Strong Roots. Bold Growth.

Who We Are

At Root & Stem Advisors, we help organizations build scalable, sustainable people infrastructure. From organizational design and executive coaching to strategic HR leadership, we provide guidance that supports teams, strengthens leadership, and drives organizational impact.

We believe in strong roots and bold growth — building a foundation today that allows people and organizations to thrive tomorrow.

Meet the Founder & Principal Advisor

Carla Patton is a Certified Professional in Human Resources with more than 23 years of progressive HR leadership experience. She has built sustainable workplace capabilities and high-performance cultures that drive measurable business outcomes across complex organizations.

Her expertise spans enterprise HR operations, executive coaching, employee and labor relations, multistate compliance, organizational effectiveness, talent development, and strategic HR program leadership. Carla has advised senior leadership across unionized, federal government, healthcare, manufacturing, and marketing environments—partnering with executives to align people strategy with business performance while minimizing risk.

She is known as a trusted advisor who balances operational integrity with strong employee advocacy, helping leaders grow, navigate complexity, and create environments where both organizations and individuals can thrive.

Carla also serves as co-host of The Career Salon Podcast with the HR Twins, where she has educated audiences on a wide range of career-focused topics for 10 seasons.

Why Root & Stem? / Our Philosophy

We approach HR like an ecosystem: strong roots, visible growth.

  • Roots: Establishing a solid foundation of policies, processes, and people strategy.

  • Stem: Supporting your organization as it scales and coaching leaders to elevate their teams and impact.

We are strategic partners, not just HR consultants — helping organizations make people decisions that drive meaningful business results.

Testimonials

  • "Because of her customized care, she managed to keep employee engagement high under otherwise impossible circumstances, ensuring our business could continue to thrive"

    —R.N.

  • "Carla is the steady hand you want leading your people strategy. It is rare to find an HR professional who combines two decades of deep industry wisdom with such genuine, unwavering empathy which is exactly what makes Carla exceptional"

    —T.R.

  • "She has an incredible instinct for reading situations, understanding nuance, and helping leaders navigate decisions in a way that is fair, thoughtful, and grounded. More than that, she shows up as a partner - not a gatekeeper. Someone you want in the room when things get hard, because you know she’s there to help you do the right thing, not just the easy one."

    —N.C.

  • "Carla's organizational skills are matched only by her innovative thinking. She brings fresh ideas to traditional HR challenges and isn't afraid to advocate for what's right for both the company and its people. Whether navigating complex employee issues or designing programs that enhance company culture, she approaches every situation with professionalism, integrity, and genuine care."

    —N.G.

Let’s Build Something Strong

  • A complimentary 30-minute conversation designed to explore your goals, challenges, and opportunities. This informal session allows us to connect, discuss your organizational needs, and determine whether there’s alignment for partnership. No pressure — just thoughtful dialogue and clarity on next steps.

  • Embedded executive HR partnership without the overhead of a full-time hire. Provide strategic direction, leadership counsel, and enterprise-level people oversight to ensure alignment between workforce strategy and business objectives.

  • Design and optimize structures, roles, and talent frameworks that enable clarity, accountability, and scalable performance. Align people strategy with operational priorities to support sustainable growth and organizational effectiveness.

  • Confidential, results-oriented coaching that strengthens leadership presence, sharpens decision-making, and enhances influence. Equip leaders to navigate complexity, drive performance, and lead with confidence.

Work With Us