“Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity.” – Mae Jemison
Ananya approaches social problem-solving from a lens of imaginative thinking. She partners with organizations, foundations, state agencies, and policymakers to improve outcomes in the areas of environment, education, whole-family support, and community development for a more just and equitable society. Ananya joined Wilder in 2023.
Ananya has an extensive background in community-engaged research, with primary specialization in qualitative inquiry and mixed methods designs. She has led numerous projects from conception to data collection and analysis, to dissemination, with reciprocity and care for stakeholder groups in mind. She is also a skilled facilitator and proficient at supporting and scaffolding people to think deeply about large-scale ideas and questions. She has worked closely with commissioners, task forces, as well as agencies and other nonprofit leaders to work collaboratively towards strategic planning and consensus-based decision-making around complex topics.
Before joining Wilder, she was an assistant professor of education at St. Norbert College, where she taught future teacher candidates and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications. She is a former Saint Paul Public Schools teacher in special education.
Ananya obtained her doctoral degree in urban education policy from University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and dance from St. Olaf College.
Ananya is a co-chair for WIDE Council, Wilder’s leadership group advancing inclusion, diversity, and equity within the organization. She also serves on the board of BIPOC Foodways, an immigrant kitchen nonprofit designed to share stories of cultural communities through culinary wisdom.
She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, Senay, and two dogs, Chuck and Mae. She continues to dance and enjoys writing fiction.
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