Team
Emily Liao Master, Principal
Emily (she/her/hers) is committed to challenging the norm by guiding individuals and organizations to embrace new perspectives and approaches, emphasizing both excellence and compassion in their endeavors. For more than 20 years, she has helped shape policies, practices, and programs to make the arts, ranging from performing to visual, more widely accessible and appreciated.
Emily’s clients range from institutions of higher learning and multidisciplinary arts centers to youth and professional orchestras across the United States. She actively supports arts organizations at the highest levels of artistic excellence seeking to build or improve their equity and inclusion practices and diversity outcomes.
For many years, Emily’s professional home was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where in addition to roles in the marketing, artistic planning, and audience development departments. Emily also served as Chief of Staff for the U.S. head of Russell Reynolds Associates, one of the largest global executive search and leadership advisory firms, working on a range of strategic and operational initiatives, including the firm’s nonprofit and diversity and inclusion practices. Most recently, Emily was Executive Director of the Friends of the Israel Antiquities Authority, a connector of people and projects related to the cultural and material heritage of the land of Israel.
Emily received her AB in Music cum laude from Princeton University and her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Stanford Thompson,
Principal
Stanford (he/him/his) is a principal of Goldsmith Strategies where he is a leading national voice in arts education and leadership, specializing in promoting cultural equity and driving transformative change within underrepresented cultural communities. As the founder and former leader of Play On Philly, Stanford guided the organization for thirteen years, gaining international recognition for its use of music as a tool for social change. He also served as the Founding Board Chairman of El Sistema USA and Equity Arc, where he led complex strategic planning and organizational design initiatives that impact the lives of over 35,000 students across the country.
Stanford's leadership has been instrumental in shaping the national conversation around equity in the arts, advocating for systemic change that creates more inclusive and accessible opportunities for cultural communities of all types. His expertise is sought by organizations ranging from small grassroots initiatives to legacy cultural institutions, where he helps leaders navigate the complexities of program development, audience engagement, and strategic planning. A frequent keynote speaker and panelist, Stanford shares his insights on topics such as nonprofit leadership, arts education, and the role of the arts in personal development.
Stanford teaches on the faculty of the Global Leaders Institute, guiding leaders in not only developing their craft but also understanding the broader societal impact of their work. His extensive experience working with arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, funders, and national service organizations aligns with his personal commitment to fostering sustainable growth and equity in the arts.
A proud graduate of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program, Stanford holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and New England Conservatory.
Adrienne Thompson, Associate Consultant
Adrienne Thompson (she/her/hers) is a nationally respected leader in music education and pathways program development, known for her deep commitment to creating equitable access to high-quality musical training.
Most recently, she served on the senior management team of the Merit School of Music in Chicago as Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services, where she oversaw customer experience, led the organization-wide recruitment strategy, and advised and supervised the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative (CMPI). During her tenure, she spearheaded the successful selection and implementation of a new CRM system, strengthened student services operations, and cultivated a collaborative, mission-driven culture among her staff. Her work bridged multiple sectors of Chicago’s music community, connecting major educational and cultural institutions engaged in CMPI governance and pathways development.
Prior to her leadership at Merit, Thompson was the founding Project Director of CMPI, guiding its launch and early success following her tenure with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program. Her connection to pathways work spans more than two decades—beginning in 1998 as a parent volunteer and evolving through leadership roles as a manager, consultant, and national presenter. She has advised emerging pathway initiatives in Atlanta, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, and presented on this work at Sphinx Connect and the 2019 Bridge Symposium, which she organized in Atlanta.
Before entering nonprofit administration, Thompson spent 20 years as a high school orchestra director in Georgia, where she built one of the state’s most accomplished programs, elevating students from Level 3 to Level 6 performance ratings in just five years. A native Chicagoan, she holds a degree in flute performance from the Sherwood Conservatory of Music (now part of Columbia College Chicago) and an MBA in Finance from Indiana University Bloomington.
Adrienne currently serves as a Trustee of VanderCook College of Music and as an advisor to the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. She is the proud parent of eight, an active church member, and an avid reader—continually inspired by the power of music to transform lives and communities.
Emma Terrell,
Associate Consultant
Emma Terrell (she/her/hers) is an arts education researcher, evaluator, and practitioner. Her work focuses on developing evaluation strategies to support organizations' goals of improving culturally-sustaining educational experiences through the arts and storytelling. Emma has worked with a variety of educational organizations within the arts, philanthropic, and entertainment industries, such as Carnegie Hall, the William Penn Foundation, Mattel, Disney, and Nickelodeon. As a research collaborator with WolfBrown, Emma has led collaborative evaluations for PlayUSA, the Lullaby Project, and the Community Music Center of Boston to create effective and relevant educational programs. Emma holds a Bachelor of Music from Rice University and a Master of Education from Harvard University.
Paige Kerrigan, Operations Manager & Project Associate
Paige Kerrigan (she/her/hers) serves as the Operations Manager & Project Associate for Goldsmith Strategies, where she leverages her expertise in arts administration to ensure seamless project execution and organizational efficiency. Drawing on her experience in managing administrative operations, Paige excels at overseeing complex logistics, streamlining processes, and supporting client needs with precision and care. Her ability to balance multiple priorities while maintaining a meticulous focus on details has been instrumental in delivering consistent results for each project.
Paige’s background as a professional musician enhances her understanding of the arts and culture sector, allowing her to bring a nuanced perspective to her work in consulting. With a focus on operational effectiveness, she has contributed to a variety of projects, driving forward results through expert budget management, timeline oversight, and office administration. Paige holds degrees from the University of South Alabama and the University of Northern Colorado.
Strategic Partnerships
Goldsmith Strategies partners with other leading consultancies to combine expertise in research, planning, assessments, and analysis with our deep on-the-ground knowledge of cultural organizations. Our partners include WolfBrown, a leading arts research and planning firm, Aspen Leadership Group, which specializes in executive search and leadership consulting, and Conlon Public Strategies, a respected strategic advising and public affairs firm based in Chicago.
