Denise Miller, MakeDo
About Denise Miller + Make Do
Denise Miller (they/she) is a poet, playwright, and mixed media artist. Author of Core, Ligatures, A Ligature for Black Bodies, and How to Make an American Mass Shooter.
Welcome to MakeDo Consulting, a visionary hub where creativity, equity, and holistic transformation converge to empower organizations, communities, and individuals seeking authentic change. Founded by Denise Miller, author, mixed media artist, equity trainer, vegan chef, and nonprofit co-founder, MakeDo Consulting stands at the dynamic intersection of art, social justice, and practical leadership.
Mission & Values
At MakeDo Consulting, the core mission is clear: to foster transformation grounded in creativity, equity, and holistic practice. This means more than merely delivering services—it is about facilitating lasting change in how people work, collaborate, and nurture their communities. Our guiding values are rooted in lived experience, scholarly rigor, and the belief in collective vision. Every engagement is personalized, deeply informed by research, and positioned to deliver measurable social impact.
Creativity is at the heart of MakeDo’s philosophy. We regard the act of making—whether through storytelling, art, or food—as a crucial tool for organizational and personal renewal. Denise Miller’s thirty-year career, spanning education, the arts, and community leadership, inspires a culture of possibility that defines every aspect of our consulting work.
Who We Are
MakeDo Consulting was launched by Denise Miller, whose work as a poet, playwright, and essayist has garnered national recognition, including the Sexton Prize for Poetry and nominations for the Pushcart Prize and American Book Award. Denise’s published books—Core, Ligatures, A Ligature for Black Bodies, and How to Make an American Mass Shooter—engage questions of identity, justice, and healing, framing the narrative power central to our methods.
Denise’s artistic journey shapes MakeDo’s unique approach. From adapting poetry for the stage to producing mixed media installations, their artmaking is always collaborative and community focused. Denise partners with grassroots organizations, using art to spotlight underrepresented voices and drive social change. Their leadership experience as a nonprofit co-founder and executive director in both arts and LGBTQ advocacy further anchors MakeDo’s commitment to equity and impact.
What We Do
MakeDo Consulting offers services designed to meet the diverse needs of partners and clients:
Equity & Inclusion Training: MakeDo specializes in designing and facilitating workshops on anti-bias, intersectionality, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Denise Miller’s signature programs, such as “At the Intersections” and “Building White Allies,” foster dialogue and actionable change in organizations ranging from schools to nonprofits and corporations. Our long-term strategies help build cultures of equity and responsiveness.
Creative Writing & Artistic Consulting: As an acclaimed writer, Denise leads engaging writing workshops, manuscript development, editing projects, and curriculum design. MakeDo’s creative facilitation services encourage clients and communities to harness narrative, produce innovative content, and cultivate their own artistic voices.
Mixed Media Art Services: Visual storytelling is core to MakeDo. We craft public art installations, design arts festivals, and facilitate community-based creative projects. Denise’s experience curating arts events brings a rich, expressive dimension to our services, helping organizations connect and communicate visually.
Nonprofit Consulting: MakeDo supports nonprofits with strategic planning, program design, fundraising, and partnership building. Leveraging Denise’s extensive experience, we help organizations—especially those serving underserved communities—achieve sustainability, develop impactful programming, and evaluate outcomes with clarity.
Vegan Culinary Workshops: Denise Miller’s skills as a vegan chef extend MakeDo’s holistic focus. We offer classes and culinary demos that promote wellness, sustainability, and food justice, embedding culinary practice in broader conversations about health, community, and social change.
Our Approach
At MakeDo, every partnership is guided by compassion, rigor, and a commitment to transformational outcomes. Our blend of creative empowerment and practical strategy delivers results whether through art, writing, equity facilitation, or wellness education. Collaborators—ranging from higher education and museums to local governments and business teams—describe MakeDo as a source of energy and clarity, deftly confronting challenges and launching new initiatives.
Denise Miller’s culinary engagement—teaching vegan cooking as both nourishment and activism—underscores MakeDo’s ethos of whole-person and whole-community empowerment. We see every consulting engagement as an opportunity to “make do”—to transform limitations into creative, inclusive, sustainable solutions.
Why Choose MakeDo?
Working with MakeDo Consulting means partnering with a leader who brings artistry, scholarship, and activism to every aspect of growth and transformation. Clients receive tailored equity and inclusion training, creative writing and artistic facilitation, nonprofit development support, vegan wellness workshops, and help building lasting community partnerships. Through every service and project, MakeDo guides clients and communities toward opportunity, imagination, and real change.
We invite you to join us—to make, do, and transform—artfully and equitably. Whether seeking to cultivate equity, ignite creativity, advance wellness, or build community, MakeDo Consulting is your trusted partner for organizational and personal renewal.
Contact: Denise Miller
Email: mildenise@gmail.com
Website: denisemiller.studio
Address: 1501 Fulford St, Suite 9, Kalamazoo, MI 49001
