Anne Wadsworth

Brainstormer, Entrepreneur, Idea generator, Parent, Startup, World traveler

Anne is Founder and Executive Director of the Girls Education Collaborative, a US-based non-profit that sprung out of an initiative from the University at Buffalo, New York. Public affairs and education have been at the heart of her career. After 20-plus years of on and off ramping between work and motherhood, Anne went back to school and earned an Executive Masters of Public Administration from Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. During her degree program she learned how deep and wide the barriers can be between a girl and her education AND what happens for that girl and her greater community if those barriers can be breached. Once learned, she could not turn away and dedicated her career and heart to working on behalf of girls and their educations. She has always been an advocate for improving education - both access to and the quality of. She served as the President of the School Board in East Aurora, New York; helped open Enterprise Charter School; has lobbied on behalf of public education; served as a trustee at the Buffalo Seminary (an independent girls school) and has developed and run informal education programs. Frustrated by the lack of female representation in our own government, Anne took time off from her time at the Maxwell School, in order to support a couple of great women candidates and run their campaigns. In 2008 she helped bring Alice Kryzan, the democratic underdog, to victory in the primary for US Congress NY-26. Alice lost to Chris Lee in the general election. Four years later Alice lost a battle to cancer. In her memoriam, a library is being built in her name as part of the Kitenga School for Girls – a Girls Education Collaborative project taking place in rural Tanzania. In addition to believing in the power of educating girls, Anne believes in water - that there should be plenty of it and it should be clean; she serves on the board of the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper. She describes herself as a Buffalo gal and has three grown children. She enjoys canoeing, kayaking, hiking, reading, traveling, eating and dancing with her husband.

Bringing resources, in all it's many forms, to local communities trying to create new paradigms for their girls.

Ten years ago the world didn't get girls education. Now it does. Yet the advocacy hasn't necessarily translated to what is needed at the community level. We are trying to figure out how to change that level of engagement and welcome thinking partners.

Girls Education, Politcal Campaigns, Starting from scratch

Yet to be written.

Left off the CV: Founder, The Cook's Crouton - garlic crouton-maker extraordinaire