Naimah Bilal is Chief Development of the Children's Literacy Initiative, a national education organization serving 100,000+ Black and Latinx students and 5,500 educators. In her role, Naimah provides strategic vision, and direction to expand philanthropic investments and oversees branding and strategic communications efforts to maximize engagement in service of CLI’s mission.  She previously served as Director of Foundation Board Relations and Principal Gift officer at the University of Cincinnati and prior to that led Artistic programming at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, directing conception and performance of 200+ classical programs.   Prior to that, she served as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Director of Artistic Administration and led the creation of seven orchestral seasons including 200+ orchestral, choral, concert opera, pops, and chamber music programs. In this senior role she oversaw artistic strategy and implementation spearheading the conception and production of numerous artistic initiatives including five recording projects. Naimah is a co-host of Urban Consulate Cincinnati, a monthly parlor for urban exchange and dialogue centering discourse around equity and dismantling systems of racism and oppression. She is also an executive producer of the PBS series Urban Consulate Presents: Black Future City and Liberation Story, a collaboration between Urban Consulate and PBS affiliate CET.  This series examines aspects of civic and social justice aims, activism, and dreams of Black Cincinnati residents, visionaries and changemakers.   She is sought after as a guest speaker and moderator for numerous industries spanning the education and the arts and facilitates equity and racial healing dialogues.   Naimah earned her Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University (Bloomington) and her Master's from CIM/Case Western Reserve. She is currently an MBA/Economics candidate the University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business. Naimah and is a member of the Rooted Collaborative, the largest global network of women fund raisers of color.   She and her partner live with their two children live in Cincinnati, OH.