Founder Forward Appoints Amanda Morrall as Executive Director to Scale Entrepreneur-Powered Ecosystems

Founder Forward announced the appointment of Amanda Morrall as its new Executive Director. With over a decade of experience advancing economic mobility and systems change, Amanda brings a strong track record of aligning resources with community-driven solutions. Founded in 2016 by Libra Group in response to President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Founder Forward has supported 125 entrepreneurs in 25 states with an 85% founder survival rate. It is now an initiative under Libra Philanthropies, providing grants, training, and community to help overlooked founders build investment-ready businesses and scale for impact.

“I’m thrilled to congratulate Amanda on her appointment as Executive Director of Founder Forward,” said Christopher Upperman, Director, Head of Industry Engagement at Meta and Founder Forward Board Chair.

“Amanda brings a rare combination of strategic clarity, deep empathy for founders, and an unwavering commitment to building inclusive pathways to entrepreneurship. Her perspective, shaped in part by her experience as an Obama Scholar, reflects a deep commitment to service, leadership, and impact. At a pivotal moment in our organization’s evolution, formerly Envolve Entrepreneurship, Amanda is exactly the leader Founder Forward needs to scale its impact, strengthen our community of founders, and deliver on our mission with focus and ambition. I’m excited to partner with her in this next chapter and confident that her leadership will meaningfully shape the future of Founder Forward.”

Amanda is known for translating vision into action through cross-sector partnerships and measurable impact. She was selected as a 2023-2024 Obama Scholar with the Obama Foundation and Columbia University. During her time as an Obama Scholar, she co-created Ignite Social Impact Summit with Obama Scholar Huong Dang. The summit hosted 187 participants, 59 speakers, and secured $62,000 in in-kind donations from 15 sponsors within two months. Her work has been featured in the Obama Foundation Annual Report and CNN Reliable Sources. In 2024, she launched Morrall Strategy Group, where she led strategy and research efforts focused on philanthropy, fundraising, and economic mobility. 

“I am honored to serve as Executive Director of Founder Forward and grateful for the opportunity to help lead an organization aligned with my values and vision,” said Amanda. “As we enter this next chapter, we are growing our community and reimagining systems that overlook talent already leading in their communities. I look forward to building alongside the founders and partners who make this work possible.”

Before joining the Obama Scholars Program, Amanda served as Executive Director of a private foundation that donated $3 million annually to initiatives in economic mobility, entrepreneurship, and education. She supported over 70 nonprofits, launched a $2.4 million grant fund, and led a strategic overhaul shaped by input from 356 residents.

Prior to her foundation leadership, Amanda led major gifts at a United Way affiliate, raising $8 million annually from 300 donors, including corporate and philanthropic partners. She is a 2025 Eisenhower Fellow and a 2021 American Express Leadership Academy Leader. Amanda holds a MPP from UCLA, where she was a Luskin Ann C. Rosenfield Fellow with United Way of Greater Los Angeles, and a BA in Public Policy from Duke University, where she was both a Hart Leadership Fellow and an Alice M. Baldwin Scholar.

“Amanda is a transformational leader whose commitment to economic mobility aligns perfectly with Founder Forward’s mission. Her expertise in systems change will be instrumental as we scale our impact and help more overlooked founders build investment-ready businesses. We are thrilled to have her at the helm for this next chapter,”  said Rosanna Mortoglou, CEO of Libra Philanthropies. 

Amanda works with a dynamic team committed to scaling Founder Forward’s impact through strategic partnerships and transformative programming. Dr. Lisa-Marie Pierre serves as Director, driving programming, strategic partnerships, and organizational learning. Lisa Napper advances fundraising, grants, and communications as Manager.

Amanda is known for translating vision into action through cross-sector partnerships and measurable impact. She was selected as a 2023-2024 Obama Scholar with the Obama Foundation and Columbia University. During her time as an Obama Scholar, she co-created Ignite Social Impact Summit with Obama Scholar Huong Dang. The summit hosted 187 participants, 59 speakers, and secured $62,000 in in-kind donations from 15 sponsors within two months. Her work has been featured in the Obama Foundation Annual Report and CNN Reliable Sources. In 2024, she launched Morrall Strategy Group, where she led strategy and research efforts focused on philanthropy, fundraising, and economic mobility. 

“I am honored to serve as Executive Director of Founder Forward and grateful for the opportunity to help lead an organization aligned with my values and vision,” said Amanda. “As we enter this next chapter, we are growing our community and reimagining systems that overlook talent already leading in their communities. I look forward to building alongside the founders and partners who make this work possible.”

For more information, visit founderforward.org.