Beeta Ansari

I am currently Chief of Staff at Peace First, a global non-profit that provides grants to young changemakers around the world. I initially joined Peace First in 2021 to lead an organizational transition as Peace First’s Founding CEO was stepping down after 30 years. Overseeing the entire transition process, I partnered closely with the Board of Directors to manage a Global Executive Search and eventual onboarding of the new CO-CEOs. I continue to serve as Chief of Staff, now to both Co-CEOs, providing strategic thought- leadership and ongoing support while balancing their unique needs and management styles.Prior to joining Peace First, I was a Founding Team Member at Ashoka U, a consortium of 500+ colleges and universities working to embed social innovation into higher education. Throughout my 12+ years building and scaling Ashoka U, I took on a variety of roles and launched several programs including the Ashoka U Exchange, an annual conference that brought together hundreds of higher education stakeholders, and the Commons, an online professional development opportunity for faculty and staff. I also served as COO of Ashoka U, leading the organization’s strategic planning, staffing, budgeting, and organizational design.