Libby Hikind

Libby Hikind, renowned as the "Queen of Grants," is the Founder and CEO of GrantWatch, a prominent grant funding search engine. With a career spanning over twenty-nine years in the New York City DOE, Department of Education, Libby's foray into grant writing began out of necessity as a special education teacher in need of computer equipment for her classroom. It continued at the Brooklyn school district, where she secured millions of grants in just two years. In 1994, Libby took a giant leap forward by establishing her first grant writing agency, which published NYCGrantsWatch, a weekly faxed grant newsletter. She continued to win grants for her nonprofit clients. 2010 marked a pivotal moment in Libby's career as she launched a platform meticulously designed to cater to the needs of grant writers and board members. GrantWatch showcases about 9,000 or more grants across 60 categories, complemented by comprehensive IRS 990 reports. Today, GrantWatch is the trailblazer in the grant industry, drawing over 250,000 monthly visitors. Beyond her digital ventures, Libby is also a children's book author. She has written "Mr. Squirrel's Spring Cleaning Lesson" and "Why Don't You Fly, Sky?", both of which inspire young readers with engaging storytelling and valuable life lessons. Libby's next children's book, "Twig-Literacy" is soon to be published. Libby is a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She has been a featured guest on TV news segments, podcasts, and radio shows, including appearances on Bloom TV and Lifestyle Today. She has also been an invited guest speaker at nonprofit and C-Suite conferences from Florida to as far away as Dubai. Her insights are found in notable publications such as Forbes, Inc., and Business Insider.