Sondra Samuels is the president and CEO of the Northside Achievement Zone (NAZ). In partnership with parents, students, non-profits, schools, and staff, Sondra is leading a revolutionary culture shift in north Minneapolis that is focused on ending multigenerational poverty through education, family stability, and racial equity. The NAZ Collaborative, made up of more than 30 partner nonprofits and schools, is working toward a single goal — to support and prepare low-income north Minneapolis children of color to succeed in high school, college, career, and life. NAZ has scaled up in support of over 1,000 parents and 2,000 students as they turn the social service model on its head and lead the creation of a college-bound culture throughout the community.

Sondra is a 26-year resident of north Minneapolis and a national leader committed to anti-racist, results-based accountability. Under her leadership, NAZ was named a federal Promise Neighborhood, achieved membership status of the StriveTogether Network, and has become a nationally recognized model for comprehensive place-based solutions for community transformation and systems change.

Sondra also serves on the Minneapolis Federal Reserve’s Inclusion Advisory Board, the leadership team of Generation Next, the HealthPartners Board of Directors, as well as the board of Great MN Schools.

• Bachelors of Science, Marketing, Morgan State University — Baltimore
• Master of Business Administration, Business and Marketing, Clark Atlanta University – Atlanta, GA