yshipman [at] theopportunityfund.org

yvette shipman is a Program Officer/Repair at Opportunity Fund, where she works with a fantastic team and board to advance trust-based philanthropy and support transformative change. A proud transplant from the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia), yvette’s work in justice and repair began in Ghana, where she served as an informal liaison between Black people of African descent and Ghanaians, helping navigate cultural divides shaped by colonization. This experience became the foundation for her ongoing commitment to healing—rooted in humanity, love, acknowledgment, truth-telling, and accountability.

yvette is deeply passionate about our collective healing and the importance of recognizing our interconnectedness and interdependence. She believes that we cannot survive without one another—without community, and without a mutual collective of care. Care is at the heart of everything she does, from the ways we show up for ourselves to how we care for each other in our shared commitment for justice and equity. In order for Black people of African descent and people of the global majority to heal, we must choose a different path from the one we have been taught to follow. Philanthropy, too, must take bold risks to support equitable and radical efforts led by those most directly impacted.

yvette has also had the privilege of consulting for the United Nations Foundation’s Peace on Purpose program, traveling internationally to share practices of mindfulness and compassionate leadership. Though she was trained to, she was not interested in formally practicing yoga professionally, yet her work continues to be shaped by a holistic approach to leadership, collaboration, and transformation. In 2024, she was ordained as an interspiritual, interfaith minister, which deepened her commitment to service, healing, and community.

Her work and personal philosophy center on the belief that philanthropy has the power to shift systems by trusting and empowering the people and organizations doing the front-line work. yvette holds a B.A. in Communications and an M.A. in Social and Public Policy, with a focus on Conflict Mediation and Peace Studies.

She is deeply committed to centering and affirming the identities and dignity of Black people of African descent, people of the global majority, and LGBTQ+ communities.