Nunataq — Think like a mountain

Nunataq Lead

Coaching for leaders catalyzing global change

Nunataq — think like a mountain.

Nunataq Lead shapes discerning leaders — the kind who can tell the difference between a plan that sounds good and one that will actually hold. We work with executives and founders who are ready to move past gut instinct alone, building the judgment, governance habits, and decision discipline that let a high-impact organization trust its own leadership under real pressure.

Who this is for

CEOs, founders, executive directors, and senior leaders at B-Corps, nonprofits, and foundations navigating hard tradeoffs between values, strategy, and results.

Built on a decade leading multi-stakeholder processes across governments, nations, and mission-driven organizations on six continents — including facilitating the historic Blackfeet bison reintroduction across sovereign and federal lands.

First step: a free 30-minute fit session, no pitch, just a conversation.

What you get

One-on-one executive coaching, confidential and values-grounded
Decision-making and governance discipline built for real pressure
Small cohort learning — six months with 6–8 leaders
Customized advisory for executive teams and boards

Nunataq Plan

Plans that get built, not just written

Strategy, plus the system to carry it out.

Nunataq has spent over a decade facilitating and supporting the implementation of dozens of strategic plans that actually get carried out — not shelved. Nunataq Plan builds the operating backbone behind that track record: custom indicator frameworks, rigorous quantitative methods, and the dashboards that turn raw data into decisions — backed by the workflow governance, unified data systems, and strategic partnerships that carry a plan through implementation.

Who this is for

Nonprofits, foundations, and mission-driven organizations that need a strategy their board can act on, and a system to prove it's working.

A decade building indicator frameworks and dashboards grounded in real methods — from co-developing the Piikani Wellbeing Index with the Blackfeet Nation to building a social vulnerability index with UBC and federal climate scientists — plus the operational discipline behind Iqra Fund's $1.5M portfolio and 22-person team.

First step: a free strategy audit, 30 minutes on what you have and the biggest gap.

What you get

Custom impact indicators and KPI frameworks, including wellbeing metrics grounded in your own values
Quantitative and mixed-methods analysis — GIS, vulnerability indices, statistical modeling
Dashboards built for real decisions, not just activity tracking
Workflow governance — clear decision rights across teams and partners
Strategic partnership development, from funders to implementation partners
Consolidated tech ecosystems — one system of record, not five

Nunataq Story

Stories that stand the test of time

Authentic stories with soul, narratives that drive change — stories you're proud of.

Nunataq Story runs a controlled, collaborative creative pipeline — not a freelancer you hope shows up, but a production process built for organizations that can't afford a missed deadline or a story that misses the mark. We bring real structure to the creative process: clear checkpoints, shared review, and a workflow that keeps your team involved from first draft to final cut.

Who this is for

Nonprofits, foundations, and mission-driven organizations with a true story to tell and no time or team to tell it well.

A decade of award-winning films in ten languages, shot across some of the hardest places on earth to reach — built on listening first, then shaping the story that was already true.

First step: a free story audit, 30 minutes on what's missing to make it land.

What you get

Documentary and short-form film, managed through a controlled production pipeline
Immersive 360° and VR experiences
Visual communications, mapping, and campaign media, built collaboratively at every stage

Nunataq Legacy

Where wealth becomes wisdom

And giving becomes a legacy that lasts.

Wealth without a shared purpose rarely survives the generation that built it. Nunataq Legacy exists to change that — turning giving into a mission the whole family can stand behind, structured to hold up under real tax and governance scrutiny, not just good intentions.

Who this is for

High-net-worth families and family foundations who want their giving to reflect what they actually value, and to stay meaningful across generations.

Direct experience building a community-defined wellbeing index with the Blackfeet Nation — proof of what it looks like to measure impact by a family's own values, not someone else's template.

First step: a free 30-minute conversation about what your family wants to leave behind.

What you get

Foundation mission design and governance facilitation
Grant strategy grounded in measurable, values-aligned impact
Multi-generational alignment — the whole family at the table

The Nunataq approach, in their words

What partners say

Real organizations, real outcomes.

