Susan Law Shares Visionary Leadership at SOAR Executive Director Panel

I’m Still Here Foundation’s Executive Director inspires future consultants with a powerful message of dignity, innovation, and purpose in dementia care. 

Susan R. Law, Executive Director of the I’m Still Here Foundation (ISH), recently participated in a panel discussion at the SOAR Management Consulting Group Executive Director Training in Newton, Massachusetts, where she joined fellow nonprofit leaders to share insights into ISH’s mission, growth, and strategic evolution. Speaking to a cohort of future consultants, Susan offered a compelling behind-the-scenes look at ISH’s innovative approach to dementia care and its transformative partnership with the SOAR Program.

She was joined on the panel by Kalimah Redd Knight, President of the League of Women for Community Service, Inc. (LWCS). Kalimah offered reflections from her role in community advocacy and academia, spotlighting the impact of LWCS’s historic archival work documenting Black and women’s history. Under her leadership, LWCS was honored with the 2022 Historic New England Prize for Collecting Works on Paper for its remarkable collection of letters, books, and civil rights documents, preserving a powerful legacy for future generations. Together, the panelists gave SOAR’s consultant cohort a multidimensional view of nonprofit leadership, innovation, and impact.

Founded in 1996, ISH has spent nearly three decades championing engagement over cure for people living with dementia. The foundation’s mission is clear: to provide care through joy, identity, and empathy; replacing stigma with understanding and isolation with connection. Under Susan’s leadership, this mission continues to guide a “small but mighty” team that raises funds and regrants them to innovative programs across the U.S.

During the panel, Susan walked attendees through ISH’s recent engagement with SOAR. What began as a request for strategic planning support evolved into a robust, four-month process that included a full organizational scan, SWOT analysis, and leadership interviews. The SOAR consultants helped surface fresh perspectives and jumpstart critical conversations among board members about ISH’s future.

“It was a resounding success,” Susan shared. “The process helped us see ourselves more clearly, from an outsider’s point of view, and sparked essential dialogue about where we’re headed next.”

Susan also underscored the human element of the client-consultant relationship. Her transparency, collaboration, and deep belief in ISH’s mission served as a masterclass for the SOAR cohort. Through her leadership, the Foundation continues to fund evidence-based, replicable programs that honor the dignity of people living with dementia.

From rural Louisiana to upstate New York, and even as far as Australia and Japan, ISH’s reach is global, but its heart remains close to the communities it serves. Thanks to leaders like Susan, the future of dementia care looks more joyful, more innovative, and a lot more hopeful.