Beyond the Bio: Candid Conversations on Career Cultivation

Featuring 

 Libby Roberts, Senior Advisor and Founding Managing Director, Lindauer

in conversation with

Jess Garcia, Development Coordinator, Boston Harbor Now 

The most meaningful career wisdom can often be found in the details that don’t make it onto our resumes — the professional pivots, the quiet doubts, the moments of deliberate reinvention. Join us for a candid conversation with Libby Roberts, longtime WIDGB member and experienced fundraising leader, whose career has spanned annual giving, major gifts, campaigns, board engagement, and team leadership across higher education, healthcare, and the arts. Now a trusted voice in executive search and talent strategy at Lindauer, Libby brings decades of perspective on how fundraising careers — and the organizations we serve — grow, evolve, and sometimes surprise us.

Moderated by Jess Garcia, member of WIDGB’s Membership Committee and development coordinator at Boston Harbor Now, this conversation will go beyond the bio to explore the turns that shape a career: navigating sector shifts, leading through failure, knowing when to stay and when to go, and what it means to build a professional life anchored in resilience and purpose. Whether you're early in your fundraising journey or a seasoned leader, this is an invitation to reflect on your path — not just the destination — and gain helpful guidance on how to shape your next chapter.

Breakfast and Networking, 8:30-9:30am
Program: 9:30-10:30am

Westin Copley Place 
10 Huntington Avenue, Boston

 Discounted valet parking available at the Westin Hotel - $30

Libby Roberts
Drawing on decades of experience in advancement leadership, Libby Roberts brings a practical approach and candor to executive search and talent strategy. Before joining Lindauer, she held senior roles at Boston Symphony Orchestra, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dartmouth College, Harvard Law School and Northeastern University. Her career spanned annual giving, major gifts, campaigns, board engagement, and team leadership -- giving her insight of how organizations and careers grow, evolve, and thrive.

Libby is passionate about empowering the next generation of leaders in philanthropy. She believes the strongest careers are built not only on results, but also on resilience, curiosity, and the courage to lead with purpose. Her work in healthcare, higher ed, arts and culture, advocacy, and global service reflects both the breadth of her experience and her lifelong commitment to mission-driven leadership.

 An active community leader, Libby volunteers with Care Dimensions Hospice Care and has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including WID, AFP, and The Brookline Food Pantry. She remains deeply engaged with her alma mater, Dartmouth College, where she earned her BA in Religion.

 
Jess Garcia
Jess Garcia is a strategic fundraiser dedicated to building sustainable, data-driven donor relationship systems. Currently serving as the development coordinator for Boston Harbor Now, Jess has been a driving force behind the organization’s fundraising resilience, successfully stewarding over $10 million in proposals and managing a high-stakes foundation and grants portfolio.

 A champion for tech literacy, Jess specializes in the intersection of technology and donor stewardship, ensuring that organizational capacity evolves alongside stakeholder needs. Jess is passionate about empowering the next generation of leaders through authentic connections and curiosity. She is deeply committed to equity and professional mentorship, serving on the Membership Committee for Women in Development of Greater Boston as well as through active membership in the Boston Harbor Women of Color Coalition.