United States

Brittany  Leach, Head of Research Finance, Department of Pediatrics NYU Langone Health, USA

Brittany.Leach@wbaforum.org
I was born and raised in one of Chicago’s northwest suburbs. In the 90’s, Palatine, IL was poor in diversity and rich with opportunity. I grew up with certain privileges my Black peers raised in the city did not have, but the effects of being the only one like me, made me constantly question why I was different.  From my skin tone, to my hair, my speech, and my race, I never felt like I was enough.  I never felt like I truly belonged.  The prejudice and blatant racism that I faced as a child and teenager slowly smothered my confidence and subconsciously suppressed my voice.
It has taken a lot of self-work to rebound from the trauma of the past. I have learned not just to accept what makes me different, but to celebrate it. Had it not been for daring social movements like the natural hair movement, and the many examples of other Black women who chose daily to boldly walk in their calling, I would not have regained the confidence needed to accomplish all that I have.  It is my mission to help others do the same.​
My 10 years of experience working with higher education institutions, campaigns, and nonprofits, demonstrates my keen ability to drive change: to transform, align, and inspire people in a fast-paced environment.  I am an experienced, people-oriented leader with a proven track record of successfully facilitating initiatives with multiple stakeholders by articulating a vision, translating it into an executable strategy, and driving cross-functional teams to deliver results.  I have a natural orientation towards developing organizational culture, leading change, and community building. I create structure, form and process where there is chaos and uncertainty in business, but more importantly in business women.  I build purposefully and I am passionate about encouraging women to be their best and unique selves, no matter what space they are in.  I have completed my Executive Masters in Public Administration program at New York University and I have a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.
I like to spend my free time going on dates with my husband (we both love to eat some good food!), playing with my dog (Drake!), hanging out with my girls, and meditating.
My curiosity leads me to learn, my ambition is the source of my growth and my anticipation allows me to know that the best is yet to come.