Stacy Derby is a family biographer and advocate for the transformative power of family stories.
In 2009, in the midst of an investment career as a hedge fund analyst, Stacy published her grandmother’s story of survival during the Holocaust. Stacy felt the personal impact of how family stories bring multiple generations together through a shared sense of history and values.
Shortly thereafter, Stacy launched Bind These Words, LLC to help other families preserve their unique and personal stories. In the years since, Stacy and her team have earned a highly regarded reputation for bespoke book publishing. The firm’s luxurious, privately published biographies are proudly displayed in the libraries and on coffee tables of prominent families around the world.
An oft-quoted expert in intergenerational communication, Stacy also collaborates with wealth advisors and family offices, as well as non-profits, to employ narrative legacy to engage heirs, to navigate wealth transfer, and to ensure philanthropic donor continuity. Bind These Words has been featured in national and international publications, including Forbes, Better Homes & Gardens, and The Times of Israel.
Stacy holds an M.Sc. (with distinction) from the London School of Economics. She earned her B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Illinois and Oxford University. Prior to founding Bind These Words, she was an investment associate at GCM Grosvenor.
Stacy serves as Co-Chair of the Midwest Advisory Council of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, supporting international human rights and tolerance. Previous board positions include Hadassah in the City, Illini Hillel, and Kahal, and she served as an officer of the Association of Personal Historians. She lives with her family in Chicago.
You can reach Stacy at Stacy@BindTheseWords.com
"It is such a privilege to work with extraordinary clients who share my belief that family stories are the backbone of enduring intergenerational communication."
- Stacy Derby,
Founder and Principal