Deborah Smolover

Deb leads America Forward, New Profit’s public policy initiative that unites social entrepreneurs with policymakers and advocates for a public policy agenda that advances equity, fosters innovation, rewards results, and catalyzes cross-sector partnerships. Deb advances this vision through the leadership of the America Forward Coalition, a network of over 100 social innovation organizations achieving measurable outcomes in more than 15,000 communities nationwide and driving progress in early learning, K-12 education, post-secondary education, workforce development, poverty alleviation, pay for success, evidence-based policy, national service, and criminal justice reform. Together, the America Forward community has leveraged over $1.7 billion for social innovation and has driven millions of federal resources toward programs achieving measurable results for those who need them most.

Deb is deeply interested in how the public, philanthropic, nonprofit, and private sectors can best leverage their resources and expertise to address intractable social problems and transform local results into national change. Prior to joining New Profit, Deb served as Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Counsel to former Attorney General Eric Holder. While at DOJ, Deb ran the multi-agency, multi-disciplinary Children Exposed to Violence Initiative and the Public Private Partnership Initiative. She came to her leadership position at DOJ from a distinguished career as an award-winning federal prosecutor handling high profile white collar criminal and civil cases across the country, and made the move from the courtroom to policy work when she became convinced that prevention and intervention strategies were vital to breaking the cycle of violence.

Deb has also served in leadership roles at numerous nonprofits and foundations, including Turnaround for Children, the Yale University Child Study Center/National Center for Children Exposed to Violence, the I Am Your Child Foundation, and the We are Family Foundation, and she serves on the Boards of a number of national social innovation organizations.