenging in our rapidly changing world. 

Leaders need to lead. Drifting is dangerous. 

Who Is Jonathan J. Halperin?

Jonathan Halperin helps leaders navigate changing circumstances. His strategy and communications coaching enables organizations to successfully address complex changing landscapes, from sustainability and reputation management, to climate change and environmental protection, to systems design in sectors like food and agriculture.

At ease working with corporations, nonprofits, and foundations, Jonathan has been leading teams for more than three decades to help clients uncover opportunities and mitigate risk, whether in the context of operations, public policy and politics, or communications.

Examples of diverse client projects include guiding Children’s Television Workshop’s (Sesame Street’s) entrée into Russia, designing survey research projects for Nestlé, expanding stakeholder relationships with the Equitable Food Initiative, and choreographing and facilitating James Beard Foundation food conferences. 

He brings clients solutions, new ideas, and different perspectives.

His experience includes building the communications team at Resources for the Future, running research at SustainAbility, serving as Executive Producer of Hope in a Changing Climate, and participating as a board member or advisor to organizations such as Ceres, the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis, and the NYU Center for Sustainable Business.   

To talk with him, book an initial appointment. 

Get to Know Us

Recent Insights

Insight Blogs
From Moscow to MAGA: What I Learned About Authoritarian Playbooks

The Donald dabbles in retail—bibles and wine, leggings and socks, and, of course, hats….

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Despot Donald’s Dictionary

As every despot knows, it’s imperative to control not only the levers of government….

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Cards and Courage

As a candidate, Donald Trump often wondered aloud, “Where’s my Roy Cohn?”….

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Acceptance and Resistance in the Age of Propaganda

For purpose-driven leaders and organizations, acceptance can be a bitter….

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The Carpet Bombing of Democracy

It feels like the carpet bombing of democracy. Everywhere we look, pillars of….

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Standing Firm for Freedom of the Press (A letter to Ann Telnaes)

I admire...you for standing firm for freedom of the press, despite being perched....

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Connected Ecosystems: Climate and Agriculture

I have mixed feelings about #ClimateWeek, unfolding in NYC this week to coincide....

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Dion Drew: An Amazing Man

Dion Drew: “When I help another person, it do something for me....

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Newton Was More Right Than He Knew “…an object in motion remains in motion unless acted on….”

In Minneapolis for a convening to help build “an Intersectional Philanthropic Approach....

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On Flags and Fascism

I cannot continue to fly the Israeli flag. With apologies to The Grateful Dead....

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Connections in a Fractured World: Vivek Murthy, Crimea, and Gaza

In a world that seems increasingly fractured, what connects us – as people....

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Brittle Systems: Staying Connected in the Post-Pandemic Era

My experience this week at Heathrow is a small but telling example of....

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Putin and Trump: At War with History

I have never been to the Russian Air Base on the Eastern edge....

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The Black Swan of Trumpist Insurrection, Part I

This would be my 2nd coup d’état. My first was in Moscow, when I witnessed....

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Middlemen or Distributors?

Now we all have personal experience with the collapse of supply chains....

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This Ain’t That – Communications & Covid-19

Every crisis is of course unique and demands specialized communications….

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  • "Jonathan Halperin asks important questions, forces you to think strategically with an outcome orientation, and isn’t afraid to totally re-imagine the way of doing something to achieve desired objectives. Working with Jonathan to plan our annual conference of thought-leaders in food and other impact programs of the James Beard Foundation for several years has been an enlightening and rewarding experience. We feel smarter and more effective for having worked with him."

    Mitchell Davis
    The James Beard Foundation

  • "Halperin is a valuable asset to any ambitious leader looking to maximize the performance of their organization. His capacity to bring business strategy, communications, and social mission into alignment will be delivering returns to Greyston for years to come. Whether designing and facilitating complex stakeholder engagements or presenting new ways of thinking about sustainable supply chains, Halperin consistently brings integrity, professionalism and insight to the task. He combines the unique ability to address the largest strategic opportunities in an organization while simultaneously bringing people together to execute on near-term challenges."

    Mike Brady
    Greyston

  • "I have worked with Jonathan to full satisfaction on a number of small, strategic projects. He is a creative thinker with a deep understanding of the intricacies of sustainable agriculture and with a keen eye for business value."

    Jan Kees Vis
    Unilever

  • "We needed an outside perspective on working with leading corporations and turned to Jonathan to assess our approach, refine our strategy, facilitate internal roll-out and help us execute. He helped us to think big, see new opportunities, reshape our communications and engage internal stakeholders. His counsel and ongoing support has been constructively provocative. Jonathan’s strategic thinking is keen and his facilitation skills are superior; he drills quickly to the underlying issues with a deft combination of determination and diplomacy."

    Anne Lieberman
    World Animal Protection, US

  • "Jonathan reflects the best of social entrepreneurship. He leads with his heart but has connected with the great mass of political power and will in society."

    Joseph McIntyre
    Ag Innovations Network

  • "When I began to unhook from SustainAbility in 2008, after 20+ years, to co-found Volans, Jonathan was working with the US end of SustainAbility — and sent the London end of the Volans team a large cardboard box of multi-colored felt rocks, which initially I couldn't make head nor tail of. I thought he was mad, or overly American. But I have to say that, over time, those felt rocks have become a central feature of the Volans culture, thrown by team members at other team members (or guests) on the slightest provocation. That aside, he's a consummate professional, creative collaborator, skilled communicator, and keen intellect—and I am delighted both to have had Jonathan as a colleague and to now count him as a friend."

    John Elkington
    Volans, SustainAbility

  • "Jonathan makes connections that other people miss. Beyond an understanding of any single environmental issue or energy challenge, he knows how to use knowledge to drive change, how to bring the right players to the table, and how to reframe seemingly intractable problems to create space for new approaches. He’s a strategic thinker with a very clear sense of how things work."

    Ray Kopp
    Resources for the Future

  • "Jonathan Halperin has been a close colleague for more than two decades. Throughout this time, I've been impressed by his ability to navigate a range of challenging global business environments with great insight and savvy. Jonathan is the rarest of all businesspeople: a visionary thinker who knows how to put innovative ideas into practice to get results."

    Cynthia Scharf
    Global Climate and Sustainability Specialist

  • "Jonathan is adept at inspiring team members to work at their full potential and achieve great outcomes together. His insight, thoughtful guidance and ability to see the big picture while managing the details produces results any organization would be proud to showcase."

    Sarah P. Fuller
    Fuller Ink

  • "Combining insightful analytics with pragmatic approaches and personal passion, Jonathan is a great partner to help any organization (large or small, business or non-profit) capitalize on its opportunities and mitigate its threats."

    Perry Yeatman
    Kraft Foods, Kraft Foods Foundation