Hi, I’m so glad you’re here.
This short video shares a bit about me and the ideas behind Stories Work — how story connects who we are with what we dare to build.
I look forward to connecting with you.
Ara Tucker
Founder and Principal, Stories Work
Because the stories we tell shape the leaders we become.
Executive Coaching • Advisory • Speaking • Creative Leadership
Stories Work.
Stories aren’t just creative tools — they’re strategic ones. Over more than two decades in leadership and executive roles across law, finance, media, tech, healthcare, and the social sector, I’ve seen how the right narrative can unlock alignment, shift culture, and open space for reinvention.
Across every role I’ve held, I’ve learned that the tools that shape narrative also shape organizations. I founded Stories Work to bring those worlds together — helping people and institutions see patterns, name truths, and build the futures they want.
Why Stories Work
Growth is rarely a straight line. It’s a story we tell — and then learn to tell better.
Through Stories Work, I help people and organizations find clarity in transition — in the in-between spaces where identity, creativity, and leadership intersect.
My work includes one-on-one coaching, narrative strategy for teams and leaders, speaking engagements and custom collaborations that bring story to the center of how we live, lead, and build.
How I Help
A few reflections from people who’ve experienced this work firsthand — across art, leadership, and industry — on what it means to see clearly, listen deeply, and lead through story.
Reflections from Collaborators and Clients
Working with Ara feels like being seen by someone who understands you completely — not just what you do, but how you move through the world. She has an uncanny ability to find the heart of an idea and reflect it back in a way that feels both authentic and revelatory.
Ara doesn’t try to impose a system or a framework; she listens deeply, meets you where you are, and builds from there. Every conversation leaves you with more clarity, more space, and a deeper connection to what actually matters. It’s rare to find someone who can hold both the creative and the strategic with such ease — she brings a quiet precision that makes you feel both grounded and expanded at the same time.
I come away from our sessions not only with insight, but with a sense of calm confidence — the feeling that my work, my story, and my unique perspective finally make sense. Ara doesn’t just help you articulate your story; she helps you remember why it’s worth telling and why it’s culturally relevant.
— Globally renowned artist whose work bridges visual storytelling and intellectual rigor
Ara is the kind of leader who elevates people, teams, and entire organizations. She empowers others with clarity and trust — creating the conditions for high performance, deeper engagement, and real growth.
Her coaching mindset is a true differentiator. Ara asks incisive, generative questions that widen perspective, spark connections, and help people navigate complexity with confidence. I’ve seen her strengthen leaders, unlock capability, and catalyze meaningful change across functions and levels.
Ara brings out the best in people — and in the systems they impact.
— Global Talent & Leadership Development Leader with deep expertise in organizational capability, talent management, and executive growth
Ara is a thoughtful, practiced, and deeply learned advocate for mentoring, guiding, and advancing human skill development across industries. An attentive listener with a calm, confident presence, Ara brings a rare blend of insight, experience, and empathy — drawing on a lifetime of leadership, learning, and observation.
I’m proud to serve alongside her on two boards and have learned a great deal from both our collaboration and friendship.
— Board director and private investor with extensive leadership experience across multiple industries
Ara’s Storytelling in Public session was deeply moving and beautifully crafted. From the moment she began with song and story, the room was captivated. Her openness invited connection, and her reflections on finding her voice resonated with everyone in the group — many of us were visibly moved.
Through her generosity and warmth, Ara created an experience that reminded us how personal stories can bridge differences and help us see ourselves more clearly.
— Program Manager, Foundation for Contemporary Arts (NYC); formerly Senior Fellowship Manager, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art
These reflections are reminders that growth is shared — and that story is how we find our way there.
Meet Ara Tucker
Chief People Officer • Storyteller • Coach • Founder of Stories Work
I help leaders and organizations grow through creativity, leadership, and purpose — reconnecting them with the story underneath their leadership: who they are, what they’re building, and why it matters now.
Over more than two decades leading people and culture at organizations like Audible, Cityblock, and Flatiron Health — and serving on the Board of Directors at MoMA PS1 — I’ve seen how creativity, identity, and leadership are inseparable. That experience shapes both my advisory work and my fiction.
As the author of How to Raise an Art Star, How to Date a Black Girl, and Tails from the Alley, I write about belonging, power, and transformation — themes that echo the real challenges leaders and institutions face when they’re navigating growth or reinvention.
My approach began with an early lesson in connecting creativity and commerce: as a college student selling radio ads for WPRB 103.3FM, I realized I wasn’t just selling airtime — I was learning how story, empathy, and business drive each other.
Today, through Stories Work, I help people and organizations translate complex change into clarity — not by fixing what’s broken, but by uncovering what’s true and leading from there.
The I’m Here Too Podcast
Conversations about identity, creativity, and becoming.
Because our stories shape how we lead, live, and belong.
Let’s Work Together
Every partnership begins with a conversation.
Whether you’re a founder, executive, or creative leader navigating growth and change, I help align people, purpose, and story.
To explore additional opportunities, reach out directly:
You can also find me here: