What People Are Saying

"The Board and staff were very pleased with the Board Feedback process led by Elidé and Laura. It was very useful in shaping the structure and content at our Board Retreat. Thanks to the findings, we asked big questions and invited the Board in as strategic thought partners, rather than bringing them more fully developed thoughts further down the line. Elidé and Laura were excellent at making sure we met our timeline and deliverables while working around the schedules and challenges of interviewing a very busy group of interview subjects. Much gratitude to both of you for being terrific partners!"

— The Commonwealth Fund

“Working with Elidé was illuminating. She brought a rigorous and reflective approach to our work that yielded a more powerful theory of change for a new program along with a more deeply integrated evaluation practice. Her coaching style was a perfect match for our team and our collaborators. We have found a true partner!”

— Gail Crider, President & CEO + Sunny Widmann, VP Programs & Partnerships, National Arts Strategies

“The Hartford Foundation Learning and Evaluation staff have worked closely with Elidé on two projects designed to more meaningfully embed learning in our grantmaking and community impact practices – and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She possesses a remarkable blend of evaluation expertise and familiarity with philanthropy that is truly exceptional. As a consultant, she brings a wealth of experience in the social sector that instills trust and confidence from the outset.

Elidé's ability to navigate and collaborate with individuals of diverse personalities and backgrounds is particularly noteworthy. She approaches every interaction with empathy and understanding, ensuring that her strategies and insights resonate with everyone involved. Her knack for making evaluative thinking and data accessible and practical is invaluable in fostering a learning environment that is both enriching and engaging.

What sets Elidé apart is her commitment to equity and inclusivity within evaluation and philanthropic practices. Beyond her evaluation and data skills, she is deeply attuned to promoting equitable decision-making and building inclusive approaches frameworks. She also seamlessly integrates new tools and approaches tailored to each unique situation, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.

In sum, Elidé is not just a consultant; she is a valued partner who brings creativity, humor and deep insight to knowledge work.”

— Kate Szczerbacki, Director of Learning, Evaluation, and Capacity Building, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

“Elidé creates such a nonjudgmental space for coaching that it is easy to talk about what's challenging me. Her thoughtful and creative questions push me to declutter my thinking so I can consider solutions openly and with a sense of calm. I look forward to each session with her!”

— Tammy Colandrea, Educator & Life + Leadership Coach

“Since bringing Elidé on as Hopelab's evaluation and learning partner in 2022, we have relied on her and the talented colleagues she brings in to create engaging ways for our staff to build their evaluative thinking and build out our strategic learning practice. We were just beginning to imagine what an equity-centered approach to L&I would be when we met Elidé and she has played a key role in helping us test, refine, and sustain the practice. I can recall a specific conversation with our impact working group where hearing her reflections on how to align our practice with our values (and astute observations about where we were out of alignment) truly helped us pause and take stock of how we wanted to show up. Our honest, through-provoking, and actionable conversation in that moment helped affirm that we had found the right evaluation partner.”

— Arianna Taboada, Learning & Impact Lead, Hopelab Foundation

“Elidé is a highly skilled evaluator, facilitator, and consultant. But that is only a small part of why I feel lucky to work with her and recommend others do the same. As a consultant, it is not common to find colleagues who approach their work with the wonderful mix of thoughtfulness, joy, care, and humility that Elidé does. I trust her to lead with her values and center the people and systems most impacted by the work. She does this while genuinely listening and responding to client needs, providing them with strong thought partnership and affirming support. That is not an easy balance; she does it gracefully and professionally. She works with her colleagues in the same way, and as a result, I'm a better consultant having worked with her.”

— Elena Tamanas Ragusa, Founder & CEO, Drive Evaluation Studio

"I was skeptical about coaching at first, until I met with Elidé. She worked with me at my speed, helped me set my own goals, and adapted seamlessly to every pivot I threw at her. I initially came to Elidé because of uncertainty in my career, but ended with a new perspective about my life and self worth."

Testimonials