Tonyel Edwards

Dr. Tonyel Edwards is a partner in Bridgespan’s San Francisco office. Since joining the organization in 2022, she has led client engagements with donors, impact investors, and nonprofit organizations, with a focus on place-based strategies, systems-level investments, and multi-sector collaboration. She is co-author of Philanthropy’s Role in Reparations and Building a Culture of Racial Repair (Bridgespan.org, 2023).

Prior to Bridgespan, Tonyel held several leadership roles at Houston Endowment, a private foundation, where she designed and led initiatives focused on early childhood system-building, community-school models, and neighborhood development. She also led cross-system investments in partnership with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems to improve outcomes for youth connected to public systems. As Director of Civic Assets and Impact Opportunities, she oversaw a strategy to deploy more than $40 million in unrestricted funding to community-rooted organizations. In addition to her role as a grantmaker, she was appointed by the Mayor of Houston to advise on the city’s philanthropic response to Hurricane Harvey and led the region’s early efforts to expand childcare access for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier in her career, Tonyel served as executive director of DiscoverU, worked on Teach For America’s national team, taught in Houston’s Third Ward, and began her career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch–Bank of America.

Tonyel holds a BBA in Finance from Howard University and both a Master’s and Doctorate in Education from the University of Houston. She serves on the boards of Harris County Resources for Children and Adults, the American Leadership Forum, and the Local Advisory Council of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). She is also a member of the Missouri City (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and the Junior League of Houston.