To read the full article: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/09/30/business/corey-thomas-is-taking-competitiveness-boston/
SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 — Cradles to Crayons has come a long way from its origins at a small consulting firm in Quincy. That’s where Lynn Margherio launched it 23 years ago while balancing her day job, peering over boxes of donations that piled up around her desk. This year, the organization is distributing around one million packages of new and gently used clothing, school supplies, and other essentials to kids across five major metro areas in the US.
It’s poised for another big stage of growth, especially after working with Bain & Co. to create an online portal for donations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only this next stage will happen without the founder at the helm.
Margherio just announced she’ll step down as CEO at the end of March to pursue other issues she’s passionate about and spend more time with her teenage kids. The board has hired headhunting firm Spencer Stuart to find her replacement.
Cradles to Crayons moved to its nearly 40,000-square-foot “Giving Factory” overlooking the Mass. Pike in Newtonville in early 2020, just before the pandemic hit. Margherio, her staff, and her army of volunteers had to rethink how to get supplies out to kids on the fly – one of the toughest tests of Margherio’s career.
“We have an amazing team, these individuals are so dedicated,” she said. “I’ll miss the spirit and energy that comes from the volunteerism . … It’s amazing to be surrounded by people who really want to make a difference in their community and who dive in to help.”
