Join Oregon Humanities for an onstage conversation with Rukaiyah Adams, president and CEO of the 1803 Fund. As the leader of this ambitious new foundation, which seeks to rebuild Portland’s Albina neighborhood and advance the wealth and wellbeing of Black Portland, Adams requires a lot of trust: both trust from supporters that she will responsibly oversee a major investment in urban infrastructure, and trust from the community that her efforts to reshape a central part of the city will benefit the public. As former chief investment officer at Meyer Memorial trust, Adams also oversaw a different kind of trust, managing approximately $1 billion in assets for one of the state’s largest charitable foundations.
Since January 2023, Rukaiyah Adams has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the 1803 Fund, an innovative organization dedicated to growing shared prosperity. She brings a powerful blend of experience to her leadership role: the lived perspective of growing up in subsidized housing, the legal clarity gained from immersing herself in housing and urban development, and the sharp acumen of an investor who understands the transformative power of real assets in building community prosperity.
Adams leverages her extensive business expertise for the benefit of everyday people. She is a co-founder of both Albina Vision Trust and the 1803 Fund. Her dedication extends to public service, including her role as a Commissioner for the Port of Portland, investment committee member of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and a board member for Oregon Public Broadcasting. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton College; a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School and a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
