About Eshauna Smith

Personal Journey and Paying It Forward

Eshauna Smith's career is rooted in her own experiences with 'luck'—early jobs like a $5/hour accounting internship after ninth grade in Los Angeles that funded her opportunities.[5][4] In her TEDx talk 'The Lucky Ones,' she honors her mother and mentors who supported her, vowing to pay it forward by creating pathways for underprivileged youth.[4][7][8][9]

Leveling the Playing Field of Luck

Smith argues that success for underprivileged youth shouldn't depend on chance but on deliberate interventions like paid internships and mentorship.[7][8][9] She promotes 'purposeful luck' through programs that provide repetition, reflection, and practice to build skills.[13]

Leadership at Urban Alliance

Joining Urban Alliance in 2013 and becoming CEO in 2014, Smith expanded the nonprofit's high school internship model across cities like Detroit, emphasizing economic opportunity and equitable workforce development.[1][3][6][11][19] She highlighted adaptations during challenges like the pandemic to maintain first-job experiences.[18][16]

Advocacy for Data-Driven Impact and Equity

Smith champions measurement for progress, as in her support for What Works Cities Certification: 'What gets measured gets done.'[12][17] She touts research proving Urban Alliance's model yields results for students and employers.[10] Recent Forbes contributions focus on building equitable next-generation workforces, even in crises.[16]

Current Role at Ballmer Group

Since 2021, as Ballmer Group's first National Director of Community Impact (initially Community Mobilization), Smith invests in innovators like TED Fellows to advance social impact and economic mobility.[14][19][2] Her LinkedIn posts reflect ongoing community impact work.[2]

Partnerships and Scaling Impact

Smith celebrates corporate partners like Bank of America and Hyatt for expanding youth opportunities in cities like Chicago.[20] She announced Urban Alliance's first Detroit Executive Director, signaling growth.[11]