Unique and diverse skills in an important niche of our work, with a high level of execution on all tasks. CJ's creativity and ability to network opens so many doors for us.

Alysa McCallDirector of Conservation Outreach, Polar Bears International

Crosscut was in need of a visual communications specialist with the ability to work in challenging environments — we were up against a tight deadline and needed representative footage for a national network's primetime broadcast. Nunataq brought professional filmmaking to the table along with significant tacit knowledge of mountain environments. Beyond his ability to work in difficult conditions, CJ combines a keen artistic eye with a strong commitment to crafting a final product that works.

Sam AtkinsOperations Director, Crosscut Mountain Sports Center

Creativity and vision. CJ brings a lot of life experience and unique concepts to incorporate into projects, and he makes personal contact with others, which is hard to find in a fast-paced world.

Ted ChaseSummit Mountain Lodge / Glacier National Park

CJ and Nunataq had the right skillset and background for the tasks we wanted to accomplish. I really liked CJ's organization — he summarized each meeting and phone conversation, and listed the next tasks that needed completing, which kept our momentum going. His enthusiasm and ideas sparked excitement, and he was willing to hear our input.

Donna Caruso-HirstProject Supervisor, Glacier Two Medicine Alliance

We had a need for communications materials, and CJ brought the interest, topical knowledge, and availability to support our project. Christopher is an enthusiastic and creative person to work with — I learned a lot from him, and he listened well to our needs and helped us create materials that met them.

Molly CrossDirector of Climate Change Adaptation, Wildlife Conservation Society

CJ has a very unique skillset and experience, making Nunataq perfectly suited for holistic projects addressing the larger issues our world is currently facing — documentary filmmaking, visual communication, watershed, regional, and First Nations planning. He made my film project a true pleasure to create; his skills, personality, and dedication were invaluable, turning what could have been overwhelming into something that flowed smoothly and achieved incredible results.

Zachary WeissFounder, Elemental Ecosystems

CJ is a professional and creative filmmaker — I really enjoyed working with him.

Pervez SajjadCountry Director, Iqra Fund

The founder

Why Nunataq exists

Christopher J. Carter, founder of Nunataq

Christopher "CJ" Carter, AICP — Founder, Nunataq

Since 2011, CJ Carter has had the honor of working with leaders around the world to make plans, decisions, and systems that transform their organizations. He believes in the inherent power of teams to achieve big things with grounded leadership. His early work in Greenland taught him the power of values, culture, and vision to shape a future people are proud of. Like the peaks above the ice sheet, CJ helps leaders navigate change and risk, and build solutions that withstand the test of time.

From facilitating strategic plans and landmark climate legislation, to reintroducing species and scaling teams across some of the biggest mountains on earth, CJ brings decades of frontline work in planning, storytelling, and organizational development.

Christopher founded Nunataq Inc. in 2018 to address the need for leaders to innovate — to have the space to think and shape their organizations, equipped with the best tools and training.

Notable work

Served as the sole licensed regional planner in UN working groups, COP 20–26, implementing the Paris Agreement
Facilitated the historic return of wild bison to Blackfeet Nation and Glacier National Park after 125 years
Directed a $1.5M capital portfolio and 22-person team at Iqra Fund
Co-developed the Piikani Wellbeing Index with the Blackfeet Nation
Directed 60+ award-winning films across 10 languages

Credentials

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), 2018–present
M.Sc. Community & Regional Planning, University of British Columbia
Executive Finance Certificate, Saïd Business School, Oxford
Certified Floodplain Manager, ASFPM
Founder, Nunataq Inc. (B-Corp)

Start here — no obligation

One free call. No pitch, just clarity.

Every Nunataq engagement starts the same way: a 30-minute conversation to see where you are, and whether we're the right fit. If we're not, we'll tell you.

Book a free 30-minute call or audit — pick whichever service fits.

We look at what you have and name the biggest gap, honestly.

If it's a fit, we scope real work. If not, you walk away with clarity anyway.

Book your free call