Open to opportunities

Evelyn Wilder

@evelynwilder

Message

Strategic operations and civic initiatives leader driving governance, partnerships, and scalable growth.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek roles where I can build governance and operational infrastructure, grow partnerships, and scale programs in mission-driven organizations.

I am a strategic operations and civic initiative leader with a track record of building organizational infrastructure and cross-sector partnerships. I focus on governance development, stakeholder alignment, and translating vision into structured growth.

As Founder and President of a nonprofit civic organization, I established governance frameworks, advisory and board structures, and early operational systems to advance public understanding of government. In consultancy and chief-of-staff roles, I translate strategic priorities into operational initiatives, executive communications, and scalable process improvements.

I have led revenue-generating sales and operations teams, including developing a high-revenue expansion strategy that produced $75K+ in net sales and establishing a division’s largest catering sales team. I also supported startup accelerator growth, mentoring entrepreneurs and designing multi-channel expansion strategies informed by data analytics.

I deliver results across nonprofit, civic, government, and private sector environments by building repeatable processes, improving collaboration, and driving measurable growth in membership, fundraising, and market expansion.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Founder and President

Current

Chicago Political Club

Oct 2025 - Present (4 months)

Founded and lead an Illinois nonprofit advancing public understanding of government through civic engagement; established governance, advisory committee, and early operational infrastructure to scale community participation.

Nonprofit Leadership Strategic Planning Stakeholder Engagement Community Outreach Fundraising Organizational Development

Current

Chief of Staff

Current

Galen Communications

Dec 2017 - Present (8 years 2 months)

Translate strategic priorities into operational initiatives, redesign workflows, and develop executive communications to support growth, stakeholder engagement, and revenue generation across remote teams.

Operations Management Strategic Communications Process Improvement Stakeholder Management Go To Market Strategy Executive Support Cross Functional Collaboration Project Management

Membership Director

MYD

Jan 2024 - Jan 2025 (1 year)

Designed and led a membership growth strategy that increased membership by 100% and retention by 81% through data-driven outreach and partnership events to raise visibility and funding.

Retention Strategy Event Planning Partnership Development Stakeholder Engagement

Senior Sales Manager

Compass Group

Jun 2023 - Nov 2023 (5 months)

Led a high-revenue expansion strategy and the division’s largest catering sales team, generating $75K+ in net sales during NYU orientation week and improving customer acquisition and retention.

Sales & Management Revenue Growth Team Leadership Catering Sales Customer Acquisition Account Management

Operations Lead

Kaplan Institute For Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship

Sep 2022 - Jun 2023 (9 months)

Led community and culture initiatives for a global startup accelerator, mentored six entrepreneurs on U.S. market entry, and developed multi-channel growth strategies to expand accelerator participation.

Program Operations Market Entry Strategy Partnership Development Financial Planning Data Analytics Go To Market

Aide and Director of Operations

Friends of Michele Smith

Jan 2019 - Dec 2020 (1 year 11 months)

Managed campaign and ward operations including canvassing, GOTV, and constituent services; organized events engaging 200+ seniors and supported fundraising that contributed $300K+ during the election cycle.