Author

Hildy Gottlieb has been called “the most innovative and practical thinker in our sector.” As President of the Community-Driven Institute, her ground-breaking work aims the Community Benefit Sector at its highest potential - creating the future of our world.

In 1998, after working for five years as consultants to community organizations, Hildy and her business partner (and best friend) Dimitri Petropolis had an epiphany - regardless of the quality of work done by their clients and other organizations, those organizations were not creating significant improvement to the quality of life in their communities.

This realization led to the development of the thought-processes and methodologies that became the Pollyanna Principles, and that laid the groundwork for the development of the Community-Driven Institute.

Hildy’s credentials include teaching, writing and consulting in the Community Benefit Sector, as well as co-founding two community organizations - the world’s first diaper bank in her adopted hometown of Tucson, Arizona, and a second diaper bank in the Phoenix area. Steeped in that in-the-trenches reality, Charity Channel CEO Stephen Nill has labeled Hildy “a practitioner’s practitioner.”

Hildy’s numerous awards include a Points of Light Citation from President Bill Clinton. Her workbooks have become industry standards (you can see all her books here ). Hildy currently serves on the faculty of Duquesne University, where she teaches in their masters degree program in Community Leadership.

Outside her work life, Hildy is the single mother of an adult daughter who continues to be her inspiration. Hildy credits her inspirational public speaking abilities to years of teaching Spanish and creative writing in her daughter’s grade school classes.

If you are interested in having Hildy speak at your conference or in your community, please contact her here: