In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Stephanie Ellis-Smith. Marriage caused Stephanie to face two hard truths at once. The medical career she had poured herself into did not fit the life she wanted to build with her husband. And perhaps even more unsettling, a career in medicine was not clicking the way she had always assumed it would. When she stepped away, Stephanie felt like she was walking out on an identity her family had invested everything in. Then, in the middle of that uncertainty, Stephanie said yes to a small volunteer opportunity. That single yes ended up rerouting her life into a decades long career in philanthropy, including founding three nonprofits and Phila Engaged Giving.

Stephanie is the CEO and founder of Phīla Engaged Giving, a philanthropic advisory firm established in 2017 that works with donors who are ready to activate their assets for social change. As an advisor and social impact specialist, she works toward a world where philanthropy is a nurturing and equity-centered practice that connects wealth to the people and communities who need it most.

Stephanie is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) with extensive experience in advising high-impact individuals and companies. She believes strongly in being a compassionate and generous member of society and brings nearly 30 years of professional and personal life experience in governance, family wealth and nonprofit leadership to the social sector. In the wake of the racial uprisings of 2020, she co-founded Giving Gap, an online database to help donors find and support Black-founded and led organizations in their communities. Having served in a variety of professional capacities—non-profit CEO, social enterprise COO, foundation and non-profit trustee and corporate board member—Stephanie’s extensive background and deep knowledge makes her uniquely well-positioned to be a trusted advisor to the world’s most generous families and institutions. Stephanie’s expertise in navigating wealth, impactful generosity and civic engagement is frequently sought by leading philanthropic institutions and mainstream publications and she has frequently appeared as a keynote speaker at major social sector convenings.

Several Seattle mayors and former Washington Governor Gary Locke have appointed Stephanie to serve on a variety of boards and public commissions. She is currently a member of the Seattle Art Museum’s Museum Development Authority Board and the board of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. She was appointed a Dean of Philanthropy in 2022 by The Purposeful Planning Institute. Stephanie has BA degrees from UCLA in both English Literature and Biochemistry. Given her keen interest in science, Stephanie’s post-graduate years were spent in university labs working on stem cell and AIDS-related research. She has two adult children and lives in Seattle with her husband, the historian Douglas Smith.

Stephanie’s journey shows that philanthropy is far more than writing checks or serving on boards. It is a deeply human practice that shapes relationships, careers and how we understand money, power and purpose. From her own career pivot to the way she helps families navigate charitable giving, her story illustrates how generosity can change the giver as much as the causes they support. By speaking openly about her own money story, identity and career reinvention, she reminds listeners that meaningful giving begins with honest conversations and a willingness to learn.

If you are thinking about how to align your wealth with your values, an Aspiriant advisor can help you clarify your purpose, structure your giving and build a thoughtful philanthropic plan that fits your family.

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