Madeleine Smith

Founder & Principal Consultant

One of the most eye-opening moments in my career came when a frontline staffer — hired directly from the community our program served — told me, "you're too smart for me." In that moment, I knew our evaluation system was broken. Research should make people feel more capable, not less, and it should never be extractive of the communities we're trying to serve.

I went back to school at 29, after 12 years in minimum-wage jobs and being told I wasn't smart. I eventually went on to earn my BA in international policy and then my Master of Public Administration — with a specialization in monitoring, evaluation, and program design — from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. I know how it feels to walk into a room and feel ostracized, like it wasn't built for you. I never want to make anyone feel that way.

Seven years in program evaluation and research has shown me a lot of systems — and where each one falls short. Mad Learning Lab was built out of a federal layoff in 2025, and it's sticking around to create the space I wish existed in every non-profit boardroom. My experience spans education, affordable housing, community investment, philanthropy, small business coaching, youth development, and environmental work.

The through-line is research operations done with intention — meaningful, engaging, built to last. I believe data is only interesting because of the people it represents. Each data point is a story. My vision for evaluation is to tell the real one, so real change can happen.

I live in San Francisco with my husband Chris and our two cats. I think about the environment a lot, read constantly, and write poems and songs. And whenever I can, I improvise — on stage and on the dance floor.