Celeste Frye is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Public Works Partners, an award-winning, woman-owned, and small business-certified urban planning and management consultancy with offices in New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA. joins Enterprise Radio.
Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Celeste Frye discuss the following:
- You founded the first iteration of Public Works Partners nearly two decades ago. Today, the firm is a leading urban planning and management consulting partner for city agencies, non-profits and other organizations in New York, Los Angeles and beyond. What makes Public Works Partners different than other urban planners?
- Public Works Partners has two practices: its Organizational Health and Community Health practices. Can you share more about these practices, who they serve, and what makes them uniquely positioned to help organizations achieve their goals?
- From an urban planning perspective, what is your advice for city agencies, non-profit organizations, and other mission-driven organizations to improve their overall impact and bottom line?
- Recently, New York City announced that Public Works Partners has partnered with The Doe Fund to build a community-driven model to steward the Department of Environmental Protection’s rain gardens and strengthen local ownership over time. Can you share more information about this community project and if this method may be applied to other cities outside New York?
- What advice do you have for other leaders who want to build a successful mission-driven business?
Celeste Frye is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Public Works Partners, an award-winning, woman-owned, disadvantaged, and small business-certified (WBE, DBE, SBE) urban planning and management consultancy with offices in New York, NY, and Greater Los Angeles, CA.
As CEO, Celeste sets the strategic direction for Public Works Partners while remaining closely engaged in the work that defines the firm. Public Works Partners delivers solutions through its Organizational Health and Community Health practices, supporting over 100 organizations nationwide across community and economic development, education, health, workforce, and transportation sectors.
Celeste leads the firm’s business development efforts, cultivating relationships with industry leaders and identifying opportunities to expand the firm’s reach and impact. She is a graduate of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Business program, where she strengthened her expertise in strategic growth, leadership, and scaling mission-driven enterprises. Her vision for the firm is centered on deepening its equity and community impact, expanding its team and capacity to serve a broader range of clients, and elevating Public Works Partners’ profile as a nationally recognized leader in urban planning and consulting.
Originally from North Carolina, Celeste grew up in a family of teachers and public servants, making public service a cornerstone of her family’s values. Interested in people and communities from a young age, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and French from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Following graduation, and encouraged by her undergraduate thesis advisor, Celeste began exploring the field of urban planning and design.
Eager to travel and make a meaningful impact, Celeste served in the Peace Corps for two years in Morocco, where she worked with local families on maternal and child health issues. There, she observed firsthand how economic empowerment shaped the quality of life for women and families, deepening her commitment to building stronger, more equitable communities. Upon completing her Peace Corps assignment, Celeste returned to the United States and earned her Master of Science in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University.
Celeste launched her public service career at the New York City Office of Management and Budget, where she served as a Senior Analyst. She next joined the New York City Department of Small Business Services as an Executive Director, leading a team dedicated to providing resources, programming, and education to New York’s small businesses. She thrived in the role, developing deep familiarity with the challenges facing small business owners and delivering solutions to meet the needs of the city’s diverse small-business sector. While at NYC SBS, she was invited to participate in Coro Leadership New York, a prestigious 10-month training program for leadership in business, government, schools, and nonprofits.
After three years with the NYC Department of Small Business Services, Celeste launched Public Works Consulting, a consultancy specializing in planning and economic development—a topic she had not only worked in, but lived, for many years—in 2006, with a mission to bring the tools of management consulting to the public sector.
Public Works Consulting quickly earned a reputation for delivering results for New York City agencies and nonprofits. After several years of demonstrated impact, Celeste partnered with colleagues from New York City government to officially launch Public Works Partners in 2013. After the other founders moved on to other projects, Celeste became the sole owner and CEO in 2016.
One of Public Works Partners’ early projects was Small Business First, an initiative to streamline permitting and make it easier to start and operate a business. More recently, Public Works Partners has played a significant role in the New York City Housing Authority’s PACT program, administering a technical assistance solution to ensure that residents of NYCHA developments have a meaningful voice in the renovation and conversion of their buildings.
Today, Public Works Partners draws on a diverse team of experts spanning policy, operations, economic development, human services, and government administration to deliver urban planning and consulting services that help organizations design more equitable systems, stronger communities, and more livable spaces.
Celeste’s philosophy is rooted in systems thinking, focusing on identifying leverage points where targeted interventions can create broader, lasting change. Central to her approach is a deep respect for the people and organizations she partners with. She approaches consulting as a collaborative effort, drawing on the expertise already present within communities and institutions. She believes lasting change is built from the bottom up through authentic community engagement.
A sought-after voice in urban planning and civic leadership, Celeste is a member of the Urban Design Forum, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) New York, and the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) Women Leaders. She serves on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee of HousingPlus and on the Board of Directors of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Stamford. She is guided by a tradition of public service and a commitment to creating good in the world.
Website: publicworkspartners.com
Social Media Links:
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/public-works-partners
Facebook: facebook.com/WeArePublicWrks
Instagram: instagram.com/wearepublicwrks
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