Our Team

Year I joined IP: 2015

What I bring to IP: My experience in philanthropy spans family, independent, and corporate foundations. Prior to joining IP, I managed corporate citizenship for global companies in a variety of industries, including defense, biotechnology, fashion and finance. I have an MBA in finance from Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College in NYC, and a BA in economics from New York University. Most recently, I have enjoyed marrying my deep technical knowledge of governance and operations with values I hold deeply to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices and principles into our work across foundations. 

What I love most about my work: I love the various ways our work taps into my strengths as a detail-oriented and behind-the-scenes leader to strengthen philanthropic institutions while also building the joy, confidence and capacity of the people I work with as colleagues and clients. I enjoy coaching and equipping team members to work with our clients on impactful solutions. I love conducting field and issue research to lay the groundwork for board members to make informed decisions about causes they are passionate about, thus leading to more impactful grantmaking. I also love helping foundation board members and staff streamline operations, ensuring excellence across all aspects of our company while freeing up people’s time to dive deeply into the work they love doing most.  

What I do in a typical week: Every day is different! In any given week, I may be pulling together financial information, brainstorming creative board meeting presentations, researching and writing briefs on various issues or topics of interest to board members, and supporting other IP staff members in learning how to manage the day-to-day foundation operations for various clients. I currently oversee the firm’s Managed Foundations practice, providing governance, operations and grant strategy expertise to our clients., and serve as the Executive Director for the Solon E. Summerfield Foundation Inc. 

What I do when I’m not working: I chase after two young boys (outside as much as possible!), and somewhere along the way I find the time to participate in a couple of book clubs.   

What my coworkers say about me: Claire embodies the words integrity and excellence and has a seemingly limitless capacity for learning. She has the rare capacity to be involved in the details of her work while keeping the big picture in mind. She is also a supportive leader and mentor that empowers and cheers on her team.