About Us

LaVerne H. Council began her career as an “intrapreneur” over 35 years ago, developing a name as a transformational leader; focusing people over product, outcomes over activity. She is a global operations and information technology strategist and change agent, and her experience as a global executive provides her a unique perspective as an influencer, advisor, and coach. She is a founder and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Emerald One and a member of the board of directors for ConMed, Mathematica, March of Dimes, Concentrix, and GirlUp.

LaVerne’s work as a global executive leader with organizations like Grant Thornton, Johnson & Johnson; Dell, Inc.; and Ernst & Young, LLC give her a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges faced by both CxO executives and their employees. In her role as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, LaVerne not only created the technology strategy, investment, and implementation for the largest civilian agency in the federal government, she transformed the executive leadership team to the most culturally diverse in the federal government.

LaVerne focuses on the health of an organization, the cohesion of the team, and the strength of the individual, weaving the professional path with personal development. A volunteer since the age of 5, LaVerne advises leaders and teams on servant leadership, spotlighting the unique gifts each person brings to the team and using oneself to improve the lives of others.

Nicole Mayerhauser, MBA

Nicole Marie Mayerhauser, MBA, is the Chief Operating Officer for Emerald One LLC. Nicole has 20 years of experience managing, directing, and leading technical professionals in producing highly public-facing information products and services within time-sensitive, deadline-driven environments. She is a proven senior executive and strategic operations professional who has deep experience transforming management processes, operations, and organizational structures for maximum efficiency in the public and private sector.

Nicole has worked with senior officials from across federal, state, and international governments, academia, and commercial industry on a broad set of topics from developing and promoting economic research and data products to developing and executing Information Technology strategies and operational efficiencies. She has participated on expert panels, conducting radio and television interviews, and provided briefings to national and international audiences. She has built trusted relationships across all levels of organizations to drive transformational change.

Nicole previously served as Director and Chief of Staff for Grant Thornton LLC’s Enterprise Technology Strategy and Innovation advisory business; Director of Strategic Business Outcomes and Deputy Director for the Center for Transforming Health at the MITRE Corporation; Executive Director of the Enterprise Program Management Office at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and as a Senior Executive at the Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Department of Commerce where she oversaw the development, analysis, and distribution of U.S. Gross Domestic Product and other macroeconomic statistics for the U.S. government. Nicole is a data-driven creative problem solver, bridging vision, strategy, and execution for her clients through her quick adaptability in a myriad of environments.

Kai Fawn Miller

Kai brings over 20 years of leadership, communication, and outreach experience spanning public and private sector to Emerald One. She served as the Chief of Staff of the Office of Information and Technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and held varied positions in leadership and outreach at both VA and NASA in addition to founding three strategic communications and executive support organizations. Through those positions, Kai developed unique and focused approaches to transformational outreach campaigns, change management, culture strategy, branding, and pathfinding communications strategies that transform small wins into big victories.

After leaving federal service, Kai founded Graystone Farm, LLC, a leadership and strategic communications consulting firm specializing in coaching and advising organizations and small businesses in change management, culture strategy, marketing and identity, and business operations. She is certified by IDEO in Human-Centered Design, Storytelling for Influence, and Unlocking Creativity in Teams.

She also founded and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bright Ideas by Graystone Farm, a non-profit organization dedicated to innovative, integrative education in areas like writing, storytelling, coding, and STEM. She is a Girls on the Run coach, a USA Soccer certified coach, and a youth group lead teacher. Today, Kai lives on a 270-year-old farm in southeastern Pennsylvania, the inspiration behind her non-profit and home to a herd of rescue animals. Her passion is helping others achieve their goals and realize their own visions of success – by finding and channeling the inspiration, simplicity, and fun in daily life, Kai believes we can all find more and more points of connection.