Our Story

Sarah Phillips, Founder & Consultant at Impact Lab Partners, begin her career more than a decade ago, working on the frontlines with nonprofits, social enterprises, and community organizations that were striving to make a real difference. Throughout these years, she gained firsthand experience in the complexities of mission-driven work, from managing direct service programs to navigating the challenges of government funding and public policy. She saw how organizations often faced systemic inefficiencies and roadblocks that prevented them from reaching their full potential.

 

As Sarah worked alongside these organizations, she became passionate about creating solutions that didn’t just address surface-level problems but actually got to the heart of what was holding them back. She realized that real, lasting change requires a deep understanding of both the data and people - both those who are behind the mission and those who are directly affected by it. That’s why, when Sarah founded Impact Lab Partners, she made it her core mission to combine a human-centered approach with data-driven solutions—ensuring that every project is not only effective but deeply aligned with the values and goals of the organizations she works with, and the unique communities those organizations serve.

 

At Impact Lab Partners, our approach is simple: we work hand-in-hand with my clients, digging deep into their operations to uncover inefficiencies and bottlenecks. From there, we collaborate to design solutions that are tailored to their unique needs, culture, and long-term vision, placing the populations they serve at the center of it all. The real differentiator? We personally implement every solution. Unlike many consultants who hand off recommendations, we take ownership of executing the changes, ensuring they are carried out with precision, while minimizing disruption to daily operations.

 

But the work doesn’t stop there. We are deeply committed to long-term success, offering ongoing support and check-ins to ensure that the solutions we’ve put in place are sustainable and continue to drive impact. For us, it’s not just about solving problems—it’s about creating lasting change that amplifies the positive impact these organizations have on the communities they serve.

 

Sarah's journey has shaped the belief at Impact Lab Partners that real transformation happens when we merge innovation with empathy, data with a deep understanding of people’s needs, and strategy with a commitment to positive impact. That’s the foundation of Impact Lab Partners—and it’s the approach we bring to every client we work with. Together, we can build the capacity, efficiency, and sustainability needed to create the change our communities need.