Elaine MacDonald

Elaine Lum MacDonald is committed to harnessing the talents of the private sector to empower social enterprises to accelerate their positive societal and environmental impact. Elaine was the former CEO of Knowledge Impact NetworkTM (KIN), a network of passionate leaders sharing knowledge for social good. In this role, she inspired leaders to leverage their skills, insights, and connections to accelerate progress on the world’s most urgent issues. She currently serves on its Board. Prior to her role at KIN, Elaine was the Executive Director of Harvard Business School Community Partners of Northern California, where she motivated Harvard Business School alumni to leverage their business management talents to support nonprofits driving positive social change. Before her pivot to advance the social impact sector at large, Elaine founded a strategic marketing consultancy, was a Marketing Leader at the Clorox Company, and was a global management consultant for The Monitor Group. Elaine received her A.B. from Harvard College and MBA from Harvard Business School. Beyond the KIN Board, she currently serves on the Harvard Business School Alumni Board. She is also a partner at SV2, served on the Evaluation Panel of Yield Giving’s Open Call, and is an advisor/board member of nonprofits. Elaine speaks at events, conferences, and podcasts about the power of applying business acumen to social issues. Originally from New York, she now resides in California and is the mother of three daughters.