Embedded Files
Meet Karen Stegman and Gretchen Van Vliet, senior advisors with decades of experience helping organizations navigate complexity, secure funding, and turn strategy into measurable results.
Meet Our Principals
Meet Our Principals
Karen Stegman, MAT
Karen Stegman, MAT
Karen is a mission-driven growth and partnership leader with over 20 years of experience advancing innovation, business development, and resource mobilization across nonprofits and global organizations. She specializes in market positioning, cross-sector partnerships, and funding pipelines that help organizations scale their impact through sustainable revenue streams.
Prior to co-founding Stegman | Van Vliet, Karen served as the Acting Chief Growth Officer for a $100M global health nonprofit, overseeing business development, communications, and knowledge management across 33 countries. At JSI, she built a Business Development Department from the ground up, architecting the systems and strategy required to manage a $2 billion proposal pipeline. She has a proven track record of forging high-level partnerships with a range of funders, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, and federal agencies including USAID, the Department of Energy, and CDC.
Karen brings a unique "Global-to-Local" perspective to her work, having served for eight years as a Council Member for the Town of Chapel Hill. She is an expert at aligning global resources with community needs, centering equity, and leading high-performing teams through complex transitions. Karen holds an MAT from Boston University and a BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Gretchen Van Vliet, MPH
Gretchen Van Vliet, MPH
glvanvliet@stegmanvanvliet.com
Gretchen is a results-oriented strategist with over 20 years of experience leading strategic planning, business development, and complex project execution for domestic and global nonprofits, public agencies, and research institutions. She specializes in aligning funding strategies and partnerships with governance, systems, and operations to strengthen organizations and deliver measurable results.
Prior to co-founding Stegman | Van Vliet, Gretchen held senior leadership roles at FHI 360 and RTI International, where she operated at the intersection of business development, corporate strategy, and NIH-funded research networks. Notably, she led the enterprise-wide business development systems integration for the merger of two large global nonprofits, while simultaneously managing a team of 25 specialists responsible for submitting $1B in proposals annually. She is seasoned at navigating complex stakeholder environments, known for building consensus and functional systems across global organizations.
Gretchen focuses on turning priorities into progress through practical execution rather than theory. She holds an MPH from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, where she also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, guest lecturing and advising graduate students.
Our Extended Network
Our Extended Network
Stegman | Van Vliet has core areas of expertise along with access to a network of specialized experts allowing us to tailor our approach to the needs of every client. Frequently requested domains are listed below. If you have a need that is not listed below, please contact us to explore potential resources.
Grant Development & Funding
Federal grants (EDA, USDA, DOL, HHS, NSF, DOS, DOE, EPA), foundation funding, corporate partnerships, and competitive proposal development
Public Health & Global Health
Program implementation, health systems strengthening, health workforce, supply chains, women and children's health, nutrition, global health security, international development, and research
Economic & Workforce Development
Regional economic strategy, workforce pipelines, small business development, and public-private partnerships
Affordable Housing & Community Development
Policy development and implementation, housing for special populations, financing, public-private partnerships, and community participatory engagement
Technical Analysis & Evaluation
Data analytics, monitoring & evaluation, impact assessment, and program performance measurement
Education & Research
Program evaluation, curriculum design, educational policy, and research administration
Organizational Development
Strategic planning, change management, board governance, and operational improvement
All Associate Consultants operate under Stegman | Van Vliet quality standards and oversight, ensuring excellence across every engagement.
________
Our fees are scaled to organizational budgets and project scope. We work with organizations of all sizes and create engagement structures that fit your resources and needs.
Stegman | Van Vliet Strategy Partners
Your partners in strategy, growth, and impact.
Stegman | Van Vliet Strategy Partners
Your partners in strategy, growth, and impact.
Page updated
Report abuse