Senator T’wina Nobles named as inaugural CEO of Black Future Co-op Fund

The co-founders of the Black Future Co-op Fund, Washington’s first cooperative philanthropy created by and for Black people, today announced that they have selected Senator T’wina Nobles to serve as the organization’s first CEO. Nobles is one of the four founding architects, and currently serves as Washington state senator of the 28th Legislative District. ✨ Read Full Press Release

T’wina (she/her/hers) is the inaugural CEO of the Black Future Co-op Fund, and a founding architect. She leads the Fund in service of our mission to ignite Black generational wealth, health, and well-being across Washington. T’wina is also senator for the 28th Legislative District of Washington state.

Growing up, T’wina and her family faced many challenges, including homelessness, which led T’wina to move into foster care at the age of 15. T’wina was determined not to become a statistic, and applied her passion, energy, and hard work to graduate high school and go on to become an educator. She believes strongly in giving back to the community that helped her succeed.

Most recently, she was the president and CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, where she led programs to strengthen and support the local African American community in social equality and economic independence. Previously, T’wina worked as an instructor for Metropolitan Development Council’s College Bound program at Stadium High School and Lincoln High School in Tacoma, as well as served as a PTA leader and a school board member. She also co-founded Ladies First, an in-school and after-school program dedicated to empowering young women and building positive self-esteem. She attended the University of Puget Sound, where she earned her undergraduate degree and a Master of Arts in Teaching.

“Senator Nobles’ career in service and her dedication to our mission assured us that she is the leader we need for our organization,” said Michelle Merriweather, founding architect of the Fund. “We are excited to support her in advancing our vision and strategy.”

Nobles has over two decades experience as a community leader, teacher, and advocate in Washington. As president and CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, she launched the Black Empowerment Center to build African Americans’ economic security, orchestrated the State of Black Tacoma to rally the community around what’s needed to advance social equality, and raised more than $5 million to further the mission. Under Nobles’ leadership, the Tacoma Urban League received the Most Improved Affiliate Award by the National Urban League in 2019.

“Connecting our community for collective power, bringing truth to Black narratives, investing in generational prosperity, and shifting the paradigm of philanthropy is the inspiring work of the Black Future Co-op Fund,” said T’wina. “I’m honored to be appointed to this position, and I’m eager to lead.”