Do Better
Our
Story
Do Better Training & Consulting grew out of more than two decades of experience working with people, programs, and organizations.
Throughout that work, certain challenges kept showing up. Talented employees were promoted into leadership positions without enough preparation. Managers struggled to balance developing their teams with keeping operations moving. Organizations invested in plans and initiatives without always having the systems needed to carry them through.
Those experiences shaped Do Better.
Founded by an experienced nonprofit executive, Do Better brings practical leadership experience, professional development, coaching, and organizational consulting to the people responsible for making the work happen.
Its roots remain in youth development, education, and community-based organizations. Its work also extends to the management and leadership challenges shared by businesses and organizations across sectors.
Founder & CEO
Bashan Fernandez
Bashan Fernandez is the founder and CEO of Do Better Training & Consulting. He brings more than 25 years of experience spanning youth development, education, organizational management, staff development, and executive leadership.
His career began in direct service and progressed through program and multi-site management into senior and executive leadership. Most recently, he served as Chief Program Officer and Interim Executive Director at Roads to Success, where he led an $8 million portfolio of more than 40 programs, supervised 210 staff, and oversaw services reaching approximately 8,000 young people annually.
Throughout his leadership career, Bashan has been responsible for developing managers, supervising teams, coordinating operations, improving organizational practices, maintaining program quality, and leading complex initiatives. His work has included leadership development, employee training, performance management, organizational planning, compliance, and the development of systems supporting consistent operations across multiple locations.
He has designed and facilitated professional development for frontline employees, supervisors, managers, directors, and executive leaders. His experience also includes developing onboarding systems, leadership institutes, curricula, facilitator guides, operational tools, and professional development resources.
Bashan founded Do Better to apply that experience through training, coaching, and consulting. His approach reflects an understanding of both sides of leadership: the responsibility for delivering results and the responsibility for developing the people expected to deliver them.
Qualifications
Education & Credentials
Academic Education
Bachelor of Science
SUNY Empire State University · Summa cum laude
Business, Management & Economics and Educational Studies
Master of Science in Management and Leadership
Western Governors University
Professional Credentials & Specialized Learning
New York State Training and Technical Assistance Professional Credential
Program Organization, Leadership & Communication
Organizational Leadership
Defining Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Organizations
Rice University
Organizational Leadership
Artificial Intelligence For Business
University of Pennsylvania
AI Fundamentals for Non-Data Scientists · AI Applications in People Management · AI Applications in Marketing and Finance · AI Strategy and Governance
Artificial Intelligence Fluency & Applications
Anthropic in partnership with Teach For America, American Federation of Teachers & GivingTuesday
Teaching the AI Fluency Framework · AI Fluency for pK-12 Train the Trainer · AI Fluency for pK-12 Educators · AI Fluency for Nonprofits
The Thinking Behind Do Better
Know Better. Lead Better. Do Better.
The Do Better Method
See how Training, Coaching, and Consulting work together as one integrated approach.
Do Better grew from a belief Bashan developed throughout his career: when people know better, they are better equipped to do better. But knowledge alone is not enough. Training builds the knowledge and skills people need. Coaching helps leaders apply what they know to the realities of their role. Consulting helps people and organizations use that capacity to address the specific challenges, systems, decisions, and opportunities in front of them.
The work does not always happen in that order. A consulting engagement may uncover a training need. Coaching may reveal a systems problem. Training may show that additional implementation support is needed.
The goal is not to prescribe a service. It is to understand what is actually getting in the way and build the capacity needed to move forward.
Professional Journey
The Road to Do Better.
2000s
Understanding the Work
It started in New York City schools and community programs, working directly with young people and the professionals responsible for their development. Those experiences showed how much program quality depends on the people delivering services every day, the preparation they receive, and the support available when challenges arise. This became the foundation of Do Better's commitment to practical, relevant professional development.
2010s
Closing the Gap Between Knowing and Doing
Years of developing staff and supporting supervisors revealed a recurring challenge: professionals were often given greater responsibilities without the preparation or ongoing support needed to succeed. Even when training was available, applying what was learned could be difficult under the demands of daily operations. This experience shaped the belief that professional development must extend beyond the training room into how people supervise, communicate, make decisions, and lead.
2020–2025
Strengthening the Systems Behind the Work
Managing organizational growth, operational challenges, and the recovery from pandemic disruptions brought another dimension into focus. Rebuilding an organization from four active programs to more than forty required developing leadership capacity alongside stronger operational practices. It reinforced an important principle: employee performance, leadership effectiveness, and organizational systems are connected. Sustainable improvement requires attention to how all three function together.
2026
Do Better Takes Shape
Do Better Training & Consulting was founded to bring these experiences together into a practical approach to professional and organizational development. Training builds knowledge and skills. Coaching helps leaders strengthen and apply their practices. Consulting addresses the operational challenges and systems that influence performance. Rooted in youth development, education, and nonprofit leadership, Do Better now brings that experience to professionals and organizations across sectors, helping them improve how they lead, manage, and deliver results.
Areas of Expertise
What We Know Best
Executive & Organizational Leadership
Experience leading complex organizational functions, managing competing priorities, overseeing multi-site operations, and developing the management practices needed to support performance.
Supervision & Staff Development
Developing supervisors, strengthening management practices, designing professional development, and creating systems that support employee growth and accountability.
Organizational Operations
Experience coordinating people, programs, processes, and resources across multiple locations, with an emphasis on consistency, operational improvement, and implementation.
Training & Facilitation
Designing and facilitating practical professional development for adult learners, including frontline professionals, managers, directors, and executive leaders.
Youth Development & Afterschool
Extensive expertise in youth development, school-age child care, afterschool programming, school partnerships, and the needs of professionals serving young people and communities.
School-Community Partnerships
Deep experience designing, managing, and improving partnerships between schools and community-based organizations, including program quality, coordination, and stakeholder alignment.
What We Believe
Our Values
Practical Over Theoretical
Every training, coaching engagement, and consulting project is grounded in the realities of the work — not abstract frameworks disconnected from daily practice.
Development Is Ongoing
Growth doesn't happen in a single training session. Lasting improvement requires consistent support, reflection, and the opportunity to apply what's been learned.
Systems Shape Performance
Individual performance doesn't happen in isolation. The systems, structures, and culture around people either support or undermine their ability to do their best work.
Honest and Direct
Effective development requires honest assessment of what's working and what isn't. Do Better brings candor and clarity to every engagement.
Ready to Do Better?
Let's talk about what your team or organization needs and how we can help.
Book a Consultation