The Sadie Collective is the first American

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

which aims to increase the representation of Americans in economics and related fields. It was founded by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman and Fanta Traore in August 2018 and is named for the first African-American economist, Sadie T. M. Alexander. It has organized conferences connecting African-American women pursuing careers in economics and related fields such as finance, data science, and public policy. In February 2019, the Collective hosted the Sadie T. M. Alexander Conference for Economics and related fields at

Mathematica Policy Research Mathematica, Inc., formerly Mathematica Policy Research, is an American research organization and consulting company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. The company provides data science, social science, and technological services for social ...

in Washington, D.C. In February 2020, the second annual conference was hosted by the

Urban Institute The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that conducts economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions". The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations, and p ...

with Bridget Terry Long and

Janet Yellen Janet Louise Yellen (born August 13, 1946) is an American economist who served as the 78th United States secretary of the treasury from 2021 to 2025. She also served as chair of the Federal Reserve from 2014 to 2018. She was the first woman to h ...

as Keynote Speakers with nearly 300 attendees. The conferences are the first exclusively for African-American women in economics and related fields. In 2020, the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank announced a data science skills workshop in collaboration with the Collective for African-American college students.

History

Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, a former undergraduate student at the

University of Maryland, Baltimore County The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is a Public university, public research university in Catonsville, Maryland named after Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County. It had a fall 2022 enrollment of 13,991 students, 61 un ...

, and Fanta Traore, a former research assistant at the

Federal Reserve Board of Governors The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, commonly known as the Federal Reserve Board, is the main governing body of the Federal Reserve System. It is charged with overseeing the Federal Reserve Banks and with helping implement the mo ...

co-founded the organization in August 2018. Both women cited their isolating experiences in their work and academic environments as inspiration for creating an "intergenerational community" of Black women in economics and related fields. Both women mention that Lisa Cook is their mentor and an early supporter of the Collective. Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman and Lisa Cook co-wrote a

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

opinion piece and participated in interviews specifically advocating especially for the inclusion and advancement of African-American women in the economics profession. Opoku-Agyeman served as the organization's CEO until her resignation in March 2021. Traore served as CEO shortly after. In July 2022, Bola Olaniyan was announced as the Collective's first Executive Director.

Funding

In October 2020, the organization entered a multi-year partnership with the

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be the third largest charitable foundation in the world, holding $ ...

. In 2021, the organization was listed among several organizations awarded the first round of capital investments and philanthropic grants for Black women by

Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...

to "fund the creation of high school economic clubs for young Black girls to participate in the annual Federal Reserve Challenge".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sadie Collective 2018 establishments in Washington, D.C. African-American professional organizations Economics organizations Non-profit organizations based in Washington, D.C.

History

Funding

See also

References