Letter from Our CEO
Dear Friends,
This year has been transformative—not just for Him For Her, but for the industries and global conversations shaping our future. From AI to climate change to healthcare innovation and beyond, we’re ensuring that our network has a seat at the table to offer fresh perspectives and drive lasting impact.
I’m thrilled to announce that Him For Her is now iIlumyn Impact .
As we continue to build better boards for better companies and better futures, this new name reflects our broader vision to illuminate diverse voices and empower new board leadership.
We’re proud to share that in addition to adding board member Dara Khosrowshahi and advisors Jeff Weiner, Reid Hoffman, and Brad Feld, we’ve also built out our own board’s expanded perspectives with Navin Chadda, Managing Director at Mayfield, and Francisco AlvarezDemalde, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Riverwood Capital. Their leadership in venture capital and private equity will further
enhance our ability to connect top talent with companies driving meaningful change. This year has also brought the good fortune of support from the Ford Foundation.
Board diversity is a bounded, solvable problem—there’s enough diverse talent to fill every open seat, and we’ve built a model that works. Our aim now is to scale. As you explore this Impact Report , I hope you will not only see the tangible outcomes of these powerful connections, I hope you’ll also support us with a financial contribution, as we build a more inclusive, forward-thinking future.
Onward!
Jocelyn Mangan Founder & CEO, iIlumyn Impact (formerly Him For Her)
Letter from Our Board Chair
Dear Friends,
The rapidly evolving landscape of today’s world presents unique challenges and opportunities for leaders across industries. So many of the decisions being made in boardrooms will have an impact on society as a whole. We are committed to ensuring that the decisions being made have a positive impact on current and future generations.
Having participated first-hand in the power of connecting boards with visionary leaders, I know that illumyn Impact’s approach is not just innovative—it’s necessary. By curating introductions that bring fresh talent into the boardroom, we are creating a more resilient and adaptable business landscape. CEOs and their boards are finding that the competitive advantage they need lies just outside their immediate networks, waiting to be discovered. This progress would not be possible without the generous support of partners like you. Philanthropic contributions, including from institutions like the Ford Foundation, have allowed us to grow our impact on organizations worldwide.
With your support, we can further our effort— every donation allows our continued growth. Diverse perspectives and thoughtful questions will make sure that the emerging high-growth companies of today have a positive societal impact at scale.
I’m deeply grateful for your support and collaboration in this journey. Your commitment ensures that the talented individuals we introduce will shape not only the future of business but also the world we all share.
I am honored to serve as the Chair of this incredible organization and excited for what lies ahead.
Joanna Rees Board Chair, illumyn Impact & illumyn
Him For Her is now illumyn Impact
This evolution of our brand reflects our broader vision to illuminate diverse voices and empower new board leadership unlocking a healthy future for business, the planet and our society. Our commitment to changing corporate boardrooms— in a combined effort with our sister organization, illumyn— remains as strong as ever, and this new identity will help us amplify that mission on an even greater scale.
“As illumyn Impact, the organization continues to elevate redefining the boardroom. Their work in bringing under-networked talent to the table is essential for a thriving, entrepreneurial inclusive corporate world. We’re excited to support them in this next chapter and the lasting change it brings.”
Francisco Alvarez-Demalde Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Riverwood Capital
Our Team
Jocelyn Mangan Founder & CEO
Fiona Tang Co-Founder & COO
Ann Shepherd Co-Founder
Crista Bailey Chief Business Development Officer
Cookie Veconi Chief of Staff
Louise Trezzo Director, Partnerships
Jess Chen Director, Operations
Rebecca McIntire Head of Board Introductions
Ximena Vivanco Senior Program Manager
Ruth
Dewa Ayu Director, Events
Candice Lewis Senior Events Manager
Board of Directors
Joanna Rees illumyn Impact & illumyn, Board Chair West, FICO
Mike Xenakis Vacasa
Advisors
Isaac Applbaum MizMaa Ventures
Danielle Applestone Applestone Consulting
Sheila Lirio
Marcelo Proof of Learn
Alessandra
Simons
Debevoise & Plimpton
Dara Khosrowshahi Uber
Navin
Chaddha
Mayfield
Francisco AlvarezDemalde Riverwood
Capital
Shannon Brayton Bessemer Venture Partners, Quizlet, Vidyard
Stacy Brown-Philpot Nordstrom, HP
Brad Feld Foundry
Reid Hoffman Greylock, Microsoft
Lisa Skeete
Tatum
Landit
Jeff Weiner
LinkedIn, Next Play Ventures
Philip Chow
Humanitas AI
Scott Miller G100
Our Vision
To transform lives by unlocking the social and economic benefits of diverse boardrooms
Over the last six years, we’ve facilitated over 65,000 warm connections to bring women and underrepresented leaders into the closed board ecosystem.
