Our Founder
Crystal Coats
is the Founder of Legacy Consulting Group, LLC. A 20+ year professional, Crystal's work focuses on creating sustainable social impact through strategy and thoughtful partnership.
Crystal creates programs that are data-informed, culturally inclusive, and carry strategic value to the organizations and the communities they serve. Her work has spanned the arts, higher education, government, and financial sectors. She has experience leading staff teams and engaging with philanthropy, along with supporting executive leaders in designing and implementing strategy.
Crystal is an avid speaker, facilitator, and coach. She creates shared experiences that focus on using interactive engagement to develop skills like active listening, data-informed approaches, and decision making. She has presented at conferences such as the Points of Light Conference, and the Illinois Conference on Volunteer Administration (ICOVA), as well as facilitated workshops for organizations like the Experimental Sounds Studio and the Emergency Nurses Association.
Crystal graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with her bachelors degree in English and a minor in Black Studies. She received her Masters Degree from the University of Chicago's Master of Arts in Humanities program. In 2016 she was a Fellow in the University of Chicago's Civic Leadership Academy and holds a certificate in nonprofit board leadership. Crystal also serves on the Board of Social Responsibility Chicago.
Our
Values
Inspiration can come from any where.
Big idea don’t always start in the board room. They start at kitchen tables, on coffee breaks, and between friends and colleagues. We prioritize creating equity so that those big ideas can come forward and be recognized.
It’s okay to experiment.
Sometimes the “bad” ideas lead to “good” answers. We value experimentation and open dialogue to identify possible next steps.
Leaders are people too.
By recognizing the humanity in others, we support leaders in assessing their skills, identifying areas for growth, and owning their ability to best contribute to the teams they lead.
Collaboration wins over conformity.
Successful teams are built on a clear understanding of roles and respect for diversity.
Be ready to pivot.
Flexibility isn’t a “nice to have”, it’s a “need to have. We work with organizations to create please that bend and flex to the needs of the community they serve.
Communities come first. Always.
Successfully creating social change requires us to set aside what we think we know, and center the voices of communities as the expert in their repair.