100% women-owned, minority-owned.
We work with an extensive network of independent partners, providing clients with access to deep and relevant expertise tailored to each project at hand. Our model keeps our services affordable and agile, allowing us to take on projects of all sizes, large and small.
Belinda Li
Founder / Chief Consultant
For over 20 years, Belinda has been offering her expertise in business modeling, business strategy, market research, and feasibility assessment to clients in the nonprofit, public, private, academic, and social enterprise sectors. Belinda’s passion for combining the power of business with the promise of social impact has led to her founding of CiTTA to focus on promoting and facilitating the growth of the social enterprise business model and economy.
Before founding CiTTA, Belinda worked as a Senior Associate at the global consulting firm, McKinsey & Co., where clients included United Way, the Field Museum, and Fortune 100 companies. She brings particular expertise to the health, education, and environmental fields, with a background as program manager of the Chicago Climate Action Plan, a business manager at General Electric Healthcare, and a PhD in Medical Physics from the University of London, UK. She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and currently serves on the Boards of Social Enterprise Alliance, Social Enterprise Alliance Chicago Chapter, Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund, and Chicago Buddhist Meditation Group.
Belinda lives with her wife in Chicago, where they are active volunteers and meditation facilitators at Chicago Buddhist Meditation Group.
Phyllis Lee
Co-Founder / Web Consultant
Phyllis has over 20 years of experience working as a Web Developer and Information Architect. Her love for solving the ever-changing puzzle of effective communications and information sharing led her down an academic path that included visual arts, database constructions, web-based application programming, and usability design. Since 1999 she has been building user-friendly websites and intranets to help organizations operate more efficiently. Her clients are given the tools to promote their causes, brands, and products effectively, and the capability to streamline workflow and information sharing among their teams.
Phyllis has an MFA in Visual Arts from Northern Illinois University and a BFA from State University of New York at Oswego. She also completed a certification program in .NET Development at DePaul University.
Phyllis lives in Chicago with her wife and their rescue cat. She is a meditation facilitator and Board Secretary at Chicago Buddhist Meditation Group.
Emma Tamplin
Marketing Associate
Emma joined CiTTA in 2020, with a primary role in conducting market research, and supporting the design and implementation of business and marketing strategies. She incorporates a background in social entrepreneurship, education and marketing. In conjunction with her experience organizing and developing education-based reform for nonprofits, Emma’s areas of academic expertise characterize her unique contribution. She has conducted original research using interviews, content analysis, and participant observation. Her research, which spans the areas of gender, religion, and not-for-profit organizations, has been selected for publication and earned multiple awards.
Emma holds an MA in Political and Social Science from the University of Chicago, and a BA in English and Sociology from University of Belmont. Furthermore, Emma is a long-term volunteer at various literacy programs and has been a photographer for over ten years.
Our Partners
John Braunstein
Higher Education Strategic Planning Expert
John brings 40+ years of experience in higher education strategy and planning, enrollment management and operations, and institutional marketing, both as a consultant and in senior leadership positions at several colleges and universities including Associate Provost for Enrollment & Planning, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion; Associate Provost for Enrollment Management & Dean of Admission, Franklin and Marshall College; and more. CiTTA has partnered with John on strategic planning projects for many higher education institutions, ranging from university-wide strategic plans to strategic plans for colleges and academic departments.
Rena Henderson Mason
Board Development Expert
Rena is Founder of Bold Agenda. As a trusted advisor to mission-driven board and staff leaders, Rena helps clients shape their boards for high performance and tell their unique stories. She has coached leaders through: growth, leadership transitions, strategic alliances, restructuring, turnaround and crisis. CiTTA has partnered with Rena on numerous nonprofit strategic planning, growth strategy, and social enterprise business modeling projects.
Rayd Abu-Ayyash
Public and Private Finance Expert
Rayd is an independent consultant based in Germany. His interdisciplinary experience allows him to help clients tackle financial, technical, and regulatory constraints while achieving their core strategic goals. Rayd’s particular areas of expertise are financial institutions, renewable energy, urban and real estate development, public finance and education. CiTTA has partnered with Rayd on a feasibility assessment project for a complex social enterprise idea of a nonprofit.
Abby Penich
Marketing Expert
Abby is Partner & Chief Media Officer at Arrowhead Communications. With over 20 years of experience across many industries, Abby is a seasoned cross-functional marketing communications strategist with a foundation in utilizing digital and social media to drive brand affinity and top-line sales growth. CiTTA has partnered with Abby on a go-to-market strategy & implementation project for a new social enterprise business line of a healthcare company.
