Philanthropy. Strategy. Progress.
Putting philanthropy
to work for progress.
I’m Steph, a philanthropy strategist and operator. I help ambitious organisations decide what matters, learn what works and turn resources into progress.
Selected work
Schmidt Sciences
Science & philanthropy
Strategy that learns
I help philanthropic programs set strategy and build learning agendas around their most important uncertainties, so they can focus on the outcomes that matter most. I also work closely with the president to build systems for strategic planning.
AI for scientific discovery
I co-managed Schmidt’s largest AI program, a multi-year effort helping scientists and engineers learn to apply AI. The thesis: better use of AI could lead to novel insights and faster discovery.
Yajilarra
Portfolio strategy
I began by managing the First Nations portfolio: developing its theory of change, bringing together a group of community advisors over multiple years and increasing funding.
My work grew to include supporting strategy across the other portfolios and working closely with the CEO.
Earlier experience
Nous
Consulting was an early training ground for structuring complex problems and helping organisations turn ideas into action.
Earlier experience
Oaktree
My work at Oaktree took me across the Asia Pacific and helped shape the question that still guides me: how can people and organisations make a meaningful difference?
Writing
Essays on philanthropy, strategy and the practical work of making progress.
Latest writing
New essays on Substack
Read my latest thinking and follow along as I explore questions about doing good and getting things done.
Visit my Substack ↗Philanthropy & doing good
- Why empathy is trickyHow empathy can lead us astray when trying to do good.
- ‘Cost per intervention’ and its role in capital allocationThe rational and emotional case for comparing costs.
- 5 competing voices in impact evaluationWhat researchers, evaluators, strategists, storytellers and program leaders look for.
- Partnerships that are more than moneyThree things that make one source of funding more valuable than another.
- 9 things to avoid doing in philanthropyCommon strategy pitfalls, including mistakes I’ve made myself.
Strategy & getting things done
- 4 traps that kill team alignment and progress, and what to doFailure modes to avoid when teams need to make decisions and move quickly.
- 7 principles for taking action and leading changePractical advice for different operating contexts.
- How uncertainty should be changing your strategyWhat the level of uncertainty means for your team’s approach.
- Is it ok to measure outputs?When measuring outputs can be useful.
What I’m thinking about
My time in New York deepened my interest in innovation and the distinctive role philanthropic capital can play.
Ambition
Make bigger ideas possible
How can philanthropy give people the confidence and resources to pursue ideas with substantial upside?
Demand
Signal what matters
How can funders make demand for important advances visible and encourage people to work on them?
Progress
Back overlooked opportunities
Where could philanthropic capital unlock progress on important problems that receive too little attention or investment?
Something worth pursuing?
I’m interested in roles and potential collaborators in philanthropy. If you’re working on an important problem, or want to build something new together, I’d love to talk.