STAFF AND CONSULTANTS

At Inspired Legacies we recognize that we need people with different areas of expertise to complete a whole and inspired legacy plan. Our staff coordinates with a core group of consultants to assist with administration such as project management, design, communications, marketing, website management, as well as expert subject matter advice.

Director, Founder: Tracy Gary
Tracy Gary is a philanthropist, nonprofit entrepreneur and legacy mentor who has worked tirelessly to help others experience the joy of giving charitable dollars to causes they care about. Through her eighteenth start-up, a non-profit called Inspired Legacies, she consults with a diverse range of organizations to improve and expand philanthropy and volunteerism. Her latest venture is the Tipping Point Fund for which she is raising $20 million to shift poverty and the environment. She has appeared on The Today Show and Oprah Winfrey and been interviewed by The Washington Post, NPR, Time, The International Tribune, and others.

Ms. Gary is the author of "Inspired Philanthropy: Your Step by Step Guide to Creating a Giving Plan and Leaving a Legacy" (published by Jossey-Bass, Nov. 2007)
More on Tracy Gary

Operations Manager: Luis Rivas
Working with his fourth non-profit, Luis is an experienced operations and systems manager. His twelve year career includes exemplary organizations such as the Girl Scouts of South Texas Council, The Children's Museum of Houston, and the Houston Area Women's Center. Luis volunteers his time with the Houston chapter of PLAG and Hyde Park United, a neighborhood civic association. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Luis credits his mother and grandmother for inspiring him, at a young age, to work for social change.

"I'm excited to be part of all that is Inspired Legacies and look forward to supporting and contributing to its work. With projects youth giving circles and future local chapters of EPIP, I will help mobilize, inspire, guide, and transform young people - both locally and nationally - as they begin to take the reigns as the next generation of philanthropists. After all, it's what we leave behind."

CONSULTANTS

Co-Founder: Jean Russell, Nurture
Jean Russell joined Inspired Legacies during our development process. Jean hails from the prairie lands of Illinois. She holds a double bachelors degree in English and Philosophy from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Jean began her communications career at ISU's University Galleries. Now, she runs Nurture, a communications and coaching consulting company working with nonprofit leaders, social entrepreneurs and other better world builders. She is a certified NLP Coach.

Karma Shipman, Marketing and PR Consultant
Karma Shipman has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years. From establishing charitable organizations for individuals to assessing the needs of established nonprofits to building boards of directors, Karma brings a keen understanding of the philanthropic community.

"It has been my sincere privilege and honor to be a part of the Houston community and work with some of the most effective, dynamic philanthropists and charitable organizations. I've learned there is no substitute for education when it comes to being a more effective donor, advisor, and nonprofit organization. Tracy and Inspired Legacies are invaluable assets to this community and beyond. It is a joy to support them as they 'build great donors and their leadership'!"

Writer/Interviewer: Karen Payne, Transforming Violence
Karen Payne has worked as a consultant, writer, filmmaker and workshop leader for over 25 years, focusing on issues of social and environmental justice, community development, anti-racism, violence prevention and social change philanthropy. She has worked as a consultant to Changemakers, Inspired Legacies, individual philanthropists and numerous social change non-profits. Most recently she researched, wrote and coordinated the production of the Flow Funding website www.flowfunding.org. Her book, Between Ourselves: Letters between Mothers and Daughters 1750-1982, has been in print for over 20 years. She is the co-founder of Wild Zones www.wild-zone.net and Transforming Violence www.transformingviolence.org

Webmaven: Barbara Brust, Lucille Design
Design: Rick Russell, Spinorb
Design: Michele Melrose Design
Art advisory: The Quilt Complex
Writer/Interviewer: Elizabeth Share

Associates

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