No more fixing broken systems
We're building something better
We didn’t set out to build a fractional agency.
When we launched neli, our mission was clear: help companies create more equitable, flexible, and human-centered workplaces, especially for parents. We believed that businesses would want to create more equitable, flexible, human-centered workplaces.
Some tried. Most didn’t.
We spent more time than we’d like to admit trying to convince leadership teams to care. To budget. To change. And then things started moving backwards.
Now, empathy’s dried up. DEI became a political target. And the same moms who kept companies running during COVID were still being pushed to the sidelines. Childcare costs were rising. Benefits were being cut. People were burnt out, underpaid, and out of options. Notably, women are outnumbered 5 to 1 in senior leadership positions, and the rollback of DEI programs threatens to widen this gap.
We were tired. Tired of fighting companies that didn’t want to change. Tired of making the case over and over again. Tired of waiting for someone else to make it better.
So we made a decision: let’s stop begging for scraps — and build the thing we actually need.
The pivot: from B2B change to personal freedom
We recognized that the most impactful work we were doing involved helping individuals take control of their careers. It was supporting the individuals — moms, caregivers, creatives, strategists — who didn’t want to opt out of ambition, but needed a different way to do it.
We saw how powerful fractional work — and founding our own companies — could be in our own lives. So we went all in.
neli became a fractional agency on purpose:
A space where senior leaders could do great work without compromising their lives
A structure where flexibility didn’t mean sacrificing income, status, or strategy
A model that runs lean, keeps things human, and protects our time
But we knew not everyone wanted to do fractional work. Some wanted to build startups. Some wanted to scale product businesses. Others wanted to go solo, consult, coach, or design a portfolio life that doesn’t fit in a box.
So we built the neli community around this idea, too.
A space for parents and high-performing professionals who want to build the thing they’ve been thinking about — but haven’t had the support, the tools, or the confidence to go for yet.
We’re not here to define what success looks like. We’re here to help you build your version of it.
Why fractional work makes sense right now
We’re not the only ones seeing this shift. Fractional work is growing fast because it solves real problems.
By 2025, it’s projected that up to 50% of the U.S. workforce will engage in some kind of fractional or contract work. People want flexibility, autonomy, and meaningful work.
Parents, in particular, are done compromising. After years of "making it work," they want time back. They want to earn well, work smart, and still be around for the things that matter.
Fractional work doesn’t fix everything. Neither does starting your own company. But both give you agency. Options. Room to breathe.
What we’ve learned by betting on ourselves
This wasn’t just a business pivot. It was a personal one.
We wanted to reclaim our time. We wanted to stop asking for permission. We wanted to be around for our kids — and still do work that felt smart, strategic, and high-leverage.
Building on our own gave us freedom we didn’t know was possible. And now, we’re helping others find that, too.
You don’t need to wait for a company to value you. You don’t need to force yourself into a system that was never built for you. You can build something different. And it can be yours.
What we believe now
We believe:
Time is the most valuable currency we have
Autonomy is worth more than a title
You can build serious impact on part-time hours
The future of work won’t be handed to us — we have to build it together
neli is our bet on that future.
We’re building for the people who want to work differently — who want flexibility without stepping back, and leadership without burning out.
If that’s you, you’re not alone.
Let’s stop waiting. Let’s start building. Together.