I work with colleges and universities on high-stakes questions of enrollment, sustainability, and educational design—particularly where strategy, data, governance, and institutional values must be held together rather than traded off.

My work includes enrollment, retention, and student success strategies, with a comprehensive evaluation of scholarship and financial-aid models to ensure they are both mission-aligned and financially responsible. I also advise on internationalization strategies, including global recruitment, partnership development, and the governance and reputational considerations of cross-border engagement.

I support institutions exploring or navigating mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships—from early diagnostic assessment through decision frameworks, stakeholder alignment, and post-decision integration—always attentive to culture, mission, and long-term viability.

In athletics, I advise on conference realignment, NIL strategy, and the evolving regulatory environment, helping leaders balance competitiveness, compliance, equity, and institutional identity.

Finally, I work with academic and executive teams on AI-enabled learning and personalization, designing approaches that improve outcomes without reducing education to automation—grounded in faculty authority, demonstrated competency, and one-size-fits-one learning pathways.

Across all engagements, the focus is the same: clearer judgment, better alignment, and decisions that strengthen both the institution’s future and its purpose.

It begins with a conversation. We start by clarifying the question you’re really trying to answer—not just the solution you think you need. From there, I’ll suggest a scope that fits your context, constraints, and ambitions. No boilerplate. No premature proposals.

I don’t treat education as a product, students as consumers, or technology as a shortcut. My work is grounded in a simple conviction: institutions endure when they align strategy with dignity, evidence with judgment, and innovation with purpose. I’m comfortable asking uncomfortable questions—carefully, respectfully, and with moral clarity.

The best way to connect is via the contact form on this site or by email. If there’s a shared sense of purpose, I’ll respond promptly and suggest next steps.

mmartinezsaenz@gmail.com

Put Ethos Studio Consultancy in the subject line.

Pricing depends on scope and complexity. Some work is project-based; other engagements are advisory retainers or time-bound fellowships. I aim for transparency, proportionality, and alignment—fees that make sense given the value, not the trend.

Thoughtful. Candid. Grounded. Clients often say the work feels both rigorous and humane—clear-eyed about constraints, but unwilling to surrender imagination. I listen carefully, write precisely, and stay engaged through ambiguity. The goal is not just a deliverable, but better judgment.