Upper West Strategies

Upper West Strategies (UWS) is a NYC-based consultancy that focuses on government and mission-driven clients. Richard Robbins, CEO, founded UWS in 2012 upon identifying a need for greater collaboration among government, corporations, startups, and non-profit organizations, and recognizing opportunities to apply his strategy and implementation experience to workforce and economic development projects.

Practice areas include:

STRATEGY. UWS employs a rigorous process of information gathering, analysis, recommendations generation and implementation planning. The heart of this process is direct outreach to key stakeholders through a series of in-depth interviews, which deliver clarity and perspective. These stakeholder interviews are complemented with client and stakeholder workshops, audience and community surveys, on-site observations and extensive document review to develop a deep understanding of clients’ situation and needs. We then take a simple, practical approach to analysis and recommendations generation to make sure that recommendations can and will be implemented and are likely to succeed given every organization’s unique conditions.

PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. UWS works to develop innovative program concepts and package them into a holistic plan that can be implemented to achieve and exceed goals. A key focus for UWS is ensuring community engagement throughout every project. Robbins has 20+ years experience working with corporations, government, non-profits, and tech startups. These experiences have given UWS a unique ability to identify opportunities for collaboration and partnership, and to bridge cultural gaps in developing and executing successful partnerships.

PROGRAM EXECUTION. Ultimately, impeccable program execution is essential. Relying on strong personal relationships, community and partnership engagement, an innovative approach to marketing and community outreach, and lots of hard work, UWS drives to achieve desired results for clients.