About Matterlab
We Elevate
Those Who Are
Making Real
Change Happen
Matterlab’s Commitment to Equity
All people deserve access to fair and just opportunities to participate in society, to achieve economic empowerment, and to build the life they envision and are willing to work toward, regardless of their background or identity. We believe fairness, justice, and dignity are crucial components of equity, and we also believe they are hard to define. Rather than belabor precise definitions, we lean on one another and others in conversation by interrogating:
In this decision or pursuit, is fairness present? Is justice present? Is dignity present? Will equity expand, contract, or remain unchanged?
Our Core Values
Impact
We prioritize what will have the greatest positive and compounding impact.
Perspectives
We get to know people and their experiences and channel that knowledge into our work.
Innovation
Creativity is a habit, not a trait, and we believe everything is figureoutable.
Clarity
We seek simplicity on the far side of complexity.
Collaboration
We pursue close partnership with mission-aligned leaders who are eager to co-create.
Time
We plan ahead, prioritize deep work,
and resist rushing.
Curiosity
We ask excellent questions, because digging deeper unlocks more learning.
Our Team
Communication is a core competency of great leaders. Our team of experts provides customized coaching to strengthen every facet of your communication — written, spoken, non-verbal, and even visual — to advance your leadership skills and impact.
Odera Agbim
Brand Specialist
Torey Brown
Content Specialist
Abigail Wilson Burns
Data Specialist
Lauren Empson
Strategist
Whitney Gaines
PR Specialist
Tsihai Hanson
Strategist
Shawn Hardy | Smitten Labs
Website Specialist
Kimberly Herrera
Project Management Specialist
Kitty Horwatt
Content Specialist
Tatiana Johnson-Boria
Strategist
Megan Lee
Strategist
Allie Page
Strategist
Sarah Pendley
Specialist
Sheleah Reed
Executive Advisor
Renée Rosenfeld
Content Specialist
Kelly Stevens | Seven Creative
Creative Specialist
Heather Strobel
Strategist
Karen Thomas
Strategist
Karina Tiller
Graphic Design Specialist
Submit Your Resume
We are always excited to meet talented, mission-aligned people. Drop us a note with your resume and anything else you’d like us to know, and we will be in touch if a position opens up that could be a great fit.
Strategic Partners
We partner with experts in additional areas to support our clients:
See How We Can Help You
Connect Your Work
To Your Why.
Searcy Morgan
Founder & Chairman
Searcy founded Matterlab in 2017 to drive greater impact in the social impact sector through effective communications and marketing directly aligned to organizations’ most ambitious goals. She brings nearly two decades of experience as a strategist in the nonprofit sector, including working under former Secretary of Education of the Obama Administration, John King, and advising numerous states on education and child welfare policy. Searcy is a native Mississippian, a Teach For America Los Angeles alumna, a resident of Austin, Texas, and a wife and mother. She received her Bachelor’s degree in both English and Spanish literature from Rice University, and her Master of Science degree in Neuroscience from Columbia University with a focus on behavioral economics, language acquisition, and inner speech processing. She is proud to serve on the Advisory Board for Texas Children’s Hospital, ranked the #2 best children’s hospital in the nation. Across her professional endeavors, philanthropic involvement, and volunteer time, Searcy is driven by ensuring that all children have access to the opportunities they need to succeed.
See Searcy’s full resume on LinkedIn.
Lane Lowe
Co-Founder & President
As Co-Founder and President, Lane manages day-to-day operations, brand, and people. In her 20 years working with executives and entrepreneurs, she has transformed hundreds of visions into reality through building brands, crafting messages, and amplifying missions. Lane spent her early career as a designer and creative director, then found her way into the classroom through Teach For America. She now combines her marketing expertise and passion for educational equity at Matterlab, helping leaders clarify their identities and communicate their impact.
Lane earned her MBA from The University of Texas McCombs School of Business and her undergraduate degree in journalism from James Madison University. She spends her free time exploring the outdoors with her husband, Alex, and two rescue dogs, Perry and George.
Jessie Collins
Vice President
Jessie began her career in tech where she specialized in account management, program and brand development, and team growth and retention. Through those roles and the experience of growing with a company from 36 to 225+ employees, Jessie recognized her strengths in building client relationships, creating scalable systems, and spearheading innovative communications to drive long-term goals. Jessie later transitioned her expertise into the social sector. She brings more than 12 years of experience working with new and growing organizations to find their identity. She joined Matterlab to build and lead the account management team and to contribute senior-level communications coaching and support across clients.
