Sarah Chenven is an attorney and nonprofit leader who believes that how an organization operates is inseparable from what it stands for—and has spent her career helping mission-driven organizations live up to their own values.

Sarah began her professional life in international relief and development, managing programs in post-conflict and disaster-affected regions across the Balkans and beyond. There, she saw firsthand how durable progress depends on a civil society built with dignity, equity, and the leadership of local civic institutions at its core.

After earning her law degree, she worked with organizations advancing civil liberties and access to economic justice. She later co-founded and led a certified Community Development Financial Institution in Portland, OR, and went on to serve as Chief Operating and Strategy Officer at Credit Builders Alliance. Most recently, as CEO of Working Credit, she led a period of significant organizational growth.

Throughout her work, Sarah returns to what she calls the three Ps: people, practices, and priorities. She believes mission-driven organizations succeed when they listen deeply, continually refine how they operate, and maintain disciplined focus on what matters most.

Sarah is a member of the Oregon State Bar and has an Masters in Public Administration from NYU's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. She currently serves as an Advisory Council Member for Capitalize Good LLC, a social enterprise working to disrupt the norms of philanthropy by expanding access to Enterprise Capital – unrestricted, multi-year funding that strengthens nonprofits’ balance sheets and empowers them to address root causes with confidence and stability.

Outside of work, Sarah is a proud GenX-er, a single mom by choice to a remarkable teenage daughter, and a committed optimist. She'll be the first to tell you that humility, empathy, and grit aren't just organizational values—they're how she tries to show up every day.