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Rebecca Lipsey
Accomplished social entrepreneur and nonprofit leader based in Miami, Florida
Rebecca Fishman Lipsey is the President and CEO of The Miami Foundation, a position she has held since June 2020.1 She is a social innovator, former policymaker, and community leader dedicated to building a stronger, more equitable Greater Miami.2
Professional Background
Rebecca's career has been focused on education, social entrepreneurship, and community development:
- Founder and CEO of Radical Partners from 2013 to 20201
- Florida Board of Education member from 2014 to 20181
- Executive Director of Teach for America from 2008 to 20121
- Various roles at Teach for America, including Corps Member and NYC DOE Public School Teacher from 2004 to 20081
Education and Achievements
- Valedictorian at the University of Pennsylvania in 20041
- Recipient of numerous awards, including:
- Best Nonprofit Executive (International Stevie Awards for Women in Business, 2010)
- Ruth Shack Leadership Award (Miami Foundation, 2016)
- Named one of the 500 Most Influential Floridians multiple years (2018-2023)1
Current Role
As President and CEO of The Miami Foundation, Rebecca leads a $400+ million community foundation focused on:
- Building a more generous and equitable Miami2
- Promoting arts access, LGBTQ+ equity, and racial equity2
- Encouraging community involvement and philanthropy2
Rebecca is known for her passion for Miami and her commitment to shaping the city's future through philanthropy and community engagement.23
Highlights
"I have Down syndrome and that is the least interesting thing about me."
Madison Telvin is an actress, a model, a media personality, and an award winning influencer with three Webby awards on her shelf.
But let's pause for a moment. When I was born, people with Down syndrome had a life expectancy of 20 years old. Now it's 60+. Think about that quantum leap, and how much it will continue to grow. As society expects more, we will achieve more. We will see more people with diverse abilities thriving in the workplace. We will make more accessible spaces. We will foster environments where people like Madison graduate with degrees, marry and live independent lives, build, create and lead companies, vote, serve, and shape communities.
Let us not only expect more of Madison...let us expect more of OURSELVES.
#expectmore
To my friends living in diaspora....
....Who feel compartmentalized into two identities - one that is tethered overseas and one that is going through the motions of a totally other life
...Who grasp at news that never feels quite accurate, shrinking complex histories into mass-consumable headlines
...Who feel the full range of experiences - longing, responsibility, impotence, rage, fear sorrow - as hard things befall our sacred places
...Who bask in the privileges of our new homes with an unshakeable guilt that others are carrying the burden of the safety we benefit from
....Who don't always agree with the choices of our leaders, neither here nor there...but who may not feel the audacity to criticize because there are no easy choices, and we are not the ones on the front lines
...Who have family and friends in harms way, fighting in battles they didn't wish for, keeping it together for children who shouldn't have to grow up like this
...Who gasp at the level of misunderstanding they hear from their own co-workers, neighbors, and colleagues, heavy with loneliness and grief
...Who are lit ablaze by generational trauma, each new incident resting upon a much deeper wound
...Who carry the burden of two stories but can truly claim neither. Like a time traveling atom we exist everywhere and nowhere all at once
My friends in the diaspora, I lift up my hands in prayer alongside you. Unlike the very real losses we see on the grounds of our homelands...prayers never die.