Jessie earned her undergraduate degrees from St. Edward’s University in communications and journalism and made Austin her permanent home after graduation. A believer in building connection through stories, Jessie is a published writer who features female business owners and creative entrepreneurs, and writes of her own experience in motherhood.
See Jessie’s full resume on LinkedIn.
Charley Devany
CFO
Charley Devany has been a CPA for over 30 years with over 20 years in Virtual CFO roles. He joined Matterlab in June 2022 before working on several other projects with Matterlab President Anna Williams. He has an undergrad in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas and an MBA from the University of Maryland. In addition to Virtual CFO clients, he also has an active tax consulting practice for individuals and businesses. When not giving financial guidance Charley practices yoga, writes and still has an active Screen Actors card.
Amy Gold
Associate Director of Strategy
Amy is a creative communications strategist with over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Her experience includes building and executing the communications and marketing strategy for a global education nonprofit in east and southern Africa to advancing educational equity as Associate Director of Strategy here at Matterlab. Amy is passionate about making an impact on her local community and thrilled to apply her global nonprofit experience here in the U.S. Amy received her B.A. from Texas A&M University with a degree in International Studies and a minor in French. She is a Certified Digital Marketing Professional recognized by the Digital Marketing Institute. Outside of work, Amy enjoys caring for her plants, painting, hiking with her dog, and debating the best Survivor strategies with friends.
Afzal Habiban
Operations Manager
Afzal is inspired by the drive to connect individuals around the world through the power of digital marketing, branding, and communications. His experience leading marketing and digital strategies led him to Matterlab and social impact work, where he now gets to see positive change through his contributions.
Afzal has spent time consulting for organizations looking to create a powerful presence with their social media and branding. He is Digital Advertising Certified by Hubspot and uses his innovative skills to create and implement impactful digital ad campaigns. At Matterlab, he has overseen digital ad campaigns for over 50 Matterlab clients, with successes that have led to thousands of sign-ups/enrollments and over $20 million in earned revenue.
Afzal’s parents immigrated from South America to Queens, New York, where he and his twin brother were born, and he has been in Central Florida for the past 20 years. Afzal enjoys traveling near and far and has an extensive list of destinations he plans to visit. He enjoys spending quality time with his husband and loved ones and shares too many photos of his Standard Poodle, London, on social media.
See Afzal’s full resume on LinkedIn.
Nique Mayo
Associate Director, Business Development
Nique is a multifaceted communications strategist with a passion for bringing innovative initiatives to life. She brings 15 years of experience to her role as Senior Manager of Business Development, where she combines her ability to distill high-level information into engaging content with a drive for social impact. Nique earned her degree in Business Administration from Abilene Christian University.
Nique’s experience involves developing communication strategies for the Medical and Social Services Division at Texas Health and Human Services Commission, including their WIC and SNAP programs. She also crafted key messages and awareness programs for breast cancer while working at Susan G. Komen Austin, Texas. Nique lives in Austin where she is an active volunteer with multiple nonprofit organizations and daydreams about homesteading. More than anything, she loves spending time with her husband, children, pets, and friends who are like family.
Maya Giña Nelson
Associate Director, Project Management
Maya is eager to transform life outcomes for young people and is thrilled to be on a team with such a clear mission. After growing up in Glenn Dale, Maryland, Maya graduated from Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania and began her career in the social sector. Maya holds a Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification and her experience spans health, environment, and child welfare at nonprofits across the U.S. At Global Impact, she worked exclusively on the Combined Federal Campaign. In Los Angeles, she led development efforts for EarthShare. Eventually, she returned to her East Coast roots and worked for a local United Way managing projects across development, communications, and partnerships. Previous to her role at Matterlab, Maya led the creation of a new project management office for CHC: Creating Healthier Communities. Maya resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Josiah, and two daughters Morgan and Svea.
See Maya’s full resume on LinkedIn.
Sarah Pendley
Senior Strategist
Sarah works to amplify the voices of those who drive social impact. As a Senior Strategist, she cultivates success for Matterlab partners by building creative and strategic communication solutions.
With over 15 years in PR and marketing, her experience ranges across industries and includes high-profile clients such as Domino’s and Target. Among her achievements, Sarah has secured media placement in The New York Times, CNBC, Forbes, and Fortune. Sarah regularly participates in diversity and inclusion training and integrates new learnings into every aspect of her work. Additionally, She has led workshops and coaching sessions championing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) best practices in communications.
Sarah graduated summa cum laude from the University of St. Thomas, earning her B.A. in communications. When she’s not crafting eloquent prose, Sarah enjoys outdoor adventures and exploring Austin’s eclectic art scene with her assistant/dog, Charlie Pablo.
See Sarah’s full resume on LinkedIn.