Narayan (nuh-rye’-uhn) is a Sanskrit word that describes the sacred and restorative qualities of water.
Water is crucial to life on Earth, creating both immeasurable joy and profound conflict across the planet.
The power of water in all its forms, with all its societal impacts, is what inspires and necessitates the work of Narayan Strategy.
We specialize in working with executives and their staffs to exceed their goals. Here are a few example areas where we work:
expert advocate, effective communicator, translator of science and technology jargon, seasoned advisor to global executives, policy wonk, environmental satellite aficionado, international diplomacy and development expert, partnership builder, avid negotiator, committed to expanding global climate understanding
Renée Leduc Clarke is the Founder and Principal of Narayan Strategy. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in government and the private sector to her work helping clients connect with their key audiences on highly technical topics – across sectors, governments, cultures and political party lines.
Renée’s career has spanned sectors, environments and time zones – giving her a unique niche to help your business cut through the details and the jargon to connect with the most important decision makers to advance your business. Renée is comfortable working with you in numerous environments – from Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to a project site in rural Kenya, to an international meeting in Bangkok – and anywhere in between.
Renée’s experience using space technology to build understanding of environmental issues began nearly 20 years ago in Botswana when she worked with rural leaders to use Landsat satellite data to track land changes due to large elephant herds. Her passion for science and technology as tools to advance sustainable development later grew as a Fulbright research scholar working on climate adaptation projects in Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Renée’s focus on climate and weather began in earnest as a Presidential Management Fellow in the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she worked to make NOAA satellite information more accessible to policy makers in developing countries.
She later served as an advisor to two NOAA administrators on the agency’s satellite programs. She built a stellar reputation for her clarity in communicating complex issues in partnership with industry, NASA, the Department of Defense, Congress and the White House.
Since 2011 Renée has been managing projects and leading government affairs activities in the private sector. Most recently she led a major component of the NASA-USAID SERVIR Project, leading the effort through a major period of transition in collaboration with partners in Kenya, Nepal and Panama.
Renée is an active member of the American Meteorological Society, serving as the incoming chair of its International Committee on Weather and Climate Strategies and on its Boards on Global Strategies and Enterprise Economic Development. She is an Advisory Council Member to the Millersville University Department of Earth Sciences and a member of the Bates College Alumni Council.
She completed her undergraduate studies at Bates College and her Masters of Public Policy at American University. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching kundalini yoga.
“Yep, it’s rocket science, and we can help your grandmother understand it, all in a short elevator ride.”
We have all heard about the importance of developing a clear “elevator speech” in a way our grandmother (or grandfather or next door neighbor) would understand. But in the day-to-day world of aerospace, climate, weather and other science and technology fields, it is easy to get caught in the jargon and the acronyms that dominate these professional communities, where it IS “rocket science”.
Narayan Strategy is here to help. We know government audiences – both those that love technical lingo (but maybe not your technical lingo) – and those that really do not appreciate what sounds to them like science babble.
For your work to be successful – you need to CONNECT. From first impressions to long term contacts, you need to have your information encapsulated in a way that builds a linkage with and impresses your audience from start to finish.
Narayan Strategy can also help you connect across the globe. As work becomes ever more international, being able to connect culturally with business contacts that you may only see over Skype becomes just as important as the content of your words. We have diverse experience across the world – from Belgium to Singapore to Zimbabwe – to help you connect.
Narayan Strategy – Building Connections in a Complex World
Science and technology are getting more important across the globe – not less. And it is only getting more complex. With so many competing budget and policy priorities in every country, and lots of misunderstanding about crucial global environmental issues and other complex topics — there is a lot more need for clear communication that breaks through the jargon and the talking heads.
Audiences are more global than ever. Messages zip across the world, but may not actually connect across cultures, especially in emerging economies.
Narayan Strategy brings considerable experience working across Africa and Asia and has a track record of building sound partnerships in science and technology with an understanding of technology transfer and effective training and capacity building.
Narayan Strategy is also prepared to help you in Washington, DC – from connections with U.S. government officials to introductions to key Congressional staff to talk about the key budget issue for your organization
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Why the name? In many countries around the world, water must be obtained from communal water pumps and then carried back to people’s homes and businesses. This is often a time-consuming and physically intensive role, mostly completed by women. These communal water pumps become key centers within the community, where people exchange the news of the day and connect with their neighbors.
The Water Pump is the blog published by Narayan Strategy that will provide occasional updates on the firm and news from the science, technology, environment and aerospace sectors.
Happy 2015 from Narayan Strategy. I had the great pleasure to take a few days off between the holidays to enjoy the peaceful beauty of Sedona, Arizona. We stayed in Oak Creek Canyon and this is a photo on the morning of New Year’s Day after we received about a…
Narayan Strategy looks forward to meeting you at the 94th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in Atlanta, GA on 2-6 February 2014. We have a strong track record of helping businesses advance their reputation at AMS and other scientific and executive conferences – effectively reaching their government,…
The story of Narayan Strategy started many years ago as a series of ideas (don’t they always?). But they mixed and congealed in September 2013 when I started this firm, building on the inspiration of nearly 20 years of experience in science agencies in the government and the private sector.…
