Chanda Smith Baker has more than 20 years of experience working in, for, and with underestimated communities. In 2017, Baker joined the Minneapolis Foundation, where she serves as the chief impact officer and senior vice president overseeing the foundation’s grantmaking programs, providing strategic direction to community initiatives and partnerships. Baker is host of the award-winning podcast Conversations with Chanda. Previously, Baker spent 17 years at Pillsbury United Communities, pursuing bold strategies to address systemic inequities, and culminating her career there as president and CEO. In addition to being a cofounder of the Black Collective Foundation MN, Baker has served on and led numerous nonprofit and philanthropic boards throughout her career, including as a trustee at the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and a board member for the Joyce Foundation. Her civic leadership has been recognized with awards and commendations, including being named an MN Business magazine (Real) Power 50 honoree, receiving the Hubert H. Humphrey Leadership Award, and being named a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business honoree.