Jeremy Nowak

The president of J Nowak and Associates, a consulting firm specializing in social investment, public policy and strategic planning, Jeremy Nowak is one of the nation’s leading thinkers on cities and innovation. Among his areas of expertise are urban development, education, and the cultural sector, and his clients include The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, The MacArthur Foundation, ArtPlace America, and Independence Mission Schools. He was president of the William Penn Foundation in 2011 and 2012, during which time he helped develop the blueprint for the $2 billion philanthropy’s current grant. He was the founding CEO of The Reinvestment Fund (TRF), one of the nation’s leading community development financial institutions. During his 25-year tenure, TRF provided in excess of $1 billion in support of housing, small business, and community facilities. He is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute and a Nonresident Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Urban Research. He is the past Board chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the founding Board Chair of Mastery Charter Schools and Alex’s Lemonade Stand, respectively. He is a past recipient of The Philadelphia Award, the city’s highest civic honor.