Lori Villarosa

Founder and Executive Director, Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity

Lori is a longtime leader at the intersection of racial justice and philanthropy, with nearly 30 years of experience advancing resources to dismantle systemic racism. She is the founder and executive director of the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE), where she partners with funders and movement leaders to shift grantmaking practices through workshops, funder labs, coaching, research, and widely used publications, including Grantmaking with a Racial Equity Lens and Grantmaking with a Racial Justice Lens.

Previously, Lori spent 12 years at the C.S. Mott Foundation, helping build one of the field’s earliest racial equity grant portfolios and stewarding $24 million in racial justice funding. She has held leadership roles across philanthropic networks, including ABFE, AAPIP, CHANGE Philanthropy, and the Edward W. Hazen Foundation. Lori works nationally and internationally, is a frequent speaker and published voice on racial justice philanthropy.