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 commercial enterprises, academic institutions and nonprofits.
The Butterfly Effect turns senior-level, to-do lists into executed quality results, delivering clarity, capacity, and measurable impact.
Our vision includes the economics
TBE envisions a standard of inclusivity, sustainability, and community partnership for every economic endeavor.
The Founder
Cari A. Harris, MS, PMP
Founder & Principal Consultant
The Butterfly Effect
Cari A. Harris is the founder of The Butterfly Effect with a dedicated focus on inclusivity, sustainability, and community partnership. Since April 2021, Cari has led The Butterfly Effect, providing strategic advisory and consulting services to over 100 local governments, leading commercial enterprises, academic institutions and nonprofits.
Cari's experience includes roles in analytics for Morgan Stanley, Merrill, and other financial corporations, where she honed her skills in data, financial and business analysis and reporting; compliance and quality control; and business technology systems management. In her tenure as a principal consultant of the Butterfly Effect, her ability to leverage her expertise in economic analytics has positioned her as a trusted partner for businesses, universities, nonprofits, and government agencies seeking to optimize management frameworks and drive socioeconomic outcomes.
​Cari is also co-founder of the Claude C. Thornton (CCT) Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to community building, education innovation, and inclusive sustainability. In 2021, she co-founded the HEJT Collaborative, a collaborative group of HBCU-affiliated economists, data scientists, geoscientists, engineers, and geospatial experts that visualize and analyze socioeconomic impacts of environmental policy for various stakeholders.
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​Currently, Cari sits on the Comptroller of Maryland’s Climate Advisory Council and the advisory commission on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in Baltimore County. She is a graduate 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).
Past Performance
The Butterfly Effect (TBE) supports visionary leaders managing multimillion-dollar, complex operations with strategic planning and implementation. We specialize in project/program management (budgets up to $20M), stakeholder engagement, and data analytics.
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We are a great fit for time-constrained 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 economics, public policy, and management, The Butterfly Effect offers more than just solutions—we have become trusted advisors who guide and equip clients to thrive in a constantly evolving landscape.