Grace Yi Email & Phone Number

Creating impact by bringing people together in environments that inspire creativity, connection, and transformative growth. We partner with visionary leaders, including entrepreneurs, business leaders, creatives, artisans, practitioners, and healers that understand the power of community and are looking to create spaces where creativity and connection can thrive. Whether through retreats, community gatherings or special events, we curate moments that resonate deeply, leaving a lasting impact on all who participate.Services designed to support your campaigns, projects, and teams include:• Event Hosting & Production: We create and manage events that inspire and connect, from intimate retreats to large-scale community gatherings.• Campaign & Project Support: We collaborate with you to design and execute campaigns that align with your mission, helping you reach your goals while fostering deep connections with your audience.• Creative Consulting: We provide strategic guidance and creative direction, helping you distill complex ideas into actionable plans that drive growth and impact.• Business & Team Support: We enhance your operations, client experience, and partnership development, providing strategic project support that drives your business forward and strengthens your impact.

Different was created because we simply believe in doing DEI differently. We see human connection as a means to propel purpose-driven organizations into a different tomorrow. One where organizations foster diverse, equitable, and inclusive human-centered workplaces that welcome all people to bring their authentic selves to work – to do their best work.

Collective is a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultancy and research lab that is shifting how millennial-driven organizations build, grow, engage, and retain diverse teams. We take a bold approach to building inclusion into the foundation of organizations, using a holistic blend of comprehensive data and an emphasis on the human experience. We believe in true partnerships that amplify marginalized voices and drive sustainable change.

The Women in Tech Regatta connects and celebrates the area’s women in tech through a week long program of educational events, speakers, and experiences. WiT is designed to give access to mentors, peers, resources and to the power of community. The WiT Regatta Virtual Conference in September 2020 successfully brought together 1,000+ attendees, sponsors, and partners together for a 2-week event from around the world.

Jennifer Brown Consulting is a global diversity and inclusion firm with deep expertise in human capital and talent management with the mission of transforming human potential, and aligning individual performance with organizational results.• Improved and managed pipeline from sales handoff to service delivery and completion of client projects, identifying and strengthening upsell, cross-sell and re-engagement opportunities.• Served as primary contact and project manager for onboarding new clients, managing all aspects of project phases and deliverables, providing strategic partnership and best practices, delivering progress and next steps, managing correspondence and the completion of internal and external action items.• Identified, created and standardized project workflows and templates for improved effectiveness and efficiency in service delivery to scale impact and account management.• Served as advisor with both clients and consultants, developing deep relationships as SME partner both internally and externally.• Supported virtual programming (i.e. DEI Practitioners Program) as main point of contact and course administrator for students by facilitating engagement, tracking the completion of assignments, and developing relationships.

Greater Chicago Area

Broadspire, a Crawford Company and leading global third-party administrator to employers and insurance companies, offers a broad array of customized claim, medical management, and disability and leave management services designed to increase employee productivity and contain costs.• Developed expertise in federal government regulation regarding risk management. Provided business recommendations to internal and external customers. • Co-led the project management and development of an enhanced business service offering, resulting in 93% increase in sales. • Co-managed the development of new business products and reporting tools, enhancing the effectiveness of data quality management and efficiency of client service management. • Created and co-managed knowledge center for enhanced service program and related business products.• Managed the planning and operations of the department's first all-staff retreat with senior leadership to strategize and provide vision towards new business development and growth. Co-facilitated the event's activities, resulting in the development and strengthening of cross-functional team ideation, communication, and engagement.

Greater Chicago Area

Low Res is a creative agency, event space, and hub for creative-minded people dedicated to amplifying creativity and building community.• Designed client-facing processes and content for sales, account management, and production.• Copywriting and editing for client education deck and marketing communications.

Greater Chicago Area

MoveSpring (formerly StrideKick) is a SaaS platform activating health and wellness engagement. • Created and managed the client life cycle process (starting from the initial sale through all phases of implementation, program development, and upselling).• Managed renewal and upsell business with over 90% renewal rate for over 150 clients and converted 40% of clients from a one-time pilot or month-to-month sale to an annual commitment.• Maintained and enhanced client satisfaction and strategized the development of customer success to scale and upsell accounts.• Managed the delivery of product-based customizations for client programming and events.• Developed and co-managed marketing campaigns for customer acquisition and engagement.• Created editorial content and infrastructure for inbound marketing while overseeing the training and management of freelance writers and summer interns.