We’ve collaborated on over 1,000 board ecosystem opportunities, including:
• 150+ Private Equity backed opportunities
• 360+ Venture Capital backed opportunities
• 160+ public companies
Why Private Company Boards Matter
Our Benchmark Study Shows Progress
The number of all-male boards has been cut in half in the 5 years since we started measuring private company board diversity, in partnership with Crunchbase. Among companies with only one independent director, those with a woman in that seat raised 16% more capital than those with a man in the seat.
Number of women per private-company board
1.2 17% of directors are women
5% of directors are women of color
The Path to the Boardroom is Built on Trust
The board ecosystem is one driven by trusted relationships. Not only do we help demystify the path to the boardroom, we also introduce talent into the board ecosystem. The trust and relationships often take time to develop.
ortunitiesforSuccess
Board
Director Seats
Signature
Roundtable
Events
Advisory
Board Roles
Talent
Speaking
Influential
Event Access & Presence
Strategic Network
Introductions
Board Director Seats
illumyn Impact has made thousands of introductions for board director roles. These opportunities, typically held within closed networks, are surfaced through our long-standing partnerships with private equity and venture capital investors, as well as the network we are building.
Our Introduction Between Sarah Grover, Searchlight Capital Partners & Shift4 Takes Off
Through our introduction, Sarah was appointed to the Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR) board, her first board role. Her leadership and support from CEO Jared Isaacman led to her role as Director of Communications for Inspiration4, the world’s first all civilian mission to Earth’s orbit, and the Polaris Program, the first of three human spaceflights, in partnership with SpaceX, dedicated to advance human spaceflight.
“It’s been a pretty incredible journey working with illumyn Impact... getting the chance to partner with an organization that not only has a great mission, but also generates incredible results. It has been a really positive experience.”
— Christopher Cruz, Partner, Searchlight Capital Partners
Sarah Grover
Strategic Network Introductions
We facilitate trust-building connections between domain experts and the board ecosystem to get acquainted and establish working relationships with investors.
We’ve made connections across a variety of firmlevel roles: strategic advisors, operating partners, due diligence and other network expanding opportunities.
Early Due Diligence Opportunity Develops into Board Role
We introduced Tyra to Kayne Partners for a due diligence opportunity prior to investment that quickly developed into a board director role at HuddleUp for Tyra.
Anderson Composition Capital
Compounding Relationships, Starting with One Connection
Up
“All my boards have been touched by illumyn Impact. Your reach and influence provides visibilty and credibility to my skills, capabilities and experiences. Beyond board opportunities, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities illumyn Impact provides to enhance and broaden my network, allowing me to share my capabilities in new, unique and distinct forms.” —
Rashida Hodge
Beyond contributing to Rashida’s board appointments with Misty Robotics and Sonatype through Vista Equity Partners, we introduced her to Mayer Brown. This led to her speaking and thought-leadership roles at the Trust Summit, and Forbes AI Summit, among others.
Equity Partners Sonatype
Vista
Kayne
Huddle
Tyra Mariani
Rashida Hodge
Influential Event Access & Presence
We extend invites for powerful executives from our network to attend and speak at events held by our partners.
This presence facilitates new connections and draws on diverse expertise to accelerate innovation for our partners’ portfolio and networks.
Expertise Elevated at Meaningful Events
illumyn Impact introduced Jolawn Victor to investor Left Lane where Jolawn spoke at Left Lane’s High Growth Summit in London.
“Working with illumyn Impact has brought an invaluable level of expertise to our events. The executives they introduce to our panels and audiences elevate the discussions, offering fresh perspectives and real-world insights that resonate with attendees and enrich our overall program.”
— Erica Amatori, SVP of Platform, Left Lane Capital
Our Roundtables
169
Conversations Convened Guests Engaged
2,827+
“My sincere honor that I could be a part of a powerful evening. 100% focused conversation with complete respect. I loved how it went and learned so much from that single dinner conversation. How you are making an impact to the world is so action driven.”
— Saeju Jeong, Co-Founder & Chair, Noom
Advocacy: Demystifying the Boardroom for Increased Access
The measure of our impact goes beyond opening doors and making introductions for underrepresented executives; we’re demystifying the boardroom and equipping these leaders to activate their own networks, accelerating the change in boardrooms that lead to outcomes that benefit our society and planet.
To date we’ve shed light on important frequently asked (and infrequently published) topics such as board compensation, the board interview, the view of AI from the board, among others in The Boardroom View.
Board Compensation Climate Change
AI from the Board Seat
The Board Interview
In partnership with our Investor Partners and Partner Organizations, we’ve taken to numerous
and
“ Thank you for your invaluable input, guidance and willingness to share your knowledge and expertise to support my board journey. illumyn Impact has been fundamental to the landing of my first for profit board.”
