My vision for this blog has been to help move young people and people of color to leadership positions in the philanthropic sector because I believe it is important to bring new voices to the often closed world of philanthropy. Researching the topics I have covered here like accepting criticism, new technologies to improve grantmaking, results-only work, and not getting too full of yourself, have all helped me on my own journey of becoming a better grantmaker. That journey has brought me to the next phase of my philanthropic career. It is with a mixture of unbridled enthusiasm and awestruck humbleness that I announce my appointment as the new Executive Director of the Headwaters Foundation for Justice. Headwaters is an amazing organization and it is an honor to be able to lead their work to create a more just Minnesota.
I normally have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy about my age because I think when people hear how young you are they often ignore what you have to say but I will make an exception today. At 30 years old, I will be one of the few young people in the country running a foundation. I am not one of those individuals that is happy about being the ONLY woman, or African American, or young person in a leadership position, so today I ask you to look at your own career goals and figure out what it will take for you to get to your "would love to do it but don't think it would be possible in a million years" job. The field needs your skills, expertise, and insights to reach its full potential, so let yourself be open to the possibility.