By Stephanie Ellis-Smith
Last week was a monumental week for the team at Phīla and it was capped last Thursday night in the best way possible—winning an award!
First, a little backstory to set the stage. Lauren and Mark led a beautiful family board meeting that shepherded in a new generation to giving, Sofia returned from Abu Dhabi where she attended the AVPN Global Conference representing one of our clients, and Janell was in New York to attend Women Moving Millions. Meanwhile, I was in DC to attend the board retreat for the National Center for Family Philanthropy. But on Thursday, I did a Joe Biden and took my first the Acela trip from DC to New York to meet up with Janell. Needless to say, it’s been HECTIC for team Phīla.
Stephanie and Janell holding the Philanthropy Advice Award
Janell and I met up that evening to join many of our outstanding peers in New York City to attend the Family Wealth Report Awards. This black-tie event at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel was a stunner. The moment we got off the elevator on the 36th floor, the buzz from the crowd was practically deafening! People we’re clearly pumped to be there.
We were seated at a table of incredibly interesting people: an art advisor, personal insurance executives, and, most interesting, two product leads for a company that automates work-flow processes for alternative investments. (It’s like a different language). When our name was called, everyone at our table erupted in applause and grabbed our phones to capture photos of the moment that I get to share with you here. What an experience!
This award recognizes the best of professionals in North America serving ultra-high net wealth clients. We were honored to receive the award for our innovative, client-centered approach to philanthropic advising. Our team, clients, and partners recognize the distinctive quality of our approach—and now, so do many more. This high praise would not have been possible without the unwavering care and commitment of my team and the trust and collaboration of our incredibly generous clients.
Since our inception in 2017, we have been on a relentless pursuit of excellence, guided by a vision to help donors be active participants in creating a more just and equitable world. Phīla Engaged Giving is proud to be among the leading lights in the field working to shape philanthropy into a life-giving and equity-centered practice. We look forward to celebrating more victories with you.
