LesLeigh Ford is an associate director at the Urban Institute, where she leads and contributes to research and policy advising projects that explore sources of and solutions to racial, gender, and class-based inequities.
Ford is the practice area lead for the Center for Equity and Community Impact. She has led research on such topics as diversifying the health care workforce, expanding the Black maternal health workforce, improving access to leadership development programs for leaders of color, and reparations for Black Americans. Her previous work also includes evaluations of philanthropic and government-funded grant programs and research and advising to inform funder decisionmaking and practice.
Ford currently leads a body of work that focuses on advancing wealth equity, and she recently launched the Black Family Thriving Initiative, a program of research designed to examine the role of wealth and wealth building for Black middle-class Americans.
Ford earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and English from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in education policy and management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a doctoral degree in sociology from Duke University.
Urban experts are permitted and empowered to work and affiliate with outside organizations, whether serving on boards, volunteering their time, or providing advice and counsel. And Urban welcomes visiting scholars, nonresident or affiliated fellows who work for other organizations. These outside affiliations enrich our perspectives and our learning environment. We also require all paid and unpaid experts to disclose their affiliations to Urban leadership and follow rules governing their engagement to ensure transparency for audiences and independence of experts.
