Raised in a family of political and social trailblazers, Ruby learned early what it means to stand up to adversity and to build power through entrepreneurship, fundraising, and the pursuit of justice. In the 1960s and early 1970s, her parents brought her to meetings with donors and advocates supporting the Civil Rights Movement and progressive candidates. She listened closely to how people made the case for investment, and those early “pitch rooms” shaped her fearless, values-driven approach to fundraising.

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That legacy ran deep. Her parents helped launch the African American Museum of Iowa, and her grandfathers broke ground in business and in advancing policies for racial equity across Illinois and Iowa. Ruby grew up surrounded by people who did not just talk about change. They organized for it, funded it, and built institutions that could sustain it.

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Ruby carried those lessons into a career that placed her at the intersection of wealth, influence, and impact. Working alongside some of the world’s most prominent individuals and companies, she supported major philanthropic investments while elevating the priorities and stories of community-based and grassroots organizations, HBCUs, the Congressional Black Caucus, and many others, helping catalyze more than $300 million in funding along the way.