Steve and Alexi Conine: Donor Grants

SOURCE OF WEALTH: Wayfair

FUNDING AREAS: Boston Community, TBD

OVERVIEW: Steve and Alexi Conine conduct philanthropy through the Conine Family Foundation. Boston appears to be an important site of the family’s emerging giving.

BACKGROUND: Steve Conine graduated with an engineering degree from Cornell University in 1995. He cofounded Wayfair with his Cornell classmate Niraj Shah.

Alexi Conine graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1995. She went on to get an M.B.A. degree from Simmons. She was an engineer and product manager at Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials. More recently, she’s focused on her family and civic life.

ISSUES:

BOSTON COMMUNITY: Alexi chairs the board of Esplanade Association, which “works to restore and enhance Boston's Charles River Esplanade and to activate this historic riverfront park,” which the couple supports. She also previously served as president of Friends of Titus Sparrow Park and is a founding board member of Slate Valley Trails in southwestern Vermont. The Conines have also supported places like Citizen Schools, and Horizons for Homeless Children.

LOOKING FORWARD: Only in his 40s, Conine is still very much engaged in business. But he and the civically active Alexi should be watched for greater giving down the line. Away from their Boston locus, the couple have also supported Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Perhaps more national environmental grantmaking could occur as well.

CONTACT:

Conine Family Foundation
31 Saint James Avenue, Ste 740
Boston, MA 02116