BOSTON—May 10, 2024—The Bridgespan Group has selected journalist and author Farai Chideya as the newest Bridgespan fellow.
Chideya will be working with Bridgespan’s Racial Equity and Philanthropy team of advisors and editors to investigate opportunities for philanthropy to support pluralist, intersectional initiatives underway among communities of color, in particular, that aim to build an inclusive, multi-racial democracy. Known for her data-rich stories that center the voices of people of color, she will also be consulting with Bridgespan teams doing journalism or democracy and equity work. Her engagement will end in December 2024 after which, Bridgespan plans to release a publication reflecting her work in February 2025. “We are incredibly lucky to have Farai at Bridgespan, sharing her wisdom expertise and passion with our team,” said Senior Editorial Director Cora Daniels. “Our work together marks Bridgespan’s efforts to support storytellers and elevate the importance of narrative change work as a cornerstone piece of advancing racial equity.” Said Chideya: “I am so excited to be working with Bridgespan in this moment. The Bridgespan team is phenomenal, well-connected, and fantastic to work with. And Bridgespan’s imprimatur on this work will help elevate the voices of those who continue to do the work and hopefully inspire others to engage.”
Chideya is a media analyst, journalist, podcast host, speaker, book author and academic. She is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards for her reporting and books. During her career she has been a host of NPR’s News and Notes, a reporter for ABC News, a political analyst for CNN and has covered every US presidential election since 1996. She was the creator and host of the podcast Our Body Politic, which launched in September 2020 and recently ended its run with a six-part documentary series January 6: An American Story. Chideya has held the position of distinguished writer in residence at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University and has also served as a program officer for the Ford Foundation’s Creativity and Free Expression team focusing on making grants to support U.S. journalism. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Faria Chideya holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature from Harvard University and splits her time between Washington, D.C. and Brooklyn, NY.
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About The Bridgespan Group
The Bridgespan Group (www.bridgespan.org) is a global nonprofit that collaborates with social change organizations, philanthropists, and impact investors to make the world more equitable and just. Bridgespan’s services include strategy consulting and advising, sourcing and diligence, and leadership team support. We take what we learn from this work and build on it with original research, identifying best practices and innovative ideas to share with the social sector. We work from locations in Boston, Delhi, Johannesburg, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, and Washington, DC.
