Aisha Brown

Aisha Brown serves as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to education and fixing the pipeline for HBCU students in corporate America. With 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she began her career after earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia, initially focusing on finance and operations while embracing progressive experience in every role. Brown credits her father with teaching her to view her life in five-to-ten-year chunks, fostering a focus on the next step, thinking outside the box, and maintaining sound professionalism. She describes herself as a builder who leads with excellence rather than perfection, drawing on emotional intelligence and grit to navigate organizational culture and strategy. Her top strengths include being futuristic, which helps her future-proof organizations through strategic planning. Brown is most proud of building strong foundations and being a strategic partner in every position, always aiming to leave organizations better than she found them. She attributes her success to steadfast focus, accountability, and building cross-functional relationships while remaining unapologetic about her beliefs. As a woman in a male-dominated field, she navigates challenges around generational workforce dynamics and balancing softness with leadership presence, seeing opportunities to inspire others and build community for women and women of color. Brown advises young women entering the field to never stop dreaming or betting on themselves, but to learn in every role, cultivate self-efficacy, and let their strengths define them. Outside of work, she supports philanthropic causes including year-over-year donations to St. Jude and the ASPCA, and she finds joy in building Legos and raising her two children.