Susan J.  Colby

Partner, San Francisco

Susan Colby is a founding partner of the Bridgespan Group’s San Francisco office, where she leads the organization’s work in K-12 education and foundation strategy. She focuses on client and knowledge-related activities with a particular emphasis on disadvantaged populations. In her work,  she has engaged with foundations on major strategy and organization issues and has also consulted to a variety of nonprofit organizations, from smaller, local community-based organizations to large national agencies.

Susan joined Bridgespan from Monsanto (now Pharmacia), where she served as co-president of the Sustainable Development Sector, an initiative that developed economically, environmentally, and socially viable businesses. In particular, she worked to develop businesses and distribution channels to help small farmers in the developing world enhance their productivity, advance their personal and community well-being, and protect the environment. Prior to Monsanto, Susan spent 10 years at McKinsey & Company, where she co-founded and co-led the North American Environment Practice, serving clients in the areas of environmental management and strategy. At McKinsey, she also served foundations and environmental nonprofits on a pro bono basis and worked with clients in the financial, consumer goods, and energy industries.

She is a co-author of several major articles—“Galvanizing Philanthropy,” which appeared in Harvard Business Review;  “Zeroing in on Impact,” published in Stanford Social Innovation Review;  “The Strategic Value of a Shared Understanding of Costs,” based on “Costs are Cool” (Strategy and Leadership special report on nonprofit leadership); “Going for the Gold” published in Education Next; ”Expanding the Supply of High Quality Public Schools;” and “Reclaiming the American Dream” —as well as several Bridgespan case studies. She also has addressed the NewSchools Venture Fund Summit, Grantmakers for Education, the Stanford Nonprofit Institute, and other audiences on topics related to strategy, planning, and K-12 education.

Susan is a member of the inaugural class of the Aspen Institute-NewSchools Entrepreneurial Leaders for Public Education, and has served as an advisor and board member for several nonprofits. She began her consulting 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.