Theresa M. Ellis

Founder and CEO

Theresa has dedicated her career to bringing innovative, impact-creating solutions to the most pressing social problems. As a little girl, she worked with her parents to help a family of eight children get back on their feet after both their parents were killed. This experience gave her a sense of the transformative power the right capital invested in the right venture at the right time.

Theresa brings two decades of experience in the social impact space to Liminality Partners. After beginning her career in education evaluation, Theresa founded Common Impact, a social enterprise that was the first to build systematized, pro-bono programs for Fortune 500 companies. After serving as CEO of Common Impact, Theresa took an appointment as the Gleitsman Visiting Practitioner at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. In this role, she taught leadership, worked closely with students interested in social enterprise, and conducted research on the role of multi-sector leadership in addressing complicated, societal challenges.

More recently, Theresa returned to Dartmouth and lead the reorganization of the Tucker Foundation. Through a multi-stakeholder process, Theresa launched two new centers: The Tucker Center for Spiritual Life and The Dartmouth Center for Social Impact. As the founding Director of the Center for Social Impact, Theresa set the strategy, recruited a team, raised early capital, and built a board of advisors.

As the Founder of Liminality Partners, Theresa advises families and individuals who want to leverage their resources and tackle the social problems that are important to them. She collaborates with her clients to craft and implement their philanthropic strategies, work through operational challenges and evaluate their effectiveness. Theresa earned an AB in Religion with honors at Dartmouth College where she graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She received the Phillip D. McInnis Class of 1936 Award, given to the outstanding woman in the graduating class. Theresa serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Brookwood School and as a judge at several social enterprise competitions. She also served on the Board of Trustees of the Essex County Community Foundation. She lives on Boston’s North Shore with her husband, their two children, and their dog.

Blair Steck

Senior Advisor

Blair believes deeply in the power of philanthropy to have profound impact on the world. Early in her career, Blair was encouraged to “give until feel it feels good.” That philosophy has guided her path in the decades since.

Blair spent over 20 years fundraising in various sectors of the non-profit industry, committed to organizations she deeply believed in. For much of her career Blair was a development professional at leading cultural institutions in the Boston area, The Museum of Science, The Institute for Contemporary Art, and The Peabody Essex Museum. In addition, she worked in development for hospitals and land conservation. Most recently Blair served as the Director of Inclusive Philanthropy at the Peabody Essex Museum. There, she spearheaded an innovative program to expand the idea of philanthropy, reaching new audiences, and partnering with other non-profits outside of the arts to demonstrate alignment and amplify their work in the community.

In addition to her professional dedication to non-profit organizations, Blair has served on a variety of boards and committees, including being the first student board member Western Reserve Academy. Blair graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in art history. She lives on the North Shore with her husband, two daughters, three cats and a dog.

Mia Strout

Using her enthusiasm for life and community involvement, Mia developed a gift early on for helping others establish a personal mission by investing in their own cities. During her time in Massachusetts, Mia has interned and volunteered with nonprofits such as Beverly Bootstraps, and invested in the philanthropic side of the nonprofit sector during her time in marketing at Faith Christian School. In her previous role as a youth advocate with the Northeast Family Institute, Mia sought ways to rehabilitate youth in crisis with community integration via relationships, service, and capital. Her interest in both creating a personal connection and fueling an enduring passion for social impact in others has brought Mia to Liminality Partners.

Mia graduated magna cum laude from Gordon with a degree in Christian Ministries and concentrations in Juvenile Justice and Peace and Conflict Studies. She also holds an MA in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Gordon College. Mia lives in Salem, Massachusetts and travels to her hometown of Bar Harbor, Maine to enjoy Acadia National Park whenever possible.

Isaac Mintz

Director of Finance

Isaac M. Mintz is an experienced leader with over 19 years in the nonprofit sector. Isaac most recently served as the Vice President of Finance and Operations with the Jane Goodall Institute, a global conservation organization.

Isaac’s career has also been dedicated to social justice issues. He considers himself an innovator in growth and expansion strategy. He has proven his ability to challenge, change and better existing processes, procedures, and systems.

Isaac received his B.S in Accounting and Information Systems from High Point University in 2004. He also earned a Masters, cum laude, with a concentration in Accounting in 2006. He received his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Information Technology and Business Management in 2009. Isaac has his CMA Certification and is a candidate for the Uniform CPA Examination.