Ashleigh Gardere
Trustee, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation
Why does the leadership of Black women in philanthropy matter?
Black women love, lead, nurture, elevate and push. The field and culture of philanthropy need every one of those skills for philanthropy to become its best self.
Describe your leadership as a Black woman in philanthropy in one sentence.
My role is to “hold open the door” for others ensuring access to greater responsibility, resources and relationships in order to transform systems and achieve measurable results for real people.
What does Voice. Vision. Value. mean to you?
Voice. Vision. Value. recognizes that Black women make everything better. We amplify the voices of others. We cast a vision broad enough for others to see themselves in it. We value the contributions of others in order to masterfully execute on that shared vision.
How has the presence and power of Black women changed the philanthropic sector?
Black women consistently hold themselves and others to a higher standard. We are experts at doing more with less. Now, we challenge philanthropy to do more with more.
We unlock the innovation that has always been available in community and make room for new leaders—inside and outside of the sector. In fact, my entire career and the leadership opportunities I have been afforded have resulted from Black women that have stood for me and with me (even early on when I was most likely to fail miserably). In turn, it has been my honor to “hold open the door” for others who have the voice, vision and values necessary to change the world.
We unlock the innovation that has always been available in community and make room for new leaders—inside and outside of the sector. In fact, my entire career and the leadership opportunities I have been afforded have resulted from Black women that have stood for me and with me (even early on when I was most likely to fail miserably). In turn, it has been my honor to “hold open the door” for others who have the voice, vision and values necessary to change the world.
How would you describe this moment in history?
This is the moment we have been waiting for.
What are the ways Black women in philanthropy can support and sustain Black women movement building?
We can acknowledge and celebrate movement leaders. We can amplify their work, lending credibility when their work is threatened or not taken seriously. We can be loving critics, pushing each other towards excellence.
We can financially invest in the movement and in movement leaders as individuals. Far more resources must be invested in the care of movement leaders, in sabbaticals, in retreats, in days off, in getaways with or without family. These investments, though often considered unnecessary—can make or break progress and affect whether the movement endures.
We can financially invest in the movement and in movement leaders as individuals. Far more resources must be invested in the care of movement leaders, in sabbaticals, in retreats, in days off, in getaways with or without family. These investments, though often considered unnecessary—can make or break progress and affect whether the movement endures.
Bio
Ashleigh Gardere, Senior Advisor to the President and CEO and Director of the All-In Cities Initiative, works closely with the President and CEO to promote and support the development of a shared national equity agenda. As Senior Advisor to the President and CEO and Director of the All-In Cities initiative, she expands place-based partnerships, shares liberating innovations, and works in transformative solidarity with local leaders to achieve policy wins. Formerly, Ashleigh served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the New Orleans Business Alliance, the city’s economic development agency. She previously led a citywide Economic Opportunity Strategy as a Senior Advisor to former mayor Mitch Landrieu. Ashleigh has been recognized by Living Cities as one of the nation’s “Top 25 Disruptive Leaders” working to close racial opportunity gaps. She is an expert in economic and workforce development, organizational leadership and culture change, and large-scale systems transformation. Ashleigh holds a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from New York University and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.