Chaia Milstein, Founder

Hi, I’m Chaia. I have a lot of respect for family-run – and especially friend-run – businesses: It takes a lot of guts to put that much of your life into your work, and vice-versa.

My path to conflict resolution was a bit roundabout. I’ve spent much of my career as a writer/editor, and most of it online. For most that time, I’ve bounced between the tech and entertainment fields, and have a lot of affection for both. I love when the visionary aspects of tech create a product or service that solves a big problem. And I love the all-for-one team feeling of working on set or in a production office. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of hiring and being hired by friends and family, so I understand how high the stakes can be when working with loved ones.

Like many people, I didn’t grow up seeing great role models for healthy conflict, which means I spent a long time wondering, How do you do that? This question led me to six years in a Method acting class – where I got to witness and experiment with different kinds of conflict – and then to an improv course, where I got to yes-and a lot of unexpected ideas. Both experiences helped me answer my question of how while helping me find more ease in conflict and a desire to use conflict toward peaceful outcomes.

I was still curious about the mechanisms of conflict, though, so I went to grad school. In 2023 I earned an MS in Negotiation & Conflict Resolution; my thesis focused on how to make mergers and acquisitions run more smoothly. This degree brought together some of my lifetime obsessions: the nuance of language and meaning / self-understanding and emotional expression / meeting people where they’re at / where one person ends and another begins / power dynamics / high-stakes conflict. 

Because I earned this degree while working full time, I’ve been able to use what I saw working at my job to develop some of the services that I now offer. I graduated knowing that I wanted to work with family-run and friend-run businesses because of how fulfilling I’ve found it to work with the people I love. Everyone should get to feel that way!

In my spare time, I enjoy doing UX testing, as well as activities that would more traditionally be considered “fun,” like baking bread, texting cat memes, and hanging out with my family in the Bronx, NY.

And: I look forward to meeting you!