
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

Solutions For
Real Estate
Real Estate Developers, Design-Build Firms, Architects, Investors, REITs and Landlords in Education, Entertainment, Experiential and Infrastructure.
Learn More →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.
Learn More →Education Sector
Higher Education, Public School Districts, Charter Schools, Private Schools, Education Management Organizations, Trade Associations, Advocacy Groups.
Learn More →Entertainment & Media
Film Funds, Family Offices, Qualified Investors, Studios, IP Rights Holders, Producers, Distributors and Content Creators for strategic alliances and investment opportunities.
Learn More →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
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
President - Unleighshed Media Group, Inc.
Strategy, Film/TV Production, Finance
Sectors: Entertainment Media, Finance

Elie Dekel
President - Dekel Brands, Inc.
Strategy, IP Licensing, Branding, Marketing, M&A
Sectors: Finance, Entertainment Media, Consumer Products

Bob Pearlman
Sr. Consultant and Strategic Advisor
Strategy, Education, Public Policy, Finance
Sectors: Education, Non-Profits/Foundations

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
Strategic Alliance
Owner's rep real estate development and capital for education real estate.
www.highmarkschools.com →
Elevate Public Schools
Subsidiary / Joint Venture
School performance improvement for scalability and sustainability.
www.elevatepublicschools.com →
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
Affiliate
Independent film and television production and film financing fund.
www.unleighshed.com →