At Three Mountain Group, we devote our energies to partnerships with leaders and organizations making crucial national and international impacts in Conservation, Mental Health, Sustainability, Education and other vital sectors. We take the utmost care to leverage every moment with our partners to create a transformational future for them. When we invest our creativity with courageous organizations of the world, the results are nothing short of audacious.
The synergy of Three Mountain Group’s three decades of consulting success:
Result from its vast network of resources, and proven transformational process which drives breakthroughs on even the toughest challenges. Our process is always collaborative and iterative – encouraging experimentation and rapid cycle prototyping to speed innovation & learning.
John Griffin
Founder & CEO
John Griffin, PhD, cares about making his and your time count and having that lead to progress on what matters most. John and his clients have worked together on some of the most vital global issues in need of systemic change in virtually every sector impacting some of the world’s most complicated issues with creative, tangible and lasting results.
Every partner is unique. Together we craft a bespoke approach that provides exactly what is needed at every step.
Our partners engage Three Mountain Group because they are ready to innovate through proven processes to effect quantum transformation. In addition to the targeted outcomes, personal growth and cultural evolution are often happy adjunct effects to from our journey together.
We bring our full selves, passion and focus to our work:
Decades of experience, a huge resource network and proven research-based transformational protocols to help create the conditions for true breakthroughs.
We find that change emerges, unfolds and manifests through iterative steps of dialogue, discovery and rapid experimentation. Engaging with us is easy, fun, educational and deeply transformative. Simply call us if you are inspired to dramatically shift something you care deeply about!
We are very intentional about how we approach each project that we work on. We know that no project we work on is the same and that goes for our approach and execution strategy. Each project is tailored to our clients maximizing the rewards received from our programs and the impacts that result.
We facilitate high impact systemic change by partnering with leading organizations in the fields we care about most.
Nature Conservation
Sustainability & Climate Change
Mental Health & Trauma
Education
Science Innovation
Social Change & Development
Confident and Inspired Clients
Our clients find working with us fun and engaging on every level. We aspire for all of us to learn and grow - personally and professionally – through every project.
Three Mountain Group are like magicians with a bag of tricks, always knowing what to use for the exact circumstance. Their calm, creative and inspiring confidence and exceptional experience deliver high impact outcomes and allows partners to truly engage.Dr. Leela Hazzah, Executive Director & Cofounder, Lion Guardians
Three Mountain Group are experts in the art of facilitation, leadership development, team building and consulting. They are very skilled at adaptive management and adjust program needs as required. They are fun and energetic and not only can drive change but empower people and organizations to lead their own professional and organizational development and transformation.Shannon Stone, USAID Jordan, Director of Education Program, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Truly one of the most transformational weeks in my 20-year professional life! A fellow SVP had told me that Three Mountain Group had transformed dysfunctional teams; however, I was simply amazed by the dramatic shift that happened between extremely resistant factions in our project because of their work.Andrew Lewis, SVP Asia, Chemonics
Nature Conservation and Environment
Mental Health and Trauma
Sustainability and Climate Change
Education
Social Change and Development
Science, Space and Innovation
Philanthropy and Non-Profits
Agriculture – Cocoa – sustainability
Infrastructure – sustainability
Public Sector Reforms
Finance, Banking and Insurance
Governance and Politics
Advocacy
The 3MG team has decades of experience helping leaders and communities in over 100 countries solve complex problems that require diverse expertise, new frameworks and breakthrough thinking.
Australia
Bangladesh
Belgium
Botswana
Brazil
Canada
Cote d’Ivoire
Egypt
Germany
Ghana
India
Indonesia
Italy
Jordan
Kenya
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Mozambique
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
Macedonia
Paraguay
Philippines
Serbia
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Switzerland
Let's Connect
Our mission is to support folks making a difference so we welcome conversations to see if and how we might help those passionate about positive change.