Lucie Claire Vincent Board Director, Toluna Attended illumyn Impact Demystify presentation
New Roundtable Dinner Hosts for 2024
Catherine Lenson
Co-Chief Operating Officer, Phoenix Court
Clara Shih
CEO, Salesforce AI; Founder & Executive Chair, Hearsay Systems
Fay Rotenberg CEO, Firefly Health
Jeff Parks
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Riverwood Capital
Jennifer Siebel Newsom
First Partner of California
Joanna Coles
Chief Content Officer, The Dailey Beast; CEO, Northern Star Acquisition Company; Executive Producer, ABC Studios; Board Director, Snapchat, Sonos
Peter Voser
Chair, ABB; Board Director, IBM
Corporation, Temasek Holdings, PSA International
Phill Robinson
Founder & CEO, Boardwave; Chair, Livingbridge; Board Director, Exact, Upliift
Ryan Roslansky
CEO, LinkedIn; Board Director, Intuit
Saeju Jeong
Co-Founder & Executive Chair, Noom
Saul Klein
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Phoenix Court
Shelley Zalis
Founder & CEO, The Female Quotient
John Hope Bryant
CEO & Chair, Operation HOPE
Maria Alvarez VP ExperimentationAI Platform - Cloud + AI, Microsoft; Board Director, BB Imaging, Alkami
Thelma Ferguson
Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Vice Chair, Commercial Banking, JPMorgan Chase
Board Ecosystem Introductions
Partnering with CEOs and Investors to Unlock Opportunities
Our mission thrives on two essential currencies: philanthropic dollars and board ecosystem opportunities we uncover from our invaluable partnerships with CEOs and investors. Together, we collaborate on connections and relationships that advance our goal of introducing under-networked executives into the board ecosystem.
169 Board and Advisor appointments through our Introductions
“I can’t tell you just how impressed I am with your ability to match me with two intriguing companies that fit my (very unique) background EXACTLY. Seriously — I love both options, and the match with my experience and interests is perfect for me. Really nice job. And very, very appreciated.”
Jenn Buechel President and COO, Delphi Diagnostics
Investor Partnerships
FOUNDING PARTNERS
“As always, you helped us bring together a diverse group in a setting conducive to deep conversation and new connections. We value our partnership with you and are looking forward to future gatherings.”
Ramani Mayfield Fund, CMO
Kamini
Investor Partnerships
GOLD ALLIANCE PARTNERS
SILVER ALLIANCE PARTNERS
“We gave you a tight bullseye and you nailed it!”
Susan Scutt, Managing Director, Partners Group
Investor Partnerships
COLLABORATORS
Our Talent Network
Board qualified talent
Frequently Requested Competencies
Racial and Ethnic Diversity of Our Network
Our Talent Network
Poppy Harlow Former Anchor, CNN Founder, North Slope Ventures
“I had a fantastic meeting today as a result of your introduction. I’m already a big fan of illumyn Impact! I can’t thank you enough for suggesting me for this opportunity.”
Our Finances
Our financials this year remained steady - personnel spend has been consistent, year over year. Revenue growth outpaced that of expenses - our expenses went up by 17% this year, offset by our income, which went up 27%, primarily thanks to increased charitable contributions.
We’ve focused on increasing philanthropic contributions by activating on funders and foundation relationships. This has helped position illumyn Impact to leverage influx of funding to do more in realm of awareness and advocacy. We’ve established operational efficiencies this year to set the organization up for scaling efforts and providing us the ability to further our mission of illuminating diverse voices in the rooms of influence.
October 2023 - September 2024
2023 Ending Cash: $1,866,147
Revenue: $3,669,746
Expenses: $3,883,508
Grateful to Our Supporters
Founding Funders Circle
Ford Foundation
GIFTS OF $500,000+
The Reid Hoffman Foundation
GIFTS OF $250,000+
Dara Khosrowshahi
The Weiner Family Foundation
GIFTS OF $100,000+
Anonymous
Anchor Point Foundation -
Brad Feld & Amy Batchelor
Rachel Kohler & Laura Kohler
GIFTS OF $25,000+
Boardbound by Women’s
Leadership Foundation
GIFTS OF $10,000+
Blackstone Charitable Foundation
Paula Crown and the James
Crown Family
Crystal Sacca
GIFTS OF $5,000+
The Abel Family Fund
The Xenakis Family
GIFTS OF $2,000+
Peter Bowe and Barbara Stewart
Fiona Carter
Justin C Jacobs Family Trust
The Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation
via Trustee Sue Siegel
Audrey & Danny Meyer
Morgan Stanley Gift
Northern Trust Charitable
Giving Program
Rashida Hodge
Sara Wardell-Smith
GIFTS OF $1,000+
Jane Beard
Jill Fisher Bowen
Olivia Kirtley
Lazar Family Foundation
Barry Lawson Williams
Hideto Nishitani
RobyDodd Family Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The Sands Family
The Sarannah Fund
Teresa Torres
Corporate
Atlas Holdings Boardwave
Bolster
Brown Advisory
C-Motive Technologies
Cooley
Debevoise & Plimpton
Destiny
Egon Zehnder
JP Morgan
Medallion Midstream
Medical Informatics Corp
Natural Gas Services Group
PG Delta Holdco
Riviera Partners
Silicon Valley Bank
Solidcore
Tatio
Tetra Technologies
Trilobio
Tutorful
Venerable
Wag Weedmaps
West
ZeroAvia
