WHO WE ARE

Kate Krebs Lyda created Staro Insights based on the belief that people and organizations are most successful when they make values-based business decisions. In order to get to the “how” in a business, philanthropic, nonprofit, or impact investing strategy, leaders must understand where their story began and the change they are trying to effect. Staro Insights’ story began in 2019 when Kate set out to help organizations move money to make an impact; the name Staro was inspired by the tiny village in northern Italy from which Kate’s great-grandmother emigrated to the U.S. 

Staro Insights is an impact investing strategy firm that supports funders and nonprofits in impact-first capital strategies. Having worked as both as grantmaker and a fundraiser, Kate brings a refined perspective to community development finance, understanding the goals for both deploying and securing capital and where these objectives intersect. Kate is particularly focused on working with community-driven nonprofits where those most affected are the ones making decisions, and with foundations and families who are interested in shifting power and resources to Black, Indigenous, Latine, and other communities.

Over her career in development and philanthropy, Kate has raised over $50 million in grants, gifts, and impact investments for nonprofit organizations and community foundations. In addition to helping organizations attract financial support, she has also helped funders and philanthropists with innovative strategies for effectively deploying grants and PRIs for greater impact. Particular areas of expertise include working with organizations on their first-ever large-scale real estate projects and working on community-driven projects that would not have happened if not but for impact-first capital investments. 

Kate holds an MBA from Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, a Master’s of Nonprofit Management from Regis University, and a BA in English from the University of Colorado at Denver. She has served as a board member and volunteer for numerous nonprofit organizations. Kate lives in the metro Denver area with her husband, two children, and a rescue dog called Freddy.