About Our Work
Business Solutions
One of the myths increasingly busted in the business world is that strategy and innovation can occur without people implications as forefront and top of mind. Pontem Works offers partnership to businesses looking for ways to enhance their effectiveness through practices, procedures, and work environments that support people.
Beyond Inclusion
Inclusion isn't just a nice-to-have, it's essential for creativity, human performance, and business innovation in an increasingly market-crowded and competitive world. Pontem Works projects look for ways to seamlessly appreciate and bridge differences in ideas, perspectives, knowledge and/or experiences to achieve and exceed business goals.
Meet Princess Ayers-Stewart
Pontem Works owner and chief consultant, Princess Ayers-Stewart, is comfortable in complex, evolving and fast-moving environments. A lawyer by training, Princess has a deep understanding and appreciation for historic structures and systems, while recognizing that innovation and success aren't bound in the status quo and the norms of what has been created.
For the past twenty years, Princess has dedicated her time, energy, knowledge-building, and expertise to the work of people in business. She worked in Equal Opportunity compliance and diversity and a labor and employment law firm and Walgreens corporation. She served as Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion for Starbucks Coffee Company, and Seattle Childrens' first-ever Chief of Workforce Diversity and Inclusion.
In past work, and with Pontem Works clients, Princess loves actively participating to see business and people at their best--creating access to opportunity, removing barriers, and authentically connecting people. She gets how to create strategy with a return on investment--the bottom line impacted along with deeper and truer relationships internally and externally.
A native of Chicago, Princess has formal education in Business Administration from the University of Illinois, studied Law with the Chicago-Kent College of Law, and earned a Master of Laws degree in employee benefits from The John Marshall Law School. In addition to her full-time and consulting work, she has served as a board member for the Washington State Business Leadership Network, Village Leadership Academy, Twenty Pearls Foundation, Northwest Industry Liaison Group, and Team Read. She currently serves on the Workforce Development Council of Seattle King County and the Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Princess currently resides in West Seattle with her husband Barnett Joseph Stewart. They have two children, Britt age 29 who resides in Los Angeles and Andre age 22, residing in Chicago.
Mission
To authentically build business solutions through innovative thinking, inclusion, and connection between people.
Vision
To create opportunity, connect people and cultivate inclusion one organization at a time.
