Giving back has always been important to Courtney B. Spaeth, and she brings those values to both her professional and personal life.
Her philosophy is: “To whom much has been given, much is expected.”
Spaeth, the engaging and dynamic CEO of growth [period], a successful business development and transaction advisory services firm, strongly believes that giving back to the community is a crucial part of leadership.
Headquartered in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia, the entire company shares the same philosophy as Spaeth and participates actively in community service.
Since the day the company was founded 19 years ago, every employee has been given eight hours of paid leave annually to work in support of any non-profit of their choosing. “Typically, all of the employees work together to combine their hours in support of a few non-profit organizations where they want to truly make a difference,” she explained.
“This is a key tenet of the company’s culture,” Spaeth says, which she credits as being a contributing factor to the firm being named one of the “best places to work” in the Washington Capital Region for 11 years by the Washington Business Journal.
Spaeth leads by example and many of her philanthropic commitments include organizing nationwide bone marrow drives in support of transplant patients; co-chairing the upcoming 2026 Rosa Parks Awards given by The Mansion on O Street in Washington, D.C.; an arts and cultural hub which was home to legendary civil rights activist; and serving in her 11th-year as trustee of Marymount University in Arlington, for which she previously chaired their HALO Awards in 2024.
She also supports the Holocaust Museum and Women Giving Back, an organization committed to women who need shelter from domestic violence.
Spaeth and her family live by their values at home. Two and a half years ago, she and her husband sponsored Olga, a Ukrainian war refugee, and her now 10-year-old son, Maks, and invited them to live in their home, which has been a unique and impactful experience for both families.
A bonus, she said, is that this experience has contributed to her nine-year-old son, Grant, “developing enormous compassion for others. When Maks first came to us, Grant divided his toys in half on his own and gave half of them to Maks, and they have been like brothers ever since.”
This heartfelt endeavor has become a true cultural exchange. It has also woven a tapestry of connection and compassion between the two families.
Spaeth and her daughter, Erica, during her high school years, volunteered along with her company’s employees at the Central Soup Kitchen in Washington, D.C., to help feed the homeless.
Spaeth also spent 10 years on the board of a non-profit organization supporting wounded and disabled veterans, which her daughter and older son, Michael, continued to support through college and grad school years -- carrying the philosophy with them.
Giving is an entire family affair. Her husband, Jon, the managing partner at the law firm Trust Law PLLC, serves as a board member at the Phillips School for Children and Families, as well as a member of the board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic.
“Leaders who believe in giving back to the community stand to build better businesses, stronger communities, and more meaningful legacies,” Spaeth said.
“It is often our communities that support us in those hard times," she said, "and it is equally as important for us to support them, as the rewards of helping those in need can be one of the most inspiring feelings in life, which is worth much more than money.”
Giving back to the community engenders the gift of perspective, the view from another person’s situation, and helps keep us self-effacing and grateful for what we have,” Courtney B. Spaeth