Transformation without friction, we care about your experience just as much.
With over $1B+ in projects advised and 100+ clients served, we are trusted advisors to local governments, leading small businesses, universities and nonprofits. Our integrity and
commitment to excellence enables us to efficiently solve problems and
deliver transformative results.
Our mission goes beyond the theory of change.
Senior-level, to-do list checkboxes closed. Quality execution.
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The Butterfly Effect (TBE) supports leaders managing multimillion-dollar, complex operations. We specialize in project/program management (budgets up to $20M), stakeholder engagement, and data analytics. TBE turns c-suite-level, to-do lists into executed quality results, delivering clarity, capacity, and measurable impact.
Past Performance
At The Butterfly Effect, we specialize in providing time-constrained executives with capacity and clarity, leveraging proven impactful engagement and detailed analytical strategies.
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We are a great fit for busy leaders who don’t have much time for onboarding and need someone to come in and hit the ground running... we can help. Jumping in quickly is our speciality.​​
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By integrating data-driven insights, forward-thinking strategies, and a deep understanding of risk management, fiscal compliance and public policy, The Butterfly Effect has more than just solutions—we have become trusted advisors who guide and equip clients to thrive in a constantly evolving landscape.
The Founder
Cari Harris, MS, PMP
Founder & Principal Consultant
The Butterfly Effect
Cari Harris is the founder of The Butterfly Effect with a dedicated focus on organizational and community change. For the past four years, Cari A. Harris has led The Butterfly Effect, providing strategic advisory and consulting services in analytics, project management and stakeholder engagement. Her work with local governments, universities, think tanks, startups and nonprofit organizations bring together her nine years of experience and contemporary knowledge to provide insightful and forward-looking solutions.
Cari's experience includes roles in analytics for Morgan Stanley, Merrill, and other financial corporations, where she honed her skills in data analysis, quality control, and business technology systems management. In her tenure as a principal consultant, she has consulted with over 100 organizations. Her ability to bridge analytics and strategy with organizational development and management has positioned her as a trusted advisor for clients.
​Cari is also the founder of the Claude C. Thornton (CCT) Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to community building, education innovation, and environmental justice. Through the CCT Foundation, Cari launched the Greater Baltimore Climate Initiative in 2024 focused on economic development in environmental infrastructure and programming. The success of the inaugural summit is measured by impactful efforts including robust surveying of 453 regional stakeholders on priority climate agenda items, engaging 312 summit participants in November of 2024, and raising $40,000+ of initiative funding in less than 90 days in collaboration with 22 partners including Morgan State University, Green & Healthy Homes Initiatives, Canopy by Hilton, Environmental Defense Fund, Interfaith Power & Light DMV and more.
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Through the CCT Foundation, Cari also founded Blossoms Blooming Mentorship Program, a safe space for 100+ women in the mid-Atlantic region to build socioeconomic capital and to celebrate community mentors. Co-sponsored by Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute, this initiative underscores her dedication to community organizing and empowerment, particularly for women.​​​​
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​As the co-founder of the HBCU Environmental Justice Technical Collaborative (HEJT Collaborative), Cari focuses on software development, environmental justice, and economics projects across the United States. HEJT is a collaborative group of HBCU-affiliated economists, data scientists, geoscientists, engineers, and GIS specialists that visualize and analyze impacts of environmental policy for various stakeholders, including academic institutions, government agencies, and organizations.
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​Currently, Cari sits on the advisory commission on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in Baltimore County and is a cohort member of Leadership Maryland’s prestigious Emerging Leader Program. She was also a Future Leaders cohort member with Council Fire (2022-2024). Additionally, Cari is a Morgan State University alum with a Bachelors and Masters in Economics, and an alumna of the Harbor Bank Emerging Developers Program’s third cohort (2019-2020).
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In addition to her consulting and leadership work, Cari serves as a pro bono consultant with The Acceleration Project, advising small business owners on strategic growth, financial planning, and operational efficiency to drive both short- and sustainable, long-term success.