Phyllis Owens has over 20 years of progressive management experience in philanthropy, media and communications, strategic partnerships and planning. As Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, she is responsible for cultivating new program opportunities, intermediary engagements and grantmaker partnerships for Community Partners in addition to providing oversight of our fiscal sponsorship program and managing strategic initiatives with VP Lupe Solorio. Her portfolio of fiscally-sponsored projects contains a range of statewide and national policy and capacity-building efforts. Phyllis leads a strategic initiative funded by the National Science Foundation, an unprecedented opportunity for Community Partners, which includes partnerships with the Los Angeles Mayor’s Data Team and Cal State LA, and is designed to increase data accessibility for nonprofits and promote citizen engagement among underserved and marginalized populations.
Previously, Phyllis held leadership positions at American Public Media, where she was Commentary Editor for award-winning business news and global finance programs Marketplace, Marketplace Morning Report and Marketplace Money. She is also an entertainment industry veteran, with roles that included Vice President of Creative Affairs for producer Kathleen Kennedy and director Frank Marshall.
Phyllis served on the Board of Directors of Project Redwood, spending eight years with the nonprofit partnership providing funding and expertise to help early-stage social entrepreneurs take startups to the next level and achieve a sustainable scale. Currently, she serves on the steering committee for the Neighborhood Data for Social Change at the USC Price School for Social Innovation. A native of Los Angeles, Phyllis holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University and an A.B. degree with honors in Psychology and Social Relations from Harvard University.