From Belief to Blueprint

How a strategic investigation turned Gary Community Ventures' conviction about leadership into Initiative 33, a year-long program built to outlast the foundation that created it.

Gary Community Ventures holds a core belief: lasting systems change depends on capable, courageous leadership. The sectors they care most about don't shift solely because of capital. They shift because the right people, equipped to collaborate and adapt, keep pushing when the moment demands it.

In 2024, Gary cemented a sunset strategy. They will close in 2035. That deadline sharpened an already pressing question: if the work is to outlast the foundation, the system Gary leaves behind needs to be stronger. Not just better funded, but more connected, more trusting, and more capable of driving change without Gary in the room. What they did not yet have was a strategy to make that happen.

"Having a consultant come from outside that really can help us move along our idea, that's what has been the greatest benefit," says Vilan Odekar, Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO.

Curiosity Before Choosing a Direction

Between March and October of 2025, Gary engaged Franklin Street to lead an initial investigation: a structured process to understand how peer foundations had approached similar questions, what Colorado leaders actually needed, and what role Gary was positioned to play. Rather than arriving with a ready-made solution, Franklin Street helped Gary uncover the assets, the relationships, and the institutional knowledge they already had before committing to a direction. Finding the ingredients before deciding what to bake, as Vilan describes it.

The work was rigorous and moved fast. "Franklin Street kept the cadence of the work going," Vilan says. "The really good consultants anticipate what you need and get on it before you have to prompt it."

Franklin Street synthesized the findings and led Gary's leadership team through a series of sessions to decide together on a path forward. "You have multiple things you're thinking about: people, structures, the ecosystem," Vilan says. "Franklin Street thinks through all of that to create a thoughtful design that will lead to the impact you want."

The outcome was a new program concept that Gary's leadership team committed to developing: Initiative 33, a year-long cohort for the most seasoned leaders in a given sector, launching in July 2026.

"Without Franklin Street, our process would have been much slower. We would have had less clarity," Vilan reflects. "The risk was the potential of never getting this program off the ground."

Creating the Conditions for Trust & Impact

Getting leaders into a room is not the same as generating trust, and ultimately tangible impact. For Initiative 33 to work, the leaders coming into the program need to leave genuinely changed in how they work with one another, a higher bar than most programs set.

Emily Williams, Director of Strategic Partnerships, is specific about what that looks like. "Will they now pick up the phone and call each other? Will they stand up for each other in certain spaces? Will they assume the best intent because they know this person well?" That outcome doesn't happen by accident. It has to be designed for.

"They are gifted at designing and facilitating groups of adults in service of alignment, learning, and action," Emily says. She describes Franklin Street’s programming as "both empathetic and excellent. Rigorous and learning based, with the potential to be highly experiential." For Vilan, that showed up from the start. "I think they have the strongest facilitation skills I've seen of anyone I've worked with, both inside and outside of Gary and in my prior jobs."

"If it goes well, it will validate a conviction that we have, which is that human relationships matter where innovation is concerned," Emily says.

A Program Built to Outlast Its Founders

Initiative 33 exists because Gary Community Ventures was willing to ask a hard question about their own legacy, and Franklin Street was equipped to help them answer it. The program launches in July 2026. Gary sunsets in 2035. Between now and then, the bet is that the leaders coming together in this cohort will carry the work forward in ways no single foundation or single grant could sustain on its own.

"They're really helping us propel our CEO's vision of a leadership cohort that ultimately can tackle systems change," Vilan says. "We're taking the right steps toward that vision being implemented."

Emily Williams is Director of Strategic Partnerships, connecting funders and partners to drive collaborative, high-impact solutions. A seasoned fundraiser, she has led efforts spanning direct service, systems change, and policy initiatives. Her work includes helping lead the successful campaign for Proposition 123, a statewide affordable housing measure. Previously, she held leadership roles at Teach For America and in nonprofit advocacy. Emily is deeply committed to mission-driven work and community impact.

Vilan Odekar is Chief of Staff, partnering with the President, CEO, and leadership team to advance strategic priorities and organizational alignment. With a background in law, policy, and education, she brings experience as an attorney, educator, and equity-focused leader. A first-generation college graduate, she is dedicated to closing opportunity gaps for students of color. She previously led developmental education reform efforts and managed equity-focused research initiatives in higher education.