The Alliance for Community Development announces new Executive Director
The Board of Directors of The Alliance for Community Development is pleased to announce the appointment of Naima McQueen, MBA, as our new Executive Director. Founded in 1999, The Alliance for Community Development is dedicated to promoting investment in low-income Bay Area communities and increasing access to capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs including but not limited to women, people of color, immigrants, and veterans.
We announce this exciting news in the midst of one of the most challenging moments of our business ecosystem’s history. The spread of COVID19--and the efforts to stem it--have led to an unprecedented time of economic disruption and uncertainty. The Alliance is here in service of our community during this time, and will continue to offer resource navigation, virtual community conversations, and support to those impacted most by this crisis.
"The Board of Directors was extremely impressed with Ms. McQueen's vision for The Alliance,” said Michael Gunning, Alliance Board Chair. “With her experience and dedication to working with underrepresented entrepreneurs, we are confident that under her leadership our organization will continue to deepen its ties in the community and make strides toward an economy that is equitable for all. We look forward to the accomplishments that we will get done, together."
Ms. McQueen first joined the Alliance for Community Development community in 2017, having attended her first Bay Area Capital Connections conference. She would then become an active member within the financial support stakeholder group, facilitating conversations and breakouts during the 9th and 10th BACC conferences and eventually joining the Alliance team in fall of 2018, initially as the interim Director of Programs and growing into her co-created role as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the beginning of 2019.
“I am elated by the opportunity to continue deepening this work within the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Ms. McQueen. “I see our mission, to increase access to capital for communities traditionally left out of the conversation, as one rooted in equity. It is our passion for an equitable and vibrant economy for all that guides our work; it is that passion that led me to apply to lead this organization. More than anything, I am honored and humbled to step into this role during such an unprecedented time with an unwavering commitment to innovation, equity and service. I look forward to this next chapter, thoughtfully and intentionally building stronger bonds across the organizations that we work with.”
We announce this exciting news in the midst of one of the most challenging moments of our business ecosystem’s history. The spread of COVID19--and the efforts to stem it--have led to an unprecedented time of economic disruption and uncertainty. The Alliance is here in service of our community during this time, and will continue to offer resource navigation, virtual community conversations, and support to those impacted most by this crisis.
"The Board of Directors was extremely impressed with Ms. McQueen's vision for The Alliance,” said Michael Gunning, Alliance Board Chair. “With her experience and dedication to working with underrepresented entrepreneurs, we are confident that under her leadership our organization will continue to deepen its ties in the community and make strides toward an economy that is equitable for all. We look forward to the accomplishments that we will get done, together."
Ms. McQueen first joined the Alliance for Community Development community in 2017, having attended her first Bay Area Capital Connections conference. She would then become an active member within the financial support stakeholder group, facilitating conversations and breakouts during the 9th and 10th BACC conferences and eventually joining the Alliance team in fall of 2018, initially as the interim Director of Programs and growing into her co-created role as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the beginning of 2019.
“I am elated by the opportunity to continue deepening this work within the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Ms. McQueen. “I see our mission, to increase access to capital for communities traditionally left out of the conversation, as one rooted in equity. It is our passion for an equitable and vibrant economy for all that guides our work; it is that passion that led me to apply to lead this organization. More than anything, I am honored and humbled to step into this role during such an unprecedented time with an unwavering commitment to innovation, equity and service. I look forward to this next chapter, thoughtfully and intentionally building stronger bonds across the organizations that we work with.”