It’s Time: I.G. Spreads its Wings

Being a parent is often a thankless task. You take something and nurture it, treating it with love and care, losing sleep and worrying if — against all odds — it will achieve its full potential and become the best it can be. It may never, ever show gratitude for your sacrifice. And then one day it will grow up and leave.

But occasionally there is a moment in the lifecycle of a parent where your child will shine. It will walk out into the world, head held high, full of hope and ambition and you will feel this poignant mix of sadness and joy, of wistfulness for the past and excitement for the future.

Carlos and I often refer to I.G. as our first child. When we were founding the firm in 2011, I was not yet pregnant with our twins, but the responsibility we felt with our fledging business was already very real. We’ve had our share of sleepless nights and challenges, but they have been fewer than with our actual children. Mostly, the last decade of I.G. has been filled with gratitude, growth and blossoming pride at the things we have helped our clients to accomplish.

So, it is with pure excitement that we let our child grow into the next phase of its life, and with it, make space for new leadership to take the helm. As Emily Collins-Ellis takes over as CEO, she has the unreserved support of both Carlos and I to bring I.G. into a new decade of existence with the strong values we have worked together to build underpinning it all.

I look forward to working with Emily in my role as Chair and Senior Consultant. Together with Carlos and our growing leadership team, we will continue to work closely to set the strategic direction of the firm, with a steadfast commitment to making philanthropy better, more inclusive and more effective for everyone — especially those most in need of its support. I’ll also be continuing to work on key clients and be actively involved with The Mesa, our community platform built with the support and partnership of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Carlos often says that the goal of a good leader is to hire people smarter than you, trust them and let them fly. As we hand our first child over to Emily and the team’s care, we feel like we’ve given it the best possible chance of success in the future. With her guiding hand, we can’t wait to see the incredible things I.G. will achieve in the next decade, and beyond.

Full press release of the leadership transition is available here.