Thoughtful decision-making begins with listening.
Organizations know that the success of any program, service, or initiative depends on its value to those being served. Building, maintaining, and scaling these high-value, high-impact efforts begin with listening to the community of stakeholders and communicating its diverse perspectives. Luminary exists to serve organizations who understand this, but may lack the time, capacity, or expertise to engage in the comprehensive data collection and analysis they need. We partner with our clients to prioritize the critical data that will help them move forward thoughtfully. Our results contribute to confident decision-making that reflects the voices of all stakeholders.
Alison LaRocca, Owner + Principal
Alison draws on more than 15 years of evaluation and advisement experience as she partners with nonprofit organizations and funders nationwide to harness the power of data and improve outcomes for families and children.
Alison believes that evaluation is a participatory journey and is most meaningful when organizations serve as partners, with their collective wisdom and experience elevated throughout the process. It is with this belief that Alison personally leads and conducts the design and execution of all of Luminary’s engagements. Over the course of her career, she has led more than 50 evaluation projects for foundations and nonprofits of every size and scale across the country. Her areas of evaluation expertise span the public serving sector with a focus on early childhood education, post-secondary readiness and success, homelessness, adult coaching and education, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Alison began her career as a classroom teacher at the Community Day Charter Public School in Lawrence, MA. She has also consulted with multiple schools on using performance data to improve student progress and crafting new, cost-effective learning tools and techniques.
Equipped with this experience, Alison transitioned from the classroom to management consulting, joining Civitas Strategies. In 2017, Alison led the effort to establish Luminary with a mission to help more nonprofits and public-serving agencies connect with accessible and meaningful evaluation opportunities.
Alison is a proud graduate of Williams College, where she majored in History and received the Hubbard A. Hutchinson fellowship in dance. She holds a Master’s in Elementary Education from Merrimack College and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Evaluation, Measurement, and Research at Western Michigan University.
Abby King, Consulting Partner
Abby is an award-winning educator and non-profit consultant providing hard-won expertise in school and non-profit leadership, executive coaching, talent acquisition, program evaluation, human resources, and strategy design. Abby is deeply committed to providing service and support to on-the-ground practitioners working in the nation's most under-served communities.
Abby began her career as a Teach for America corps member in New Orleans, LA, where she spent 3+ years teaching both general and special education at the elementary level. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Abby moved north to Boston, where she initially served as Milieu Coordinator for the globally acclaimed Manville School at the Judge Baker Children’s Center. She subsequently returned to the classroom, joining the faculty at the Community Day Charter Public School in Lawrence, MA. While at CDCPS, Abby was awarded an EPIC Spotlight Teacher of the Year Award for academic excellence. From 2012-2015, Abby served as Founding Head of School of Community Day Charter Public School – Gateway, where she enjoyed three years leading a team of talented teachers, grades pre-K to 3rd, towards consistently closing the statewide achievement gap for low-income students.
Following her family’s 2015 move to Maine, Abby utilized her expertise and continued passion for supporting quality public education as the sole proprietor of ADK Consulting. Clients included the Community Day Charter School network, Schoolworks LLC, The Achievement Network, Martin Luther King Charter School of Excellence, and Luminary Evaluation Group. She also served as Senior Consultant and Director of Talent Acquisition for Civitas Strategies, a management consultancy, where she successfully spearheaded nationwide executive searches for multiple nonprofits and played an instrumental role in the development and codification of the firm’s keystone strategic planning process. After taking a Covid-era pause to focus on her children’s education, Abby is thrilled to return to the field of nonprofit management consulting!
Abby currently lives in Brunswick, Maine, a town of 22,000 residents, with her husband and two sons. From 2021-2024, Abby represented District 3 on the Brunswick Town Council, including serving as both Vice-Chair and Chair. In this role, she founded the town’s Affordable Housing Committee and $1M Housing Support Fund, and has played an integral role in the town’s growing efforts to provide support services for both the unhoused and asylum seekers relocating to midcoast Maine. Post-Council, Abby continues her public service to the Community, serving as a citizen representative on both the town’s Social Services Funding and Housing committees. Abby holds a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College and Master’s Degrees from Harvard University and Xavier University of Louisiana.
Belinda Boateng, Consulting Partner
Belinda is a dynamic and results-driven consultant with a proven track record of transforming challenges into opportunities. With over a decade of experience in international development, market systems, and evaluation, she has built a reputation for delivering actionable insights that drive meaningful change.
Belinda’s expertise lies in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation frameworks that not only measure impact but also inform strategic decision-making. As a skilled Data Engineer, she leverages data-driven methodologies to enhance decision-making processes and improve organizational efficiency. She holds two master’s degrees, one in Economics and another in Agricultural Economics, which have provided her with a strong foundation in analyzing economic trends, market dynamics, and sustainable development strategies. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Evaluation Measurement and Research, further deepening her expertise in data-driven insights and program assessment.
Her analytical acumen and ability to synthesize complex data into clear, compelling narratives make her an invaluable asset to organizations striving to create sustainable change. Having worked across diverse sectors, including agribusiness, financial inclusion, and youth development, she understands the nuances of systemic change and the importance of fostering collaboration among key stakeholders.
A natural problem-solver, Belinda has successfully led multi-stakeholder projects, influencing policy shifts and organizational strategies that enhance market efficiency and inclusivity. She is particularly adept at identifying gender dynamics within economic systems, ensuring that interventions are equitable, and benefit marginalized communities. Her deep understanding of behavioral change among market players has enabled her to craft innovative solutions that drive long-term impact.
Passionate about mentoring and capacity building, Belinda enjoys coaching teams to strengthen their measurement and evaluation practices. She believes in creating adaptive, learning-oriented environments that empower organizations to continuously refine their strategies for greater effectiveness.
Belinda’s ability to blend data-driven insights with a nuanced understanding of social and economic dynamics makes her an exceptional consultant. Whether she is developing a theory of change, evaluating an intervention’s effectiveness, or advising on market-driven approaches, she remains committed to helping organizations achieve lasting, systemic transformation.