Impact Partners exists to empower people to lead with intention, creativity, and confidence.

At our core, we believe leadership isn’t reserved for titles or offices, it’s a skill that can be learned, practiced, and grown. Our work sits at the intersection of design, leadership development, and career growth, helping individuals and organizations build the tools and learn the skills they need to shape meaningful futures.

We use human-centered design not just to solve problems, but to develop people, equipping them with the mindset, skills, and clarity required to lead change in their communities, workplaces, and lives.

We believe in

Empowerment: We believe people grow fastest when they are adequately supported. By connecting emerging professionals to mentors and real-world experiences, we create a network and a community that empowers individuals to step into leadership with confidence. 

Innovation: We believe that innovation is fueled by new perspectives and thoughtful collaboration. We create environments to challenge the everyday assumptions, encourage creative ideation, and reframe problems to shape implementable strategy.

Commitment: We believe that in order to observe real growth, it takes commitment and consistency. Through one-on-one mentorship and experiential learning, we support individuals to do the work; to show up, to learn purposefully, and to build lasting professional relationships.

Get to know our team.

Meet Our Founders

Kelly Costello

  • Kelly Costello brings a consumer-centric approach to problem-solving. She stops at nothing to gather the most authentic consumer feedback. She designs projects to ensure that her clients' journeys are in their customers' shoes—to genuinely understand their wants and needs.

    In addition to Kelly’s technical expertise in human-centered innovation, her deliverables result in new products and services that strongly resonate with target audiences, increasing engagement and boosting the bottom line.

    Kelly has worked across many industries, leveraging many skills to build innovation capabilities.

    Kelly is an active speaker and lecturer. She teaches at the Institute of Design (IIT) and Chicago's School of the Art Institute. She has also taught classes in the Executive MBA program at Notre Dame, Northwestern University, and Bowling Green State University.

    She has presented for numerous professional organizations, including the AIGA, MRA, EPIC, the Art of Management Conference, and the Design Research Conference at IIT. She holds a Master of Design from the Institute of Design at IIT in Chicago.