Circle of Advisors
Leah D. Williams | Chief Executive Officer, Strategies
Williams is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Strategies. She is a highly sought after policy, media relations, public affairs, community relations, and management strategist, as well as writer, speaker, trainer, and community leader. Her experience includes advising and training corporate executives, non-profit leaders, public agencies, educational institutions, and non-governmental organizations.
She has years of experience advising leaders in the legal profession, elected officials and corporate executives. Williams served as Western Region Director for a leading Washington, D.C.-based public affairs firm, clerked for the Honorable Claudia Wilken on the District Court in the Northern District of California, externed for the late Honorable Benjamin Aranda of the Los Angeles Municipal Court, and served as the Executive Director of The Barristers Club of San Francisco.
She previously hosted and produced Benefit Radio where she interviewed community, civic, and business leaders on the impact of philanthropy in the community.
Williams received her J.D. degree from Stanford Law School, where she served as President of the Class of 2000. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, in comparative culture from the University of California, Irvine.
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?”
- Robert Schuller
Williams remains active in the community. She serves on the Executive Committee of One Voice Pac of Congresswoman Barbara Lee, is on the Council on Access and Fairness of the State Bar of California, is co-founder and Executive Committee member of the Black Alumni Association of Stanford Law School, and is also a member of the California Public Utilities Commission Workforce Education and Training Taskforce where she serves as Chair of the Needs Assessment Sub-Group. Williams served on the Board of Trustees of Presidio Hill School, where she chaired the Diversity Coalition and authored the School's study and implementation plan regarding diversity and multiculturalism. She has also served on the boards of many community-based organizations, including World Arts West and Friends of the Children, San Francisco.
Williams is an active speaker and writer. She has spoken on and participated in panel discussions regarding race relations and social justice issues impacting ethnic minority communities. In her free time, Williams likes to visit and speak with children in local public schools about issues such as careers and education. She has authored articles in Benefit Magazine, CityFlight Magazine, and The Recorder.
