Elevate your
organization’s impact through
innovative strategies. tailored solutions. strategic guidance. our proven expertise.
Our Promises to Clients
Excellence & Ownership
We deliver high-quality work promptly and communicate transparently, so you’re always in the loop.
Pragmatic Integration
Too often, people-oriented work is done in isolation, detached from organizational context. Our work is deliberately integrated into your broader strategy, guaranteeing tangible ROI and sustained impact.
Compassionate Candor
Building and scaling companies is profoundly difficult. We understand the unique demands of your role and offer supportive, candid feedback – always prioritizing kindness and empathy over mere “niceness”.
Joyful Professionalism
Our approach is defined by dedication and humor, making progress feel both rewarding and fun.
Our Name & Brand
A luminary is someone who simplifies complex issues, providing clarity to those around them. In that spirit, we enable clients to develop people strategies that power their businesses as they scale. You can count on us to be your trusted partner – illuminating the path forward, one step at a time.
The glasses in our logo symbolize crisp vision and a triangulation of perspectives – both of which guide our approach. It also reflects low-key nerdiness, which we openly embrace!
About Elliot Epstein
Founder & President
Elliot brings dynamic HR, talent, and strategy expertise from years in high-performing startups and nonprofits. With a focus on aligning this work to broader organizational priorities, he empowers clients to identify key initiatives for maximum impact. As a trained improviser, his approach is naturally infused with levity and creative (i.e., “yes and”) problem-solving.
Prior to founding Luminary People Advisors, Elliot was the Vice President of Startup Enablement at Redesign Health. There, he led talent archetype and compensation strategy for all operating company founding teams, devised and implemented CEO performance management systems to inform internal governance and funding decisions, and served as an executive coach and advisor to numerous CEOs, investors, and board members. Before this, Elliot built and led high-performing people teams through rapid growth in several venture-backed healthcare startups, notably Galileo Health. Elliot began his career as a Teach For America corps member in New York City.
He subsequently developed a passion for all things people-related as a member of Teach For America’s national recruitment and admissions teams, where he spearheaded record-breaking recruitment campaigns at many selective colleges and universities, cut his teeth at managing people, and led numerous professional development sessions. After several years in recruiting and organizational development at Two Sigma Investments, he led Success Academy Charter School’s talent team as the organization doubled in size – all while maintaining its status as the highest-performing charter network in the state.
Elliot holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Brown University. He lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his husband and two young daughters and enjoys reading, fitness, and NYT crossword puzzles.
Focus on Mission-Driven Organizations
Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Elliot grew up witnessing the profound impact of societal disparities. His commitment to social justice and service-based learning was solidified after reading There Are No Children Here before high school, which motivated him to volunteer with community-based organizations throughout his education and later join Teach For America.
Since leaving the classroom, Elliot has actively contributed to causes that advance equity for marginalized groups. He chaired an educational committee for The Trevor Project’s young professionals group, served as a founding board member and trustee of Bold Charter School for five years, and has volunteered for many progressive political campaigns.
This worldview, shaped by his formative professional experiences in healthcare and education, instilled in Elliot a profound belief in their potential as catalysts for societal change – especially when bolstered by technological innovation. While he excels in grasping new industries swiftly and recognizes universal truisms in people-centric work, it’s his specialized knowledge and personal passion for these areas that compelled him to start Luminary People Advisors. He is deeply committed to inclusive practices in every aspect of Luminary’s offerings.