Greater Chicago Area

Entrenuity provides entrepreneurship training and business coaching for youth and adults. • Trained entrepreneurs and business owners on how to use social media tools to market their brand and business. • Produced SUN Talks, a video series capturing insights and stories from entrepreneurs; coordinated interview content and filming agenda with videographer; identified entrepreneurs and business influencers to engage and interview. • Support strategy for the redesign and development of tech platform, Skillcenter 2.0.

Greater Chicago Area

Toilet Hackers is a nonprofit organization committed to raising awareness and providing access to dignified, safe sanitation to the 2.5 billion people without a toilet.• Managed the recruitment and engagement of national and international volunteer chapters spanning 11 cities globally; mobilized volunteers in raising $60,000 for water and sanitation projects in India. • Developed local and global campaign and community partnerships; created editorial content and communications. • Coordinated fundraising events in multiple cities while managing volunteer staff and securing sponsorships. • Identified and generated partnership leads while securing stakeholder relationships both nationally and internationally.• Designed and implemented creative campaigns with corporate and non-governmental organization partners to build global awareness of the sanitation crisis.

Greater Chicago Area

• Designed campaign collateral to build a national movement around caregiving, including the development of partnerships and sponsorships, communications, and editorial content.

Greater Chicago Area

StartingUp Now provides a simple solution for first-time entrepreneurs, youth or adult, to create a business plan and get started. • Co-created new models for sales leads and collaborative partnerships, targeting markets aimed at youth, college students, aspiring social entrepreneurs, nonprofit programs, and faith/community leaders around entrepreneurship training.• Managed the completion of two digital products, including website and Skillcenter platform. • Oversaw the production and development of the company's communications, generating editorial content for website, blog, Skillcenter, and marketing materials. • Developed integrated marketing and social media strategy. • Managed and developed online communities while growing and connecting company brand to local and national networks. • Recommended and structured company's operations systems, project management tools and processes, and customer service processes.

Hand & Cloth is a social enterprise supporting women at-risk through collaborative partnerships with global artisan groups and ministries.• Designed the social media marketing strategy for Hand & Cloth. • Presented the business plan at the University of Chicago Booth Business School for the Social New Ventures Challenge to guest judges ranging from foundation executives to social venture investors.

Heartland Alliance, one of the world’s leading anti-poverty organizations, works in communities in the U.S. and abroad to serve those who are homeless, living in poverty, or seeking safety. It provides a comprehensive array of services in the areas of health, housing, jobs and justice – and leads state and national policy efforts, which target lasting change for individuals and society.• Trained and educated 250+ refugee participants throughout the job search continuum with interview practice, resume-building, and strategic capacity-building for job retention. • Identified more than 25 new, unsolicited employers and developed 15 strategic partner relationships for the hiring and training of 75+ refugee participants in new and existing industries. • Designed a staff development survey to assess organizational culture and strategize activities/outcomes for organizational change.

CAASE is a nonprofit organization whose work includes prevention, policy reform, community engagement, and legal services.• Coordinated and implemented the campaign strategy for End Demand, Illinois (EDI) while assisting the Policy Director around mobilization efforts for community-stakeholder support of the campaign’s initiatives. • Compiled and analyzed data for strategic outreach to various business leaders and faith groups to present information on the EDI campaign. • Designed and led the expansion of the agency’s communications and branding efforts by creating a social media plan, resulting in 1000+ Facebook fans and 700+ Twitter followers.

PATH is a nonprofit organization committed to ending homelessness by developing affordable housing, integrating social services, and influencing policy advocacy. • Managed the coordination and facilitation of FAITH Matters, a community initiative mobilizing over 75 faith-based groups in Los Angeles to advocate for projects and policies addressing housing and homeless services.• Compiled and analyzed information of homeless service providers and community stakeholders on a regional homeless strategy for the Gateways Cities Council of Governments. • Co-coordinated the National Mall Network Summit, a conference supporting the multi-service delivery approach in addressing the continuum of care for homeless services. • Facilitated collaborative partnerships to enhance programs and fundraising opportunities.• Managed administrative support for two separate annual fundraising campaigns and ongoing development projects.

M.A., Social Service Administration

Activities and Societies: Finalist for the Social New Ventures Challenge (SNVC) at the University of Chicago Booth Business School..

B.A., American Studies

Activities and Societies: InterVarsity, Campus Bible Fellowship