Social Sector

About Susan

Susan Colby is a principal in our San Francisco office. She is a leader in the Social Sector Practice, where she works with private, social, and public sector clients worldwide on projects to improve education and economic growth and opportunity. She has a particular focus on clients in K-12 and higher education and philanthropy, and has worked in the areas of economic development and sustainability.

Susan recently left the Stupski Foundation, a national education philanthropy focused on K-12 education, where she served as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this role, Susan was a founding partner of The Bridgespan Group’s San Francisco office and led the group’s work in K-12 education and foundation strategy for more than a decade. Susan joined McKinsey earlier in her career, when she co-founded and led the North American Environment Practice, serving clients in the areas of environmental management and strategy.

Susan has authored numerous reports, including Galvanizing Philanthropy in the Harvard Business Review, and has taken the podium and spoken on panels at major conventions, universities, industry roundtables, and public policy forums on topics related to education, philanthropy, social innovation, and strategies for social impact.

Susan is a member of the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute-NewSchools Entrepreneurial Leaders for Public Education. She currently serves on the advisory boards for the Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford and the Center for Reinventing Public Education. She began her career at Bain & Company after receiving her BA from American University cum laude. She then went on to earn her MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Published work

“Galvanizing Philanthropy,” Harvard Business Review, November 2009

“Zeroing in on Impact,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2004

“The Strategic Value of a Shared Understanding of Costs,” The Bridgespan Group

“Going for the Gold,” Education Next

“Reclaiming the American Dream,” The Bridgespan Group

Past experience

Education