B5 exists to support people who have come to a new country. It’s our privilege to provide support they need to thrive in the US. Recently, B5 has experienced lots of growth and change. Our organization’s leaders have found themselves in new territory. With expanding programs, new opportunities, and soon a new building, we needed some help to best set the direction for our future. We are thankful that Pam Henderson offered her expertise, and that of her organization, NewEdge.

NewEdge is a local company that helps Fortune 500 companies nationwide create alignment around big opportunities and equips them to Think Opportunity for sustainable growth. B5 is NOT a Fortune 500 company, but NewEdge is helping us think like one.

The NewEdge team interviewed B5 staff, clients, board members, and volunteers, researched the community we serve and the resources available, and led a B5 core team through a dynamic workshop to create a framework for B5 “DNA-to-Ambitions” (how to move from what we are to what we want to be).
 
“In my 30+year career, I have been through many vision and strategy development processes, but the engagement with NewEdge was hands-down the most productive process with the best results that I have been through,” said John McCoy, Vice President of the B5 board.

Foundational to the work was updating B5’s mission and vision statements to better express the heart of the organization:

Today we… Support new arrivals through education, relationships, and community so they can thrive in their new home.
In the future, we will… Create a community of open hearts, helping hands and supportive systems where strangers become friends and we all thrive.

And formalizing B5’s organizational values:

Loving and Welcoming
Trust Building and Safe
A Connected Community of Belonging
Educating and Equipping
Walking Alongside

Theresa Roosendaal, Executive Director of B5 added, “When we came together for the workshop, I was amazed that in a short time we were able to articulate the values I’d always been attempting to live out through B5. NewEdge helped us discover our DNA. An unexpected but fitting end to our day was re-naming the organization to B5, something I’d wanted to do for a long time, but never had the courage to do. Pam Henderson and her team helped us see that B5 was the appropriate name for our organization because it’s the name given us by the community we serve.”

We’re so grateful to Pam Henderson and NewEdge for the gift of their expertise. B5 continues to implement the DNA to Ambitions plan that NewEdge created with us. This work guides our systems, processes, and governance so that we can be a stronger, more sustainable organization. A healthy B5 organization will impact the Tri-Cities community and better serve the people we welcome.