Pearl Street Collective

About Us

Pearl Street, now part of the Lindauer family, is an award-winning retained executive search and talent strategy consultancy serving the nonprofit, education, and healthcare sectors.

Through a blend of innovative partnership models and human-centered service, Pearl Street consultants serve as a seamless extension of our clients’ teams. Our approach, powered by the combined research capabilities and talent networks of Lindauer and Pearl Street, offers organizations the ability to build high-performing leadership teams that realize meaningful and lasting impact in their communities.

Women-founded and led by a passionate group of professionals dedicated to redefining search for the mission-driven space, Pearl Street leads with purpose, radical empathy, active listening, and transparency.

Pearl Street is recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms, appearing with Lindauer—a top-25 firm—on the prestigious list. In addition to Forbes, Pearl Street has been featured in Hunt Scanlon’s top recruiter shortlists for Nonprofits and Higher Education and named a Top Search Firm by Women of Color in Fundraising & Philanthropy for four consecutive years.

Achievements

Recent Searches

You can find current searches of Pearl Street Collective here: https://pearlstreetcollective.com/searches/

Pearl Street Collective

Solutions And Expertise

Pearl Street provides a hands-on, deeply personalized approach for clients and candidates alike, focusing on a limited number of engagements to meet the unique needs and timetables of each. While we work across function areas, we possess a deep expertise in fundraising and advancement having placed hundreds of leaders in organizations ranging from universities, colleges, and independent schools to hospitals and medical centers to nonprofits in the areas of social justice, youth support, disease advocacy and research, human services, tech for good, food equity, and more.

Our customized approach and total investment ensure a more thorough understanding of a client’s culture, values, and strategic goals. It also allows us to spend more time with individual candidates, helping them understand and evaluate an opportunity as well as their own motivations and career goals, which makes for a more affirming experience all around.

Everything we do is fueled by our mission to connect people with their purpose so that organizations can thrive.

Solutions
  • Data Analy./Mrkt. Intell.
  • Executive Search
  • Recruitment Research
  • Talent Strategy Consulting
Industries
  • Associations
  • Clinical Research
  • Colleges/Universities
  • Cultural Arts
  • Education
  • Family Offices
  • Foundations
  • Higher Education
  • K-12
  • Non-Profit
Functions
  • Board/Governance
  • Business Development
  • C-Level
  • C-Suite
  • CEO/President
  • Communications/PR
  • Data/Analytics
  • Development
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • General Management
  • GM/Operations
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing & Sales

Pearl Street Collective

News Briefings

Non-Profits Seek New Kinds of Leaders with Help from Search Firms

Executive search for the non-profit sector often mirrors broader hiring trends, with a distinct focus on leadership, strategic vision, and organizational impact. Recruiters say that non-profits, generally, are increasingly seeking executives and management teams who can provide strong leadership, articulate a compelling vision, and inspire stakeholders. Like most sectors, there is a growing emphasis on

Pearl Street Collective Recruits Chief Development Officer for the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at University Of Massachusetts Amherst

Virtually every industry needs top-drawer chief development officers. CDOs play a key role in planning, coordinating, and administering capital campaigns, corporate giving, and galvanizing new donors while keeping previous funders content. Implementing funding strategies that “keep the lights on,” according to recruiters specializing in the function, is job No. 1. Boston-based executive search firm Pearl Street

Pearl Street Collective Fills Key Position for Northeastern University

Boston-based executive search firm Pearl Street Collective has assisted in the recruitment of Chris DeMeo to the newly created leadership role of associate vice president of marketing and communications for the office of university advancement at Northeastern University. Co-founders and managing partners Adele Mezher and Maeve Clifford led the assignment. Mr. DeMeo has a track record

Pearl Street Collective Seeks Two CDOs for University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation

Boston-based executive search firm Pearl Street Collective has been enlisted to help fill two key roles for the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation (UMAF). The non-profit is seeking chief development officers for the university’s Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and its Commonwealth Honors College. Leading the assignments are Adele Mezher, co-founder and managing partner, and

Pearl Street Collective

Press Releases

Pearl Street Partners with UNC-Chapel Hill to Recruit Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, Innovation

Nicholas Cole has joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, Innovation. He will support the Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development & Chief Innovation Officer as well as academic partners across Carolina to fundraise for signature initiatives that advance the institution’s innovation agenda, specifically within

Matthew Williams Named Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives for UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Data Science and Society

Matthew Williams has joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the inaugural Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives for the School of Data Science and Society. Matthew will be responsible for managing strategic university and industry partnerships while securing transformational philanthropic support to advance the School’s unique, collaborative initiatives aimed at advancing the

2024 Top Search Firm for Women of Color

For the third consecutive year, Pearl Street has been named to the list of Top Executive Search Firms that Work for Women of Color by Women of Color in Fundraising & Philanthropy (WOC). WOC administered a survey to its members and executive search firms with a specialty in and strong emphasis on placements within the

PEARL STREET RECRUITS CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR THE COMMONWEALTH HONORS COLLEGE AT UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST

BOSTON & SAN DIEGO, April 1, 2024 – After completing a national search on behalf of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation, Pearl Street has recruited Catherine Rider as the new Executive Director of Development and Chief Development Officer for the Commonwealth Honors College. In her new role, Catherine is working alongside Dean Mari Castañeda

PEARL STREET RECRUITS CRYSTAL NEUHAUSER AS CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR THE ELAINE MARIEB COLLEGE OF NURSING AT UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST

BOSTON & SAN DIEGO, March 29, 2024 – Pearl Street was honored to partner with the UMass Amherst Foundation in the search for a new Executive Director of Development and Chief Development Officer for the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Managing Partner Adele Mezher led the process that resulted in