Engaging with us is easy, fun, educational and deeply transformative. Simply call us if you are inspired to dramatically shift something you care deeply about!
John Griffin
CEO & Founder
John is often described as an idea and bridge-building genius. A natural connector with a vast network of colleagues, partners, friends across the globe. He loves to help and support people and believes strongly that others want to help too and given the opportunity they want to make a difference on what is important. A gifted “option man” he consistently sees numerous solutions to any problem.
His deep sense that everything is possible allows him to support clients to challenge perceived limitations and see the potential of what can manifest. He has an innate ability to observe and scan systems rapidly and see the essence of what is going on and then quickly translate that to how to navigate to innovative solutions.
His strength in being adaptive allows him to move in almost any direction needed bring innovation and his fast intelligence to home in on anything and bring creative and inspiring ideas to it. Committed and loyal to those he works with he brings everything needed in a selfless way to make transformation happen. Most memorable is that he has an engaging and fun hosting quality that welcomes you into this world of optimism and creativity – come play it is cool and fun in this nurturing playground of potential.
John has over three decades of experience facilitating organizational change and building leadership and management capacity with a variety of non-profit, public and private sector clients in over 45 countries worldwide. He is known for supporting individuals and groups to explore and open up what drives’ leadership, change, innovation and collaboration. He is deeply networked in diverse industries and sectors around the globe.
His unique capacity to build bridges and in integrating across fields of practice is as recognized as his proven track record in delivering results. John’s clients have included NASA, the United Nations, Fortune 500 Companies, the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and several Government and Community Institutions worldwide.
John has taught both internally in organizations and at some of the premier training centers including Georgetown University, Esalen, Gestalt Institute of Cleveland and Gestalt International Study Center. John has been an advisor on quoted in articles on Nature Conservation for National Geographic and was a co-author of two recent books on Systems Change.
John founded Three Mountain Group (3MG) 25 years ago. Prior to forming 3MG he worked on Wall Street for leading commercial and investment banks, advised for years at the World Bank as a social scientist and then went on to work for both the German and US Governments (USG) as a Nature Conservation Advisor serving as the Senior Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation Advisor for the USG.
A consistent and major focus for John, after his first trip to Nepal in the mid-80s, has been working to design and support complex conservation initiatives in addition to serving as an international wildlife and biodiversity specialist for the US government, United Nations, the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund and numerous national governments and local communities. John is grateful for the honor of having had an opportunity to work in some of the most wild, naturally beautiful and remote locations on the planet.
John is passionate about photography and spending as much time in nature as possible. In the last few years, John manifested a life-long passion in photography and established Griffin Galleries, which has become an internationally recognized fine art gallery. (www.griffingalleries.com).
Roughly 20 years ago, John consulted with some leading international forestry and climate change specialists to calculate his “carbon footprint” and then bought a small 100+ acre New England hardwood forest to offset his global travels for his consulting work. The land which has been in a Forest Conservation Management Plan the last 20 years is surrounded on 3 sides by State Conserved Lands and serves as an important Bear wintering habitat.
Nature Info
Mental Health
Mental health and trauma efforts support people to regain control over their lives and improve their quality of life. Dedicated mental health interventions can help individuals heal, manage symptoms, have a greater sense of well-being and happiness, and prevent further complications that may impact their health and livelihoods.
We have worked with various partners to enhance efforts to address mental health and trauma including:
Advancing Neuroscience Discovery for Depression and Schizophrenia
Youth Mental Health Response
Teen suicide and harm to others
Collaboration of Mental Health Services
Biology of Trauma Initiative
Nature Info
Social Change and Development
Improving the quality of life for individuals and communities is the key focus of social change and development efforts. Addressing societal issues like poverty, lack of access to basic needs, all lead to positive transformations within a community or country.
Many of the efforts in these areas look to improve the enabling conditions for development and strive to empower individuals and communities to have greater agency to promote their own growth and development. Social change and development efforts enhance resiliency and the ability of society to adapt to new circumstances and challenges.
