About
Elizabeth Ramirez is a trusted advisor to families and individuals refining their strategies, scaling their programs, or reimagining how they achieve lasting impact.
She partners with clients to navigate key decision points, from how to begin, to how to structure, govern, and grow philanthropic efforts that align with their purpose and values.
Her work often spans family ecosystems that includes wealth generators, inheritors, and senior executives operating in lean or non-traditional structures.
Elizabeth brings nearly 20 years of experience working within some of the country’s most respected and ambitious philanthropies.
Before founding Winding River Advisors, Elizabeth led the Walton Personal Philanthropy Group, supporting family members as they launched and grew individual giving initiatives.
She structured large-scale, family-led efforts, incubated new program areas, and evolved operational models to support significant expansion in philanthropic activity.
Previously, as a senior leader at one of the country’s top philanthropy consulting firms, Elizabeth worked with leading donors to translate vision into results: structuring and implementing innovative approaches that integrated charitable, advocacy, and investment vehicles.
She began her career at the Levi Strauss Foundation and the United Nations Foundation, managing programs and governance initiatives at the intersection of social impact and leadership development.
Elizabeth is based in Washington, DC, and is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Brazil.
A Note from Elizabeth
Philanthropy can and should be a deeply personal expression of purpose. Yet for many families and senior leaders, it can also feel complex, slow, or lonely. I founded Winding River Advisors to help change that, to make this work clearer, more focused, and more aligned with what matters most to you – so purpose and execution move hand in hand. My goal is to meet you where you are, remove the friction, and help you move forward with confidence and clarity.
Our Approach
Our approach is pragmatic and personal. We understand the dynamic of multi-generational families, wealth generators, and the discretion required to work within complex ecosystems. We bring structure where it’s needed, perspective that matters, and a steady hand when decisions feel weighty. We’re action-oriented partners: pragmatic in execution, reflective in approach, and trusted to get things done quietly and well.
Each engagement begins with listening to understand what’s working, what’s not, and what’s possible. From there, we focus on clarity and action, moving at the right pace, with the right partners, and the right structures in place. Each engagement is different, but the outcome is consistent: clarity in decisions, alignment in direction, and a renewed confidence in the work ahead.