EF International Advisors

About Us

Building Agile Organizations in an Evolving World

At EF International Advisors, LLC, we turn strategy into real, measurable outcomes by bridging the gap between vision and execution.

With over 30 years of history, we bring the agility of a boutique firm and the depth of seasoned expertise to leaders in finance, real estate, education, entertainment media, insurance and technology.

Our team provides actionable insights and tailored strategies through practical, adaptive playbooks. Drawing on extensive relationships with industry leaders, we leverage real-world successes and lessons learned to address the key factors driving effective execution, including team motivation, alignment and structure.

We’ve helped clients achieve substantial outcomes - from scaling operations from 1 to 200+ locations and doubling market share, enabling organizations to raise and deploy over $2 billion to revitalizing struggling organizations and securing over $500 million in philanthropic funding.

Our focus on ROI includes strategy development, asset management and underwriting support, facilitating $1.6 billion in investment deployment across diverse sectors.

On the social impact side, we’ve supported the transformation of over 700 public schools, creating lasting change in education.

Let’s partner to unlock your organization’s full potential, achieve strategic goals and drive meaningful growth and impact.

Our History

EF International Advisors history timeline

Solutions For

Real Estate

Real Estate Developers, Design-Build Firms, Architects, Investors, REITs and Landlords in Education, Entertainment, Experiential and Infrastructure.

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Financial Services

Private Equity, Venture Capital, Family Offices, Bond Underwriters, Insurance, Institutional Bond Investors, REITs, Credit Rating Agencies, Investment Banks, Commercial Banks and Credit Unions.

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Education Sector

Higher Education, Public School Districts, Charter Schools, Private Schools, Education Management Organizations, Trade Associations, Advocacy Groups.

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Entertainment & Media

Film Funds, Family Offices, Qualified Investors, Studios, IP Rights Holders, Producers, Distributors and Content Creators for strategic alliances and investment opportunities.

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Our Scorecard

Investment Capital Deployed
$1.6B
Countries / States
58/38
Philanthropy Raised by Clients
$500M
Public Schools Redesigned
700

Our Sector Leaders

E. Ted Fujimoto

E. Ted Fujimoto

Founder / Managing Director

Co-CEO / Chief Compliance Officer - Aster Alpine Capital, LLC

Strategy, Business Intelligence, M&A, Growth

Sectors: Finance, Education, Real Estate, Entertainment Media, Technology.

Leigh Rachel Faith

Leigh Rachel Faith

President - Unleighshed Media Group, Inc.

Strategy, Film/TV Production, Finance

Sectors: Entertainment Media, Finance

Elie Dekel

Elie Dekel

President - Dekel Brands, Inc.

Strategy, IP Licensing, Branding, Marketing, M&A

Sectors: Finance, Entertainment Media, Consumer Products

Bob Pearlman

Bob Pearlman

Sr. Consultant and Strategic Advisor

Strategy, Education, Public Policy, Finance

Sectors: Education, Non-Profits/Foundations

Rob Lippincott

Rob Lippincott

Sr. Consultant and Strategic Advisor

Strategy, Media, Publishing, Finance

Sectors: Education, Entertainment Media, Publishing

Our Clients (Partial List)

Empowering Organizations and Investors to Drive Impact and Innovation

Finance, Investment, and Insurance

  • Highmark School Development
  • EPR Properties (NYSE: EPR)
  • CharterSafe / PrivateSafe
  • Gallagher Insurance
  • AsterAlpine Capital

Corporates

  • AirTouch Communications (Now Verizon)
  • Chandon Estates (Part of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton)
  • California Chamber of Commerce
  • Sequin Moreau (Previously Part of the Rémy Martin Group)
  • IBM
  • Far Niente
  • Synoptics (Now Part of Cisco Systems)
  • Roland

Foundations

  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Walton Family Foundation
  • William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
  • School Design Networks
  • New Tech Network
  • Big Picture Learning
  • Envision Learning Partners
  • Institute for Student Achievement (ISA)

School Support Organizations

  • ETS
  • California Charter Schools Association (+16 other state associations)
  • United Way of Southeast Michigan
  • LEED Sacramento-e21
  • State of Louisiana
  • SchoolView

Schools/Districts

  • Napa Valley Unified School District, CA
  • Bonsall Unified School District, CA
  • Brightstar Schools, CA
  • String Theory Schools, PA
  • Larchmont Charter Schools, CA
  • MUSE Schools, CA
  • Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union School District, CA
  • Bullis Charter Schools, CA
  • Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, CA
  • John Adams Academies, CA

Affiliates / Strategic Alliances

Highmark School Development

Highmark School Development

Strategic Alliance

Owner's rep real estate development and capital for education real estate.

www.highmarkschools.com
Elevate Public Schools

Elevate Public Schools

Subsidiary / Joint Venture

School performance improvement for scalability and sustainability.

www.elevatepublicschools.com
Aster Alpine Capital

Aster Alpine Capital

Subsidiary / Joint Venture

U.S. alternative investment management firm focused on financing U.S. infrastructure assets.

www.asteralpine.com
Unleighshed Media Group

Unleighshed Media Group

Affiliate

Independent film and television production and film financing fund.

www.unleighshed.com

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