Heidi Brooks is Chief Operating Officer for the Schott Foundation for Public Education. She leads strategy, evaluation, finance and operations for this 25 year old public charity dedicated to educational justice nationally.
She has eight years of executive experience in corporate philanthropy (Citizens Bank, John Hancock) and strategy consulting (The Bridgespan Group). Brooks spent several years working in Africa, Asia and Latin America managing, designing, and auditing programs for the World Bank and several NGOs.
Brooks holds and B.A. (University of South Carolina), M.A. (John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies), and an M.B.A. (Harvard Business School). She speaks Spanish, French and Vietnamese and has traveled to 75+ countries.
Sneak Peek Into What You’ll Learn…
01:33 – Heidi tells us more about the Schott Foundation for Public Education.
02:30 – Heidi shares her winding career journey that has led her from development work in Africa and Asia, consulting at the Bridgespan Group, corporate philanthropy, and now, to be a COO.
05:15 – Heidi tells us about going directly from working in non-profit to Harvard Business School.
07:45 – Heidi discusses her aha moment when she realized that having a viable business is an important component of sustainable development.
11:50 – Heidi gives us a Philanthropy 101 education and helps us to understand the different types of entities.
15:20 – Heidi provides concrete advice for people who are interested in a career in philanthropy.
18:53 – We learn about the origins of Heidi’s lifelong commitment to service.
27:30 – Julie explains why Heidi is one of her sheroes.
29:00 – Heidi describes where her hustle and joie de vivre comes from.
35:33 – Heidi shares the things she still struggles with.
37:19 – Brass Tacks— The lightning round of concrete advice and tips.
Quotable quotes
- “I’m just a joyous person. My default is joy.”
- “Goal your own ball. This is your life and you can’t let what all the other people are doing affect your decisions and your priorities.”
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