Testimonials

Dr. Ian Lekus is a man of many talents. After two decades of collaboration—in higher education and public service, non-profit organizations and social justice movements—I can say with great confidence that Ian is one of the most extraordinary people I have ever encountered. Equal parts scholar, teacher, and practitioner, he brings a broad intellect, deep empathy, and fierce sense of justice to everything he does. I have seen him change lives and change the world. Whether you are looking for an individual coach, team facilitator, or strategic thought partner for your organization, Ian is your person. I know this because he has been mine for many years. I recommend Dr. Ian Lekus with all the energy and enthusiasm I can possibly muster!

— Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Dr. Lekus did an outstanding job as a Research Analyst at Fund the People (previously the Talent Philanthropy Project), the national campaign to maximize foundation investments in the nonprofit workforce. Ian is a great collaborator, combining a detail-oriented approach to getting things done with a keen intellectual ability and curiosity. The literature review and annotated bibliography that he produced about funding for diversity, equity and inclusion in the nonprofit workforce are of the utmost scholarly quality while they are also accessible to practitioners. Aside from the quality of his work, Ian also brings humor, humility and an unbeatable work ethic to any effort, no matter how small or large in scope.

‍ ‍ — Rusty Stahl, Fund the People

Ian’s keen insight and straightforward approach never lack the emotional savvy that makes his ability to relate to others just so darned effective. He’s able to see things in others that are hard for people to see in themselves, and he communicates what he sees in a way that anyone can actually understand. He’s an invaluable team member who isn’t afraid of the grind of hard work and whose meaningful contributions merit the well-deserved respect he’s earned from, well, everybody he’s worked with. As a former co-worker, I collaborated with Ian as much as I could because I regard his input so highly, and I know for a fact that I am not alone in my view of Ian’s tremendous value-add.

— Jeff Knox, Moxie College Consulting

Ian’s project management and coaching skills are second to none. He is adaptable and brings attention to detail and a wealth of research skills—wrapped in a very approachable style—to the table to help a client accomplish a goal. He played an indispensable part in my successful completion of a major publication with a hard deadline, and I would certainly engage his coaching and support again when the need arises.

—Lance Poston, The Johns Hopkins University

Ian is, very simply put, a dream editor. I have recently finished my first novel and Ian was instrumental in working with me to pull together key ingredients for marketing, such as a sharp query letter and synopsis. I have worked with many people in my career, even more than one editor and Ian tops them all. As an editor, Ian has a gentle touch, will not interfere with a writer's voice or meaning but he does make that writer's prose better by far. I cannot thank him enough for the incredibly valuable back and forth editing that we did on the two one-pagers that needed to be better than perfect. Need edits? Ask Ian.

‍ ‍ — Kelly Raftery, author

Good writing is its own best endorsement. Ian Lekus demonstrates his extraordinary ability to deftly use the written word to convey content and strategy. He garners what is necessary to support his argument and then presents with succinct clarity a distilled message that is both rich in substance and balanced in judgment. Ian’s craft has been honed toward advocacy with an internal design to motivate the reader to action.

‍ ‍ — Former supervisor