Tamara Wilds Lawson is the kind of leader who reminds us what public service is really about—community, equity, and generational impact. As the current President and CEO of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, she has devoted her life to advancing gender and racial equity, particularly for women and girls of color in the Washington, D.C. region. Her leadership journey spans roles at ActBlue, Washington Nationals Philanthropies, and the Posse Foundation, all connected by a deep commitment to justice and service.
On the Scientista Podcast, Lawson opened up about the personal and professional influences that shaped her trajectory—from growing up around a network of formidable women, to being inspired by her grandmother who taught her own mother and neighbors how to pass literacy tests in the Jim Crow South. For Lawson, leadership isn’t about a title—it’s about showing up for your community and using every tool available to expand access and opportunity.
Lawson’s philosophy of service was shaped early on by both her mother’s network of professional women—many of them members of Delta Sigma Theta—and by her grandmother’s quiet acts of resistance. These experiences didn’t just inspire her career—they defined it.
“My grandmother said, ‘I’m not going to let anyone define who I am and what I can become,’” Lawson shared. That legacy of self-determination now guides her own work helping young women in the D.C. area see all they can become.
In her role at ActBlue, Lawson worked to increase resources for grassroots organizations through small-dollar donations—demonstrating that everyday people can fuel big change. “Narrative and storytelling is huge,” she said, emphasizing the need for nonprofits to communicate their impact in compelling, accessible ways.
At Washington Area Women’s Foundation, she’s turning that philosophy into action, supporting community-based solutions and elevating the voices of those too often left out of philanthropy.
Lawson also spoke candidly about what it means to raise a daughter while holding leadership positions—how she tries to pass along the same gift of exposure to strong women that shaped her own childhood. For her, representation isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a blueprint for the future.
“There are many versions of what it means to be a woman, a leader, a mom, a caregiver,” she said. “And she [my daughter] gets to decide which pieces she wants to take.”
For more of Tamara Wilds Lawson’s insights on service, resilience, and leading with intention, listen to the full conversation on the Scientista Podcast.
