Our Philosophy
Human-first consulting for systems that last.
At Great Work Solutions, we believe that strategy is not just a service—it’s a form of care. Our philosophy is rooted in the idea that great work is human work: intentional, equity-driven, and built in relationship with others. We center voices often pushed to the margins, not only because it’s just—but because those voices hold the wisdom that transforms systems.
Born from lived experience and professional mastery, our work blends research with intuition, policy with people, planning with purpose. We don’t chase perfection—we pursue alignment. We meet our clients where they are and walk with them toward where they’re ready to grow. Whether we’re guiding a leadership team through a strategic overhaul or helping a nonprofit translate its data into action, we approach every project with a sense of shared investment and responsibility.
Because the work we do reflects the world we want to build.
Where We’re Headed
A Consultancy Now. A Collective Tomorrow.
We envision a future where our success becomes a resource for others: where proceeds fund initiatives that support leadership development, community-led planning, and economic infrastructure for those too often excluded.
We are building a consortium—a growing network of collaborators, clients, and change agents who are committed to equity, access, and sustainability. One day, we’ll look back and see that our consulting wasn’t just about plans or deliverables—it was about investing in people, redistributing opportunity, and planting seeds for generational change.
We’re still in our early chapters. But make no mistake: the work is Great, the roots are deep, and the future is already unfolding.
Meet the Founder
We are building more than a business, we're reinvesting in the future."
~ Sherika Stewart-Rivera, MPA
I didn’t start this work in a boardroom. I started it in rooms where decisions were made about us, not with us. As a Jamaican-born, formerly incarcerated woman who has lived at the intersection of systems and survival, I built Great Work Solutions out of necessity—and possibility.
Great Work is more than a company name. It’s a declaration: that work done with care, clarity, and courage can change lives—and that those of us who’ve been counted out are often the ones most equipped to lead lasting change.
I’ve worked with institutions like the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG), Columbia University, and the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. I’ve collaborated with the New York City Department of Correction and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, designing and implementing education and reentry programming across Rikers Island and state correctional facilities throughout the Hudson Valley region. I’ve supported legal reform efforts through partnerships with the Family Court in Staten Island and the Appellate Division, and I’ve stood in classrooms, courtrooms, and correctional facilities with one goal in mind: to move people toward possibility.
My work spans data analysis, leadership development, systems design, and restorative practice. But more than that, it’s creative work. Reflective work. Work that requires imagination, storytelling, and the kind of insight you can’t pull from a spreadsheet alone.
If you're looking for a consultant who blends policy with purpose, structure with soul, and strategy with lived truth—then you’re in the right place.
10+
Institutions & agencies partnered with, including CUNY ISLG, Columbia University, and NYC Department of Correction
44%
Reduction in incidents at Rikers Island following implementation of programmatic and leadership interventions
3
Systems Navigated
Legal. Educational. Correctional.
Our work bridges the gaps between systems—and the people who move through them.
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