If you spend more than a few minutes with Coforma’s new Chief of Staff, Misty Stutsman Fox, chances are, the conversation will turn to data.
“One thing I discovered early in my career is that I love working with Veteran-owned businesses and I love data,” she shares. “If I could, I would roll around in data like a chinchilla in a dust bath.”
This combination of interests has defined Misty’s career. She spent the last 20 years at purpose-driven organizations working with military small businesses. Much of this time was in higher education, first at Oklahoma State University, then at Syracuse University, where she served as Director of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Director at the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families.
“I was originally placed in my last role on the research side, tasked with making decision-level data more approachable and pedestrian,” Misty shares. “That involved taking in a lot of information and transforming it into something that people want to talk about at policy tables.”
It didn’t take Misty long to realize that one of her major strengths was building bridges and using data to drive change within organizations. She leveraged her data-driven decision-making skills to scale programs in fast-growing organizations, enabling teams to do what they do best by building processes to support them.
Misty isn't someone who seeks out the comfort of a finished, polished plan. She is a natural builder who finds her flow in what she calls the “gray area.” Where others see uncertainty or noise, Misty sees an opportunity to create clarity and remove blockers. That’s part of what led her to join Coforma at this unique stage of the company’s maturity.
We recently caught up with Misty to learn more about her role, life, and approach to leadership.
What drew you to Coforma?
I met Eduardo Ortiz at CEO Circle, a program we ran at Syracuse for established Veteran-owned businesses. At that point in my career, mission-driven work was still my number one priority, but I was also looking for my next challenge as a builder.
I realized after talking to Eduardo that Coforma is at a fascinating inflection point. When an organization starts to scale up from a small business, it can feel like a cacophony of sound and action. I saw an opportunity to bring my mission alignment to a place that isn’t a nonprofit but still lives by its mission and values, helping the team navigate that “noise” so we can grow thoughtfully, with as few headaches as possible.
What will you be doing here?
I’ll partner directly with Eduardo and the Leadership Team to drive clarity, accountability, and operational momentum. My goal is to enable the company to operate at its highest strategic level by acting as a conduit for communication with leadership and removing blockers for team members.
I see the Chief of Staff as someone who zooms out to look across all the pillars of the organization, even as some of them are evolving or being established. I’m asking: Are we all moving in the same direction? Is one person’s direction pulling against another’s?
My job is to make decision-making easier, faster, and more transparent. I’m also here to clear pathways so the team can apply their talent to the mission rather than the logistics.
How would you describe your leadership style in three words?
Listener, builder, and unblocker. I always start by trying to understand who people are as humans. Once we understand that humanity, we can dive into how it affects our work. In practice, that means I’m going to seek out the honest version of what’s happening and gather all the hot takes so we can get to the root of an issue and remove barriers.
Sometimes, that clarity comes at the trade-off of comfort, because growth is inherently uncomfortable. But I will always prioritize transparency so the team understands why big decisions are being made.
I want to make sure the Executive Team has the information they need to focus on the relationships and growth that keep us healthy—while ensuring our project teams are close enough to the work to have the clarity they need to deliver excellence.
Aside from your formal jobs, what are some life experiences that have shaped how you approach your work?
I’m a self-confessed workaholic, but a series of events in 2019 radically changed how I view the relationship between our jobs and our lives. I lost my father the day before my wedding, my mother-in-law two months later, and suddenly became a caregiver for my nieces, sister-in-law, and my father-in-law, who had Parkinson’s and dementia.
Becoming a caregiver in the midst of that grief taught me just how heavily your 5-to-9 can influence your 9-to-5. That experience made me a better, more empathetic manager. It also forced me to be clear about my own boundaries—what I can take on and what I’m not willing to deal with.
The experience gave me a new appreciation for the fact that life gets lifey. When things get hard for a teammate, I want to be the person who helps take the weight off their shoulders so they can navigate their personal life. And when it’s time to stand back up, I want to be there to help them find their footing again.
What does a lovely Sunday afternoon look like for you?
I have a one and a three-year-old. So a lovely Sunday for me would involve blackout curtains and uninterrupted sleep. But if we’re talking truly ideal, I want 65 degrees and sunny on a day where I can just kick back and sleep in a hammock with a nice drink, knowing my kids are taken care of.
That would be my perfect day.