Aisha Nyandoro
Aisha Nyandoro is the founding CEO of Springboard to Opportunities, a Jackson, Mississippi-based nonprofit that focuses on resident-driven solutions to end generational poverty for families in federally subsidized housing. She is best known for being the architect of the Magnolia Mothers’ Trust in 2018, a groundbreaking guaranteed income program that provides direct cash payments to low-income Black mothers. Through her leadership, Nyandoro has championed economic empowerment and policy reforms, emphasizing dignity and trust for marginalized communities.
Nyandoro has testified before Congress and is involved with various leadership initiatives, including being a fellow at the Aspen Institute and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In 2024, she received the prestigious Heinz Award for the Economy and was recognized as a TIME100 Next recipient in recognition of her role in the national guaranteed income movement and her contributions to advancing economic justice.
She holds a B.A. from Tennessee State University and both an M.A. and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. When not working to liberate financial capital, she is a wife and mom to two sons.
Sarah Stripp
Sarah Stripp is the Director of Socioeconomic Well-Being at Springboard to Opportunities, where she leads the organization’s cash-based initiatives and socioeconomic policy priorities. With more than a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, she provides strategic direction and leadership, supporting families in reaching their goals. Since joining Springboard in 2016, Sarah has played a key role in launching initiatives such as The Magnolia Mother’s Trust and Springboard’s Emergency Cash Disbursements programs, while advancing the organization’s policy advocacy and narrative change efforts. A graduate of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Fellowship and the Aspen Institute’s Workforce Leadership Academy, Sarah is dedicated to centering community voices and building diverse coalitions to drive meaningful change.