Erica Ekwurzel, CFRE is an accomplished philanthropy consultant with a focus on nonprofit and philanthropic strategic planning, communication, and fund development, bringing the unique perspective of the funder in her counsel. Erica is the founder of CivicAim, a consultancy focused on building and strengthening capacity among grantmakers who seek to use their philanthropic resources as drivers of positive change. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish from Austin College and a Masters in Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas-Austin, with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropic Studies. Let's go beyond the bio and get to know more about Erica! What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Fill your heart with gratitude and your mind with the present. Who is the most famous person you have ever met? Maya Angelou - she was the commencement speaker at my alma mater, Austin College. As a graduate in leadership studies, I was very fortunate to be one of the student ambassadors welcoming her to campus and enjoying an opportunity to spend an hour with her. We talked about literature, civil rights and about what our future can hold. What would your superpower be and why? I think I'd choose my super power to be the ability to communicate in all languages as communication lays the foundation for connection. The zombie apocalypse is coming, who are 3 people you want on your survival team? Bear Grylls and my family. I know it's more than 3 people, but with the family working as a team and the keen survival skills of Bear, we're sure to make it on the other side of the zombie apocalypse! What was your very first job and what did you think of it? One of my first jobs was waiting tables at a family TexMex restaurant in Fort Stockton, and I love the freedom of it - I drove myself to/from and I got to interact with people all day, and flexing my competitive muscle, I always tried to 'out-tip' myself from the week before! Your favorite subject in school (elementary, middle, high school or college) and why? Math has always been a favorite, except when I was in graduate school! To me, I approach math like puzzles and enjoy the logic building. (nerd alert!) erica@foundationinnovation.com ext. 702 #MayaAngelou #BearGrylls #Math #FortStockton #FoundationInnovation #TeamFI #EricaEkwurzel #CFRE
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