The people behind Meridian.
The breadth of experience, perspectives, and expertise represented across the collective.
The Collective
The people behind Meridian
We are a collective of practitioners who have worked inside and alongside the systems we seek to reshape. Across philanthropy, investing, community development, entrepreneurship, communications, and organizational leadership, our members bring deep experience navigating the complexities of moving ideas, resources, and institutions toward greater impact.
Together, we combine complementary expertise with a shared belief that complex challenges are best addressed through collaboration, thoughtful strategy, and relationships grounded in trust.
Let's design what capital can do.
Bring whatever you have, a draft, a question from your board, or an early idea. You don't need a finished brief.
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Featured work
Representative examples of work across the collective — helping show our experience and the kinds of challenges we help clients navigate.
ConnectED Fellows
A social impact organization connecting trusted rural education leaders with resources, networks, and catalytic funding to advance community-led change. Co-founded by Sooni Gillett and built in partnership with rural and Indigenous educators, families, and community leaders across Latin America.
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NYCHA Public Housing Preservation Trust
Landmark New York legislation establishing a public benefit corporation to fund the repair and modernization of 25,000 public housing apartments, while preserving residents' rights and keeping homes permanently affordable.
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The Inner Work of Trust-Based Philanthropy
At the 10th East Africa Philanthropy Network Conference in Addis Ababa, Caroline co-designed and co-facilitated a masterclass exploring how money, risk, control, and power shape trust-based philanthropy in practice.
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Stanford University's Preventive Medicine Accelerator
A high-touch accelerator at Stanford University (Emergence), co-designed and led by Sooni Gillett, supporting impact-driven founders and ventures working to shift healthcare from reactive treatment toward prevention through education, coaching, mentorship, and mission-aligned funding.
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Fund Manager Cohort Convening
A $50,000 grant from the Center for Cultural Innovation's AmbitioUS initiative supporting BII's convening of emerging fund managers — building relational infrastructure and power among capital stewards in the solidarity economy.
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Chelsea Working Group & Essex Crossing
Resident-led planning that recommended $366M in public housing repairs across Chelsea, keeping buildings intact and rights preserved — alongside Essex Crossing, turning City-owned lots into affordable homes, retail, and community space on the Lower East Side.
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Built to Last & the Thriving Communities Fund
A collaborative investment fund, built within a multi-donor donor-advised fund, that activates philanthropic capital for community ownership — providing patient, low-interest loans to organizations acquiring community-owned assets.
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The Soul of Capital
Writing and conversation on how investment terms reveal the values behind capital — models for a just economy, published with the Center for Cultural Innovation's AmbitioUS initiative.
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How Changing Mindsets Can Change the Economy
An essay examining how personal histories with money shape risk, control, and funding decisions — and how emotional resilience can help align capital with values, equity, and care.
Read more →Let's design what capital can do.
Bring whatever you have, a draft, a question from your board, or an early idea. You don't need a finished brief.
Start a conversation →