Our Story
Noble Consulting is a human-centered leadership firm rooted in educational spaces and grounded in care. Founded by two Latina and Queer educators, our work is shaped by lived experience, institutional leadership, and a deep belief that transformation begins with people — not programs.
We partner with colleges and mission-driven organizations to cultivate healthy leaders who can navigate complexity with courage, clarity, and integrity. Our work lives at the intersection of leadership development, institutional alignment, and equity as daily practice. We do not offer quick fixes or transactional solutions. We create intentional spaces for reflection, growth, and alignment so leaders can flourish within the systems they serve.
With more than 35 years of combined experience across various sectors such as education and nonprofits, both domestically and internationally, we understand the pressures organizations face. We walk alongside leaders as they translate values into action, strengthen culture, and build environments where both people and learning can thrive.
At Noble, hope is not passive. It is practiced. It is relational. It is courageous. Healthy leaders create healthy institutions. That is the Noble way.
New Program Offering!
The Noble Leadership Reading Circle is an intentionally created professional development experience for those of us who buy the leadership book but never quite get around to reading it, or are looking for a different kind of learning opportunity that is affordable, reflective, and designed for busy schedules. Over three months, a small circle of education professionals will gather virtually to explore curated books and engage in meaningful dialogue about leadership, equity, and the human experience in our work. We hope to see you this summer! Submit your interest by April, 18.
Dr. Claudia Mercado is a nationally recognized leader in higher education with more than 25 years of experience advancing equity, student success, and institutional transformation. She has served as Vice President for Enrollment Management and as a faculty member at multiple Minority Serving Institutions, and is an Aspen Presidential Fellow and Inaugural Index Impact Fellow.
Claudia’s facilitation style blends storytelling, humor, and data with culturally responsive pedagogy. She has led national and international convening’s, including her recent work in Bangkok, Thailand with the Inya Institute and MCC Consortium on curriculum reform. Her expertise spans strategic planning, enrollment innovation, curriculum leadership, and coalition-building.
Carolina Huerta Ed.D. candidate, is someone who champions people, community, and the possibility of doing things differently and better. She brings over a decade of experience in the field of education, but just as much learning is shaped by mentors, colleagues, community members, friends, and family who have taught her what care, accountability, and justice look like in practice.
Her work has included supporting diverse learners through roles at Loyola University Chicago, Centro Romero, and the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Center for Literacy, where she focused on access, transition, and educational pathways. She has also contributed to international education work in Bangkok, Thailand, collaborating with the Inya Institute and the Myanmar Community College Consortium to support curriculum development and faculty learning in community-based postsecondary contexts.
Carolina is currently pursuing her EdD in the Curriculum, Cultures, and Communities program at Loyola University Chicago, where her research interests center on restorative and transformative design in curriculum development. She is especially interested in how learning spaces can move away from compliance and extraction and toward reflection, creativity, and liberation. Outside of her work and study, Carolina enjoys reading, zine making, spending time with family and community, and finding
moments of joy and grounding that sustain her in this work.
Leading the Way with Exceptional Educational Services
Noble Consulting provides thoughtfully designed services informed by extensive experience in leadership, curriculum, and learning-centered institutional change. Our offerings reflect our core work, and we invite dialogue when institutions are seeking support beyond these areas.
Noble Leadership Cohort: Leadership in Practice
The Noble Leadership Cohort is a practice-based leadership development experience designed to strengthen leadership capacity and institutional alignment. Grounded in human-centered and equity-informed practice, the cohort supports mid-level leaders as they reflect, experiment, and grow into expanded leadership roles—while staying rooted in real institutional priorities and daily work.
Noble Human-Centered Institutional Diagnostic
The Noble Human-Centered Institutional Diagnostic is a research-informed assessment designed to help colleges and universities understand how leadership, culture, and organizational practices are experienced in real time. Rather than beginning with solutions, the diagnostic centers listening and sense-making—surfacing where values and daily practice align, and where friction, fatigue, or disconnection may exist.
The noble pause: A leadership renewal retreat for higher education
The Noble Pause is a three-day leadership renewal retreat created for higher education leaders who are deeply committed to their institutions and recognize that sustaining this work requires intentional space for reflection and care. Designed as a purposeful pause—not a strategy retreat or skills workshop—this experience centers the human side of leadership as essential to institutional health.
Let’s Connect
At Noble Consulting, we believe that transformation begins with connection. Whether you’re looking to reimagine strategy, build capacity, or create more equitable spaces in education and social systems, we’re here to co-create solutions with you.
We’d love to learn more about your goals, your challenges, and how we can support your journey toward lasting impact.
Rooted in community. People Centered. Equity Driven.
nobleconsulting2025@gmail.com