Grady, Heather
Vice President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Heather Grady is a Vice President at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA). She leads the organization's strategy and program development in global philanthropy, including collaboratives, research, and publications, as well as expanding efforts on impact investing and social enterprise. She helped create, and leads on, the SDG Philanthropy Platform (SDGFunders.org), facilitating philanthropy’s engagement in the Sustainable Development Goals. Heather served as Vice President, Foundation Initiatives at The Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing an annual grantmaking budget averaging $65 million. Prior to that she was Managing Director of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, founded by former Irish President Mary Robinson, and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University. Heather’s work is informed by two decades managing firsthand development and humanitarian programs in Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia. She covered many sectors including employment, economic development, global trade policy, education and health, corporate responsibility, and women’s empowerment. She worked in several countries including Sudan, Egypt, Viet Nam and China. Heather has an MPA from Harvard University and a BA from Smith College, and is conversant in Chinese and Vietnamese. She serves on several Boards and Advisory Groups including the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, The B Team, and SXSW Eco.