Stanford ACT (Alumni Consulting Team)

  This Friday our speakers will tell us about the Stanford Alumni Consulting Team. ACT is a program that engages Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni committed to utilizing their business skills, on a pro bono basis, to increase the impact of local nonprofits. They use their expertise in a wide range of areas, including strategic planning, marketing, earned revenue, financial sustainability, and organizational growth. ACT projects are customized to the specific needs of each client organization. Created by Stanford GSB alumni in 1987, ACT has grown to be one of the largest pro bono resource providers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

  Susan Austin is the staff director of the Stanford Alumni Consulting Team. Prior to joining ACT in 2007, Susan worked for EdSource, a state-wide (CA) education policy research nonprofit, and, during the early days of its existence (1988-95) she was the program director of Leadership Palo Alto. Susan received a BA in Social Welfare from Cal, and her AM in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and has served on several local nonprofit boards: Youth Community Services (Advisory Board), Palo Alto Family YMCA ,and Friends of the Palo Alto Children's Theatre.

  Jon Richards is responsible for project and client development and serves on the Management Board of the Stanford Alumni Consulting Team. He has led several ACT consulting projects for nonprofit organizations in education, environment and theater. Now retired, Jon had a long career with Deloitte, primarily as an audit partner with Silicon Valley technology clients. He has a Stanford MBA and a BS in Civil Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.