Every company begins with a spark. Sometimes it is an idea, a frustration, or a vision for something better. What sustains that spark, however, is a shared purpose. At coLAB, we are building more than a platform. We are building a mission-driven company that integrates sustainability, strategic consulting, purpose-built software, and values-centered facilitation.
This work is about helping mission-driven organizations lead with clarity, confidence, and connection. Through this four-part series, we introduce the founding team behind coLAB, not only to share where we have been, but to reflect on what we are creating together.
Our conversations go beyond job titles or product roadmaps. They highlight the deep relationships, lived experience, and long-range commitment that shape every engagement we take on. Because coLAB is not just a name. It is the way we work, with our partners, with each other, and with the future in mind.
Meet the Team: Dr. Anna Erb, Chief Impact Officer
Turning Complexity Into Clarity, and Strategy Into Action
For Dr. Anna Erb, the work at coLAB is personal. With more than two decades of experience in behavioral health, clinical social work, and public sector consulting, Anna has spent her career supporting people and systems that rarely get the resources they deserve. Her role as Chief Impact Officer reflects both a commitment to service and a belief that strategy only matters if it leads to change.
“I kept seeing the same disconnect,” she says. “Organizations had big visions, but the tools they were using didn’t reflect the lived realities of their staff or the people they serve. We wanted to change that.”
Anna first met her fellow coLAB founders while working together at a previous organization. They collaborated on high-stakes projects that spanned states and sectors, and they built a rhythm of trust, challenge, and mutual support. When the opportunity came to collaborate on a new venture, Anna was ready.
“We had already built something strong together. coLAB was a chance to do something new, —and to grow it into something even more intentional.”
From Clinical Practice to Strategic Infrastructure
Anna’s work has always been about translation. Whether she is facilitating a cross-sector meeting, designing evaluation tools, or helping define software requirements, her focus is on turning complexity into something people can use. At coLAB, she brings that skillset to every layer of the organization.
“We are building strategy that can actually be implemented,” she says. “That means it has to be grounded in real context, with room for equity, flexibility, and feedback.”
Anna helps lead the development of both internal systems and external engagements. She plays a key role in ensuring the VERVE platform reflects what organizations truly need, not just what looks good on a slide deck. “It is easy to make a plan that looks good on paper,” she says. “What we care about is whether that plan moves people forward in the real world.”
A Mission That Is Lived, Not Just Written
Anna’s leadership is shaped by years of working inside the systems coLAB now supports. She understands the emotional toll and operational weight that comes with frontline roles, and she brings a deep respect for that work into every meeting, feature request, and project plan.
“I believe in doing work with integrity, connection, and care,” she says. “At coLAB, we are honest about what is working, clear about what is not, and committed to making things better together.”
She is also committed to building an internal culture that reflects those same principles.
“We support each other. We laugh, we adapt, and we hold space for joy even when the work is hard. That balance makes everything stronger.”
Looking Ahead
Anna’s vision for coLAB is one where values and execution go hand in hand. She sees a future where VERVE is widely used across sectors, not just because it is smart, but because it is designed with care. She also wants coLAB’s consulting practice to remain a trusted space for honest dialogue, alignment, and growth.
“Our team is here to support the people doing the hard work,” she says. “Whether that means refining a strategic plan, facilitating cross-agency collaboration, or helping translate trauma-informed principles into software, we are here to help people move forward, with clarity and confidence.”
This is the work Anna leads every day, with humility, with precision, and with impact in mind.
