Rachel Alexander

As the Assistant Director of Leadership Innovation and Impact, Rachel helps measure and amplify the impact of the Ascend Fellows, synthesizing and sharing learnings from their work and supporting Fellows’ collective action.

Most recently, Rachel was the Deputy Director at New America CA, supporting research, programs, community engagement, and narrative change efforts to increase economic equity across California. This included work with residents of Fresno, CA to elevate their voices within local policy, as well as research projects that promoted inclusive access to tech careers and examined the impacts and potential of guaranteed income. In 2013 Rachel helped establish the Makers + Mentors Network, an initiative launched with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to address unequal access to STEM careers for BIPOC students and girls. There she developed a national network of STEM equity coalitions, supporting local leaders as they built the relationships and tools necessary to broaden access to STEM careers in their communities. She began her career in higher education, serving as an admission officer and then as a college counselor for aspiring first-generation college students and their families.