Kate Markin Coleman
Principal & Founder, IAS Advising LLC
Chicago, Illinois
“The University of Chicago’s commitment to the rigorous pursuit of knowledge, and its emphasis on turning that knowledge into impact makes it the perfect place to support distinguished leaders thinking about how to drive societal change as part of their next act. As members of the UChicago community, LSI Fellows will find new ways to think about themselves, the world, and their place in it. A year with LSI is an investment in oneself and one’s ability to favorably impact the world around them.”
Kate Coleman has thirty years of experience as a senior executive in the private and social sectors. Her current research, advising and speaking focuses on social sector impact, scaling, cross sector collaboration and workforce development. She directs IAS Advising LLC, a strategic consultancy for social ventures. She is co-author of two recently published books, Growing Fairly; How to Build Opportunity and Equity in Workforce Development and Collaborative Cities: Mapping Solutions to Wicked Problems.
Prior to founding her advisory practice, Kate was an Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University and before that served as Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Advancement Officer for YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), a multibillion-dollar social enterprise. Before joining Y-USA, Kate was Executive Vice President, Financial Development, Marketing and Communications at the YMCA of Metro Chicago.
Kate specializes in the application of data and technology to issues of social importance which is reflected in her books and professional activities. Kate spent the first half of her career in the private sector transitioning to the social sector when she and her colleagues sold the fintech company they led. She currently sits on the Advisory Board of NeverTechLate, a start-up addressing the adverse effects of social isolation among the elderly and advises a diverse group of organizations exploring innovative cross sector approaches to social and workforce challenges including scaling impact across formal and informal networks.
Kate is also on the board of directors of Social Venture Partners Chicago and the Advisory Council of the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. She has served on numerous other social sector, professional and association boards, among them the International Woman’s Forum Chicago, the Ann and Robert Lurie Children’s Memorial Founder’s Board and the American Marketing Association Foundation, CMO Roundtable. Kate’s long association with the University of Chicago includes an MBA from the Booth School of Business, an MLA from the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies and three terms on the Graham School Council.