About Gilia
I’m Gilia Angell. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by artists, writers, teachers, academics, community leaders, environmentalists, scientists, and other creatives whose work and curiosity shaped how I see the world. I carried that spirit with me to Brown University, where I studied Art/Semiotics and film production before returning to Seattle to work in the tech industry—a place I saw immense potential for creative and useful systems change.
The same vibrant milieu that inspired me also left behind a legacy of material abundance: generations of books, artworks, letters, and objects rich in meaning but heavy in volume. I’ve grown to realize that those of us in the older generations—mine, Gen X, included—hold a responsibility to the next. This sifting and sorting requires intergenerational empathy and the energy to organize and create systems that scale to the individuals and collections involved. In doing so, we honor the past without burdening the future. As an eldest daughter, I’ve done this work in my own family!
I’ve worked with and listened to a wide range of clients and customers throughout my career. I’m a 20-year user-centered design veteran in tech, working for Amazon, Expedia, Shopify, and the Gates Foundation. I researched, designed, and launched digital products and services for retail, travel, and e-commerce platforms. I’ve also done the same in roles at non-profits, civic tech, and NGOs. Ultimately, people trying to accomplish a task were my customers. Their needs and priorities centered my design work then, as it does now in legacy organizing.
I’d love to help with your legacy organizing project. You can email me at gilia@legacymatters.co or contact me through my online form.
My Approach to Legacy Organizing
-
Personal and Compassionate
This work is personal—you’re inviting me to come into your home to help you tend to your matters/affairs/most important things. I take care to listen to my client and find out your hopes for your legacy—or make room for a change now.
We work towards that together and I aim to leave you with a feeling of agency, possibility, and well-being for having put your affairs in order whether that is organizing your creative space, getting your papers in order to take to an estate attorney or donating a collection.
Transgenerational empathy guides my work. In the spirit of being a “good ancestor” I want to help you pass on meaningful items and stories that sustain links in history, perhaps identify individuals or organizations to pass things on to.Together, we can find safe homes and give new life to the things that you are ready to let go of.
-
Experience and Process
As a former user-experience professional (I designed shopping pages on Amazon and hotelier tools at Expedia), I bring timely, user-focused approach to work. We meet in your space, identify your goals, then design a plan to get that work done given your budget and timeline.
Depending on your preferences and working style, we use a variety of tools (virtual or analog) to keep momentum going. I manage project milestones to keep things on budget and timeline by setting goals for each session.Each project is different, and we’ll assess what technology we may need to use for your situation. I’m happy to contact institutions on your behalf, or let you drive the discussions with potential beneficiaries.
I will be working for you, my client, so I defer to you and will find meaningful solutions to meet your goals. -
Connected and Community-minded
Born and raised in the Northwest, I’m familiar and connected to many local resources and service providers, from contractors to gallerists, archivists to antique dealers, and auctioneers to estate attorneys.
For significant collections, I work with art, historical or educational organizations to establish a relationship and conversation about stewardship. For instance, I’ve catalogued and managed the donation of an artist’s papers to the NW Archives at the University of Washington.Not all of our possessions are museum quality, and rehoming less valuable items also requires a destination. I value low consumerism and keeping things out of landfill, and utilize businesses and resources in the circular economy. I can also identify organizations that need specific things, such as social services, schools, or tool libraries.
Affiliations
Provisional member, National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO)
Member, Washington State Chapter, National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO)
Member, Artist Foundations & Estate Leaders List (AFELL)
AFELL is a private email and online discussion group regarding the labor and best practices in organizing, maintaining and leading artist foundations, estates, and family collections.