Judi Powell
Judi Powell, Ph.D., Founder and Principal of Seven Hills Philanthropy, consults with foundations, donors, and nonprofits on strategy development, research, and grantmaking program design and implementation. As a philanthropic leader with over 20 years of experience as a foundation executive, grantmaker, consultant, and researcher, Judi is recognized for her ability to analyze nonprofit capacity, synthesize and communicate complex ideas and information, and convene stakeholders to generate solutions to complex problems that drive social impact.
Throughout her career, Judi’s passion for community change has centered on improving conditions for young people. She brings an equity focus to her work, which spans issue areas, including K-12 education, college access and completion, safety net, and the environment.
Prior to launching her consulting practice, Judi served as Executive Vice President of Philanthropic Partnerships at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where she led the teams that guide individual, family, and corporate donors. As Vice President of Program and Strategic Initiatives at Pacific Foundation Services, she directed programmatic services for all family foundation clients.
Judi’s current and past community work includes serving on the Boards of Samaritan House of San Mateo, the San Mateo Public Library Foundation, and Friends for Youth. She holds a B.A. in Economics & Political Science from Yale University and a Ph.D. from the Stanford Graduate School of Education. She lives in San Mateo, California, with her husband and is the proud mother of two college graduates who are beginning their own professional journeys.



