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Chief Program Officer
Paris Woods, Ed.D. is chief program officer at StriveTogether. In this role, she leads impact acceleration and scale to create better, faster and more equitable outcomes for youth across the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network and beyond.
Paris is an impact-driven strategic leader who brings 20 years of experience in public, private and nonprofit educational settings. Prior to joining StriveTogether, Paris led high-performing teams as the chief of programs at YouthForce NOLA, managing director at Good Reason Houston and executive director at College Beyond – a nonprofit she co-founded to eliminate the college attainment gap for New Orleans youth.
Paris is a 2018 Pahara Fellow, recipient of the Alliance for Diversity and Excellence Innovation Award and the Millennial Award in Education, and a 2016 The Gambit’s 40 Under 40 honoree. Passionate about poverty alleviation, she is also the author of acclaimed personal finance book, “The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom: Build Wealth, Retire Early, and Live the Life of Your Dreams.”
Paris holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard University and a doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin. She is an adjunct faculty member of educational leadership at Tulane University and serves on the boards of College Beyond, 4.0 Schools and Believe STL Academy Charter High School. Paris was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, where she now resides with her partner Jordan and their puppy Penelope.
hear from paris
Communities in the cradle to career network are working to improve systems that impact youth and families. Share why one adjacent sector is important to you.
Housing! As someone who grew up experiencing housing instability, becoming a homeowner was an important step in my personal financial journey. I believe we all deserve stable, affordable housing and access to the American dream of home ownership.
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