MEMBER FOCUS: Elisabeth Klughardt

Elisabeth Klughardt, Regional Senior Partner at Open Eye

Every business has a story, and we are excited to launch a new coworker series, which spotlights the amazing people who work out of Common House Richmond. To kick things off, Elisabeth Klughardt of Open Eye—a management consulting firm—shares her background, her line of work, and the open house she’s hosting at Common House Richmond's Room 328. “We want to introduce ourselves to other businesses who also rent private office carrells and just say, ‘we're here, we also love Common House, and we'd love to connect.’”

A Fredericksburg native, Elisabeth received her BS in Marketing Management at Virginia Tech, before transitioning to a career in strategic marketing following graduation. While working at a firm in Germany, she met Christian Dawson, one of Open Eye's founders and executive partners. Though the two became friends, it wasn’t until Elisabeth returned to Richmond and learned more about Open Eye (and their unique approach to consulting) that she decided to come onboard as a Regional Senior Partner. "Being able to see change is really rewarding to me," Elisabeth notes. “I think we, as humans, tend to shy away from it because of the discomfort. But when you see a company who is willing to lean in and commit to change, that is one of the best things.”

Elisabeth notes how Open Eye's team is motivated to make positive change by championing other purpose-driven businesses. By way of example, in a matter of seven months, Open Eye helped a Louisville-based social club called Story go from a one-woman show to 13 employees and counting. Elisabeth explains, “Much like Common House, Story is also driven to build community through programming, co-working, and collaboration. Shortly after opening, the founder hired us to help turn her vision into a reality, and our team helped her recognize her growth potential. Now, Story has a waitlist for their co-working spaces, which is really great to see.” With three locations in Louisville, Richmond, and Canada, Open Eye has made a meaningful impact within each market, and Elisabeth is excited to continue their reach. 

Whether you are a startup or mid-sized business, Open Eye will “open your eyes” on how to improve the efficiency of your organization by pinpointing your operational needs. "We don't provide cookie-cutter solutions, but really assess a company's needs on a case-by-case basis," says Elisabeth. “Not only will we provide time-tested strategies, but you can hire our teams to help operationalize whatever needs to be changed.” Interested in learning more? Stop by Common House Richmond's Room 328 on July 22 from 10am-4pm for an Open House with Open Eye.