Bryna Lipper
Chief Executive Officer
Humboldt Area Foundation

Bryna has held leadership roles in government, non-profit, and private sector organizations dedicated to civic, social, cultural, and environmental progress. She is currently CEO of the Humboldt Area Foundation and Wild Rivers Community Foundation, leading a major transformation for the organization to support visionary and generational change in the region. In her prior role as Co-Founder and SVP for 100 Resilient Cities by the Rockefeller Foundation, Bryna led the creation of the world’s first urban resilience practices, its global network, and formation of governmental partnerships to enable cities to adapt to 21st century challenges. Prior to that, she was the (Acting) Director of Philanthropic Research and Initiatives for the Office of International and Philanthropic Innovation (IPI) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where she led strategies to spur philanthropic partnerships and promote policy innovation. Bryna is currently Chair of the League of California Community Foundation’s Committee for Disaster Response and is an active member in many philanthropic networks supporting racial equity and justice. She holds a Bachelor of Design in Architecture from the University of Sydney and a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Her professional fellowships include the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and the prestigious Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University.