Harnessing Your Potential

EnhancingYour Impact

About HARNESS

About Our Founder

Carrie Wagner’s career has always centered around one mission: empowering people and communities through education, leadership, and operational excellence. She founded HARNESS in 2023, giving her the platform to drive systemic change and reimagine back office support—delivering expert financial and strategic support to mission-driven organizations so they can focus on what truly matters: their impact.

Prior to founding HARNESS, Carrie founded the first all-girls charter middle school in Los Angeles called the Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles (GALS) where she empowered girls to love themselves more fully and stand up for what they believe in.

Prior to opening GALS, Carrie was the COO of Bright Star Schools, a charter management organization that operates 9 schools in Los Angeles, and the CFO/COO of Citizens of the Worlds Charter Schools, a national charter organization operating schools in Los Angeles and Kansas City.  Carrie also spent 9 years at ExED, a leading nonprofit provider of charter school management services, where she served as President and COO. 

Carrie earned a M.B.A. from The Anderson School at UCLA and a B.S. in Accountancy and Computer Applications from The University of Notre Dame.  Carrie also earned a M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica (USM), and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

HARNESS as a noun: is what keeps a rock climber safe.  We will keep your organization safe with financially sustainable budgeting, accurate financial information at your fingertips and strategic thought partnership. 

As a CPA, MBA and nearly tens years of leading back office work, CEO Carrie Wagner has the technical experience to ensure your financial information is accurate and easy to use.  As a founder of a successful charter school, she knows first hand what challenges you face and will help you reach your goals.

HARNESS as a verb: to collect and control something so that it can be used effectively.  We want to support you in harnessing the energy of your resources to increase outcomes and make even more positive impact in your community.