Violet Pearson

2021-2022 | City of Oakland - Office of the City Administrator

VIOLET PEARSON is a catalyst for growth and change whose career includes working as a social entrepreneur, business strategist, master coach, change igniter, and women’s rights activist. She has more than 20 years of experience in organizational leadership and development, strategic business planning and implementation, executive recruitment and coaching, and developing high-performance teams. Violet has worked with clients throughout the United States, Africa, South America, and Asia in several industries, including consumer products, food and beverages, healthcare, utilities, oil and gas, high tech, and professional services. She also has founded and led several nonprofit organizations and served as a consultant to numerous organizations, including the African Women’s Development Fund and National Democratic Institute. Violet earned her MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania.

Project

The City of Oakland partnered with residents in East Oakland, the Black Cultural Zone, and other community organizations to design a series of projects that have been outlined in the “Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors” community plan, which was just recently funded with a $28 million grant from the State of California (which FUSE helped to secure in a previous project). To follow on its prior work, FUSE will engage neighborhood residents in the implementation of this plan and its projects, helping to strengthen the capacity of the Black Cultural Zone to ensure the long-term sustainability of this vital community organization.