Chelsey Barnes
Founder and CEO
Chelsey Barnes is the Founder and Executive Director of LeadHer to Purpose, a community based organization dedicated to supporting girls through leadership development, career exposure, identity nurturing experiences, and intergenerational family engagement. With over a decade of experience in youth development, nonprofit leadership, and culturally grounded program design, Chelsey is committed to creating spaces where girls and caregivers are equipped to thrive together while helping young people identify their stories, strengths, and purpose and align them with meaningful futures and career pathways.
Throughout her career, Chelsey has held leadership roles across youth development and workforce readiness organizations focused on empowering young people and expanding access to opportunity. Previously, she served as Regional Program Director for BUILD in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she led strategic expansion across schools, districts, and community partnerships while scaling entrepreneurship and leadership programming to serve more than 1,000 students annually. She managed a $1.3 million regional budget, cultivated cross-sector partnerships, and collaborated with national leadership to strengthen a four year youth development and career connected learning model. She has also served as Executive Vice President of Operations at E4 Youth in Austin, Texas, where she co-designed organizational strategy, systems, partnerships, and growth initiatives focused on workforce development, career exposure, and preparing youth and young adults for long term success.
Chelsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development with an emphasis in Policy, Advocacy, and Research from San Francisco State University. Inspired by both her lived experiences and professional journey, she founded LeadHer to Purpose to create affirming spaces where girls are empowered to discover their voice, strengthen their confidence, explore future possibilities, and develop the leadership skills needed to thrive in their homes, schools, and communities. Her work centers culturally grounded growth, intergenerational support, and expanding access to opportunities that help girls and families build lasting impact across generations.
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