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Lily Starling Louis

Lily Starling Louis

Systems thinker bridging finance, sustainability, and creative expression

Lilystarling
New York, New York, United States
London
Wisconsin
Joined March 2026
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Network

1.2K connections
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Finance Investment Professionals
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Sustainable Impact Investing
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Ethical Leadership & Product
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Climate Nature Tech
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Product UX Design
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Ethical Engineering & Data

Summary

Lily Starling Louis is a systems thinker and a bridge-builder who adeptly connects institutional finance with sustainability. Her career trajectory at Ethic, from Sustainability Analyst to Chief of Staff, demonstrates her ability to design products for portfolio transparency and act as a "gap-filler" for organizational challenges, all while maintaining a focus on re-orienting economic systems towards values-based change. obsidian+1
Her expertise in sustainable finance is evident through her academic background (Independent Concentration in PPE with a focus on Sustainable Finance at Brown University) and her professional contributions. She has actively explored tools like Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) to deepen her understanding of alternative governance structures and to address the nature financing gap. She has co-authored articles on the strategic use of DAFs for impactful investing, showcasing her thought leadership in this area. obsidian+2
Beyond finance, Lily is a passionate advocate for climate justice and environmental stewardship. She actively participates in events like Climate Week, discussing critical issues such as corporate accountability and environmental contamination. Her writing, including "Nature is the Greatest Host: Lessons from Climate Week," reflects her commitment to shifting narratives around humanity's relationship with nature and fostering responsible custodianship. linkedin+2
Lily's creative and multicultural background is a distinctive aspect of her profile. Having grown up in London with American parents and a French schooling system, she developed a "translator's mindset." She is also a poet, seeing poetry as a lifelong companion and a powerful tool for storytelling, which she believes is essential for transforming economic and cultural relationships with nature. obsidian+2

Work

Education

Writing

DAFs in Action

October 22, 2024

Co-authored article diving into Ethic's vision for Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs), explaining how they support advisors in offering DAFs and DAFs' potential for systemic change, impactful giving, and aligning investments with values. It emphasizes DAFs as transformative engines of capital for high-impact initiatives.

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Nature is the Greatest Host: Lessons from Climate Week

October 1, 2024

Reflects on lessons learned from Climate Week, emphasizing being good "houseguests" of the planet, accountability, local communities, storytelling, respecting diverse perspectives, curiosity, and thanking nature. It highlights the importance of climate justice and environmental stewardship, suggesting that transforming our relationship with nature requires new narratives and cross-sector collaboration.

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Hobbies

Lily is a poet, passionate about creative expression, and views poetry as a consistent companion in her life. communitywordproject+2

She enjoys running, during which she contemplates conceptual and practical problems related to bridging the nature financing gap. obsidian

Notes

QZQuinten Z Dreesmannsaid they've seen
LSLily Starling Louis
successfully manage or structure investment syndicates, clubs, or other collective investment projects.

Mar 18, 2026