We have worked with various partners to support positive social change and development including:
Alignment of International Technical Assistance and Financial Assistance Mechanisms for the International Finance Corporation and World Bank Group
Public -Private Partnerships for Development in Africa
Global Water and Sanitation Projects of the World Bank
Accelerating development impacts through UN program collaboration on HIV (Health), Gender Equality and Environmental movements
Innovative Financing for Mexican Debt Restructuring
Support to USAID Country Leadership Teams
Improvements to Supervision of World Bank implemented projects
Reengineering and organizational change process to transform the United Way into a “community impact” focused organization
Leadership Summit for World Bank and International Development Agencies
Leadership training for Senior Government Officials in several Countries Globally
Nature Info
Science Innovation
Efforts in science innovation support the development of new technologies and processes to address global issues and advance science and the quality of life. From developing new biomedical materials and processes to developing new medical and drug discoveries to military and space innovation efforts we have worked with those creating new technologies, treatments and solutions to complex problems.
We have worked with various partners to advance science innovation in the following areas:
Advancing collaboration in NASA Space Technologies and Implementation
UN International Summit of Leading Climate Change Scientists
US Homeland Security and Biological Threat Protection
Leadership Development and Strategy for those working on innovations on DNA, RNA and proteins the building blocks of life
Preventing Global Pandemics
Leadership Development for NASA Senior Engineers
US National Security Innovation Strategies
Advancing Neuroscience Discovery for Mental Health and Depression
Exploration into the Biology of Trauma and its Mitigation and Resilience
Nature Info
Education
Efforts to improve access to quality education across the globe serve to empower individuals, reduce poverty, promote economic growth, and foster social cohesion. Access to quality education can break the cycle of poverty by enabling individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to improve their lives and opportunities. Education is linked to higher incomes, sense of well-being and happiness, increased productivity, and innovation all contributing to an individuals, communities and country’s economic development.
We have worked with various partners to improve access and quality of education including:
Zimbabwe National Educational Reform
US National Emergency Aid for Higher Education
Namibian Higher Educational Strategy
Technical and Vocational Education Training in Egypt
World Bank Institute’s Global Education and Innovation Programs
Nature Info
Sustainability and Climate Change
Sustainability projects strive to seek solutions for society to meet its current needs without compromising the ability of current and future generations to meet their own needs. Topics like climate change and sustainability are often interwoven as most human activities that cause climate change are not sustainable. In addition, the impacts of climate change can make it more difficult to find sustainable solutions to other problems.
We have worked with various partners to find more sustainable practices and to reduce the effects of climate change and enhance resilience of human and natural systems including:
Reducing food waste and food supply innovation
Sustainability of the cocoa industry value chain
Sustainable development in humanitarian aid and green reconstruction efforts
Affordable, reliable, sustainable modern energy
Renewable energy and energy efficiency
Implementing global environmental safeguards in development projects
Sustainable infrastructure and transportation including mega-infrastructure
Enhancing sustainability practices in the Extractive Industries
Nature Info
Nature Conservation
Organizations and programs working to conserve nature are striving to maintain and enhance the health of the planet and its ecosystems. The natural world is vital to sustaining human development while at the same time is often challenged and threatened by our growth and development efforts. Finding a balance between the two is essential.
We have worked with various partners to conserve habitats, species, and ecosystems including:
African Savannah Ecosystems
Coral Reef and Marine Ecosystems
Rainforest Ecosystems
Okavango and Limpopo River Basin Conservation
Tiger Conservation
Snow Leopard Conservation
Elephant and Rhino Conservation
National Park and Protected Area Management
Transboundary Natural Resource Management (TBNRM)
Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM)
Leadership and Capacity Building for the Conservation Sector
US National Park Service Leadership Development and Strategic Planning
US Forest Service Leadership Development and Strategic Planning
