Spitfire XX: Fearless. Fresh. Focused. Anniversary blog series

As Spitfire turns 20, we’re reflecting – and planning for the days and years ahead. Our first Fearless. Fresh. Focused. blog post is from our founder, Kristen Grimm. We’ll be inviting other Spitfire staff, alumni, clients and partners to share how you approach your work, the world and your learning. We look forward to sharing more of these Q&A posts with you, and we’re happy to celebrate twenty years of sparking change.

Q: What’s your name and professional organization? 

A:  Kristen Grimm, Spitfire
 

Q: I’m going to be fearless about _____. 

A: I want to be fearless about building the firm of the future. When I started Spitfire 20 years ago, I inherited a model for consulting and didn’t question enough if it was the best way to center staff, serve clients and keep our team at the leading edge of our craft. With the Spitfire leadership team and wisdom from our full staff, we are reimagining how to have a company that makes it possible to live our values and achieve our mission of advancing racial, economic and social justice; protecting the environment; and expanding opportunity.

Q: I’ll seek fresh perspectives by _____. 

A: I am a voracious reader. My colleagues know I get up early and read and send out all sorts of emails with ideas and tips. What I want to get fresh perspective on is foresight thinking. I’ve been digging in a bit and am intrigued that by considering the future more deeply, we stand a better chance of creating the one we want. I hope to find mentors and teachers in this space and integrate this thinking into the work I do.
 

Q: I’m focused on achieving outcomes such as _____. 

A: I want to make truth and trust ascendent again. There is well-documented decline of both. We know the analysis. Let’s now see the actions we need to take to have people value truth over misinformation and trust each other and trust reformed and reimagined institutions that are serious about earning trust. A society as diverse as ours needs to cultivate deep trust so we can have disagreements with the common purpose of coming to sustainable solutions.
 

Q: Anything else to add?

It has been a real gift to work at Spitfire for 20 years. I have worked with some of our most visionary leaders, talented staff, and righteous causes. I would never have had the courage though to start Spitfire if it weren’t for my father who was a role model and a cheerleader for me. When I started the company and many said focusing on capacity building for the nonprofit field was a bad business idea, my father said: I believe in you. There is such power in that, and I pass that on whenever I can. If we believe in the cause and in each other, we are unstoppable.