Chanda Smith Baker

Chanda Smith Baker has more than 20 years of experience working in, for, and with underestimated communities. Smith Baker was most recently the Chief Impact Officer and Senior Vice President with The Minneapolis Foundation from 2017-2023. Her role at The Minneapolis Foundation included overseeing the Foundation’s grantmaking programs and providing strategic direction to community initiatives and partnerships. Previously, she was president and CEO of Pillsbury United Communities, where she spent 17 years leading the complex, community-based nonprofit in pursuing bold strategies to address systemic inequities. Smith Baker, a proud native and resident of North Minneapolis, has served on numerous nonprofit and philanthropic boards, including the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Women Winning, and the Minneapolis Regional Chamber. At The Minneapolis Foundation, she hosted a podcast and event series entitled “Conversations with Chanda.” Smith Baker’s civic leadership has been recognized with several awards and commendations, including Minnesota Business magazine’s Real Power 50, the Hubert H. Humphrey Leadership Award, and being honored among the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Women in Business.