ABOUT

Designing better ways to serve the public.

Public Servants is a public-interest consultancy partnering with governments and civic organizations to improve the services, experiences, and systems people rely on. We bring together strategy, research, design, communications, and change expertise to turn complex challenges into effective, equitable, and public-centered solutions.

We work with institutions large and small, bringing national experience and local sensitivity to every engagement. Our work bridges institutional ambition and public experience—helping organizations understand what people need and turn that understanding into better services, systems, and outcomes.

Ashleigh Axios moderates a panel discussion with two speakers at an AIGA DC event, seated on stage in conversation with microphones and small tables during a public dialogue on design and leadership.

Moderating a public forum on how institutions serve people—from digital to in-person experiences.

Supporting leaders ready to make change

Leaders across public-serving institutions are being asked to do more with less—and to do it faster, with higher stakes and greater public scrutiny. But many of the systems they rely on weren’t designed for today’s complexity, diversity, or scale.

At Public Servants, we support leaders dedicated to improving processes as much as outcomes. Leaders who care about the destination and the journey. We partner with government and nonprofit teams to improve all kinds of public work, so it reflects the care, creativity, and courage our communities deserve—and is better equipped for the challenges ahead.

Explore the roots of what holds public service back—and what we’re building instead.

A name that reflects us, and you

Public Servants speaks to both our mission and our mindset. It honors the responsibility of public work and the people we work alongside every day.

Leadership grounded in the work

Public Servants brings experience from inside government, alongside public institutions, and at the helm of mission-driven organizations. Our work spans federal, state, and local government—along with nonprofits and civic organizations—giving us a grounded understanding of how policy, operations, communications, and public experience intersect in practice.

Our experience includes work with lasting reach and consequence: designing and art directing the Federal Trade Commission’s Net Cetera, whose original edition reached more than 9.3 million copies; and leading multidisciplinary work supporting the Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force as it developed recommendations for addressing health inequities exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic.

That experience extends across levels of government. More recent work has taken us from the Minnesota Department of Human Services to public institutions and leaders in Orlando and Arkansas.

We’ve also built and scaled mission-driven organizations and led work spanning strategy, research, service and experience design, communications, digital transformation, operations, and organizational change. That breadth allows us to move between the big picture and the realities of implementation—and to understand what it takes to carry ambitious ideas through real institutional constraints.

We know public work from the inside and alongside it. We bring that perspective to every engagement, with respect for the people doing the work, an understanding of the environments they operate within, and a focus on meaningful progress that can last.

Ashleigh Axios participates in a seated conversation with another speaker at a Founder’s Sandbox event, engaging in dialogue on stage with an audience present.

In conversation with leaders and practitioners navigating complex public challenges.

Join us

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Talent Network

We're building a network of people interested in future collaboration with Public Servants across design, strategy, research, policy, and operations.

Opportunities may include project-based contracts, advisory work, fractional support, or longer-term engagements.

We review submissions on a rolling basis and may reach out when there's alignment with upcoming opportunities.

ESTABLISHED CAREER

Illustration of Branda Ayo taking a selfie of the group, Polly Xu on her laptop, and Gina Bae drawing a cat on Polly's head while giving a peace symbol

2026 internships

Multiple times a year, Public Servants hosts a small cohort of creative practitioners to explore how their skills can strengthen public service. Our Fall 2026 cohort has been selected and will begin their time with us in October. We look forward to sharing more about them and their work soon.

Meet the Summer 2026 intern cohort.

BUDDING CAREER

How we partner

We work alongside public leaders and mission-driven teams who are committed to improving how institutions serve people.

Our collaborations are grounded in trust, clarity, and shared responsibility. We bring structure without rigidity, and perspective without distance—working closely with teams to navigate complexity and move forward with confidence.


Stay connected

Public Servants is part of a growing community of public leaders, designers, and mission-driven organizations working to strengthen how institutions serve people. We share insights, reflections, and opportunities to learn together.

Follow and engage

Contact us

  • “I felt so cared for and grounded by Public Servants’ facilitation. They brought insights from their own experience while centering our team, with an energy that was calming, unhurried, curious, and graceful.”

    Workshop participant
    U.S. state government team

  • "Being part of this internship has shown me that you don't have to follow a traditional path to make an impact. I also really enjoyed our practice sessions with invited speakers, who shared their backgrounds, roles, and how they navigated different stages of their careers."

    Branda Ayo
    Creative & Civic Practice Intern · Summer 2026

  • "Public Servants captured the essence of our business in the brand strategy and design. It hits the nail on the head, so to speak."

    Branding client
    Nonprofit environmental organization

  • “Seeing how clearly defined roles and delegation streamline work—and learning from others’ strengths—helped me grow both professionally and in my approach to work."

    Mashal Zahra
    Creative & Civic Practice Intern · Spring 2026

Our values and principles

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Integrity

We lead with honesty, consistency, and ethics—taking responsibility for our decisions and their effects on the world.

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Stewardship

We manage resources and relationships responsibly, fostering sustainability and long-term impact.

Blue abstract logo with white star shape in circle

Excellence

We uphold the highest standards, refining our craft with curiosity, creativity, and a commitment for continuous growth.

Abstract blue geometric logo design

Collective

Rooted in community, we embrace diverse perspectives, actively listening, learning, and co-creating solutions.

Blue geometric abstract design with circle and curved lines

Courage

We tackle challenges with boldness, imagination, and resolve—turning complexity into elegant, effective solutions.

Public Servants

Together, we design solutions that make public services more effective, inclusive, and resilient.

Simon Sinek

“When the things you say and the things you do are in alignment with what you actually believe, a thriving culture emerges.”

Toni Morrison

“We are paradigms of our own values, advertisements of our own ethics.”

Let's build together

We partner with public leaders, civic organizations, and communities to co-design solutions that improve how public services work for people.

Learn about our varied service offerings.