StriveTogether Names First President to Support National Work Toward Economic Mobility
Eshauna Smith, formerly of Ballmer Group and Urban Alliance, joins country’s largest network of place-based partnerships to increase opportunity for young people.
August 18, 2026
Cincinnati, Ohio – StriveTogether, the country’s largest network of place-based partnerships, today announced Eshauna Smith as the organization’s president. The newly created role reflects StriveTogether’s rapid growth and its expanding influence as a national leader in shaping how communities, philanthropy, and policymakers work together to increase economic opportunity.
As president, Smith will serve alongside CEO Jennifer Blatz to drive organizational alignment, strategy and innovation. Her addition positions StriveTogether to move further, faster, for communities across the Cradle to Career Network and the broader place-based partnership field. One of Smith’s first priorities will be helping to launch a field hub catalyzed by StriveTogether to attract and support the next generation of place-based partnerships via emerging technology, capacity-building supports and the coordination of strategic partnerships to elevate the field and the important role it plays in advancing economic mobility.
“Solving for stalled economic mobility in this country requires leadership capacity to match the scale and complexity of the problem. Eshauna has spent her career building that capacity, from a city mayor’s office to one of the largest funders in this field, and bringing her onto our team is how we make sure this network can deliver when communities need it most,” Blatz said.
Smith brings to StriveTogether more than two decades of field credibility and executive leadership, including a long-standing relationship with StriveTogether and the Cradle to Career Network. Most recently, as director of community impact at Ballmer Group, she spent years deploying resources to the national field of place-based partnerships. As CEO of Urban Alliance, she led the organization through a period of significant growth. Previously, she helped launch a place-based partnership in Washington, D.C., while serving in the mayor’s office.
“From inside philanthropy, I saw how much good money can do and where it runs into a ceiling: funders can seed and grow ideas, but they need to partner with communities to build the systems that make mobility last. That is what place-based partnerships get right, and StriveTogether has proven it at a scale no one else has,” Smith said.
“Eshauna has dedicated her career to bringing people, resources, and partnerships together to create greater opportunity for young people and families,” said Terri Ludwig, CEO of Ballmer Group. “Her leadership will help strengthen the field of place-based partnerships and accelerate StriveTogether’s work to put more young people on the path to economic mobility.”
For more than 15 years, StriveTogether has built the country’s leading network of place-based partnerships that are increasing opportunity from cradle to career. Smith’s leadership will sharpen StriveTogether’s ability to deliver on its bold 2030 vision of 4 million more futures on a path to economic mobility. For more information, visit StriveTogether.org.
##
About StriveTogether
StriveTogether is a national network of community partnerships that bring together neighbors, including youth and families, nonprofits, employers, schools and more, to work toward a future where everyone can thrive. Cradle to Career Network members change the way their communities work together by building connections, sharing resources and using data to put more young people on a path to economic mobility. Our work helps young people meet seven key life milestones so that they have the opportunities they need to reach their goals, and, ultimately, thrive. Learn more at StriveTogether.org.