Trish Tierney
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer
trish@wakeinternational.org
I co-founded WAKE because I believe every person can contribute to positive change. I’m inspired by community leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs around the world, and by the work they lead addressing the needs of their communities. At WAKE, I leverage my skills in organizational and program strategy, fundraising and partnership building to grow our Tech2Empower initiative. It’s a pleasure to work alongside my co-founder and friend, Heather, to create opportunities for talented, dedicated people to meet, connect, collaborate and design solutions for a more just and equitable future. I’ve spent 20+ years learning from and with partners in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East and across the U.S.
Before co-founding WAKE, I was Executive Director of the Institute of International Education (IIE) in San Francisco. During those years, I led the growth of the office through partnerships with the U.S. Department of State, foundations, and corporations. I’m especially proud to have founded IIE’s Center for Women’s Leadership Initiatives, and edited a book, “Women in the Global Economy: Leading Social Change.” I also spearheaded IIE’s participation in the Clinton Global Initiative, and served as a CGI Tech Track Advisor. Prior to IIE, I worked at Cisco Systems and helped bring the Cisco Networking Academy Program to the world’s fifty least developed countries, with special emphasis on the inclusion of women. I spent several years at the World Bank, focused on education reform and girls’ education in Africa.
I began my career as a WorldTeach volunteer in Namibia, which sparked my lifelong dedication to education in Africa. In 2019, I co-founded, with my dad and brother, Future Fund for Education (FFE). FFE is a catalyst for African entrepreneurs who are transforming education across the continent. I serve on the Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Day School, and hold a B.A. from Notre Dame and an M.A. from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. I love living in beautiful San Francisco, with my husband and three kids.