As a leader of the Participatory Budgeting Project, Shari Davis enriches democracy by returning the reins of government budgeting to the people.

Why you should listen

Shari Davis is a New York Times visionary leader and co-executive director at the Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP), a national non-profit organization committed to transforming democracy and centering community-led decision-making. Davis brings expertise as an executive leader, community organizer and facilitator with 15 years of service in local government. Davis advises and supports other leaders of color in creating and exploring shared leadership models. Through their work at PBP, Davis works with local government staff and community organizers on building deep decision-making processes rooted in equity and people power. Davis also creates experiential and world-building workshops facilitated around the United States that engage BIPOC communities in radical imagination using art and illustration to envision an equitable, shared and safe future collectively. Davis is a graduate of Boston University’s Sargent College for Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and holds a master’s degree in anatomy and physiology. You can learn more about Davis's work by viewing their TED talk or following their work as a 2019 Obama Fellow or 2022 Emerson Collective Fellow.