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Sarah Haacke Byrd: Leading The Way For Women Moving Millions
Welcome to Smart, Amazing Conversations with Dr. Nancy, a podcast that explores the stories of life and leadership from extraordinary women – and men – who are making a difference and creating a better world. Each episode features powerful conversations filled with personal stories, insights, and actionable advice to inspire you to lead, learn, and make a difference.
Show Notes:
Dr. Nancy welcomes Sarah Haacke Byrd, a visionary leader in philanthropy and CEO of Women Moving Millions, to discuss her mission of advancing gender equality through bold investments, collective leadership, and systems-level change. With over two decades of experience, Haacke Byrd has mobilized nearly $300 million to support women and girls globally, earning her recognition on the TIME100 Most Influential People in Philanthropy list. She shares her journey building a mission-driven life and creating coalitions of powerful women leaders to improve the lives of women and girls. Haacke Byrd’s leadership at Women Moving Millions highlights the transformative power of feminist philanthropy and the importance of investing in women-led initiatives to create a more just and equitable world.
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About Sarah Haacke Byrd:
In 2025, Sarah Haacke Byrd was named to the TIME100 Philanthropy list for her transformative leadership in advancing gender equity. A 2023 Inside Philanthropy 50 Most Powerful Women honoree, she has served as CEO of Women Moving Millions since 2018, mobilizing nearly $300 million to support women and girls globally. With over two decades of nonprofit experience, Haacke Byrd has led initiatives tackling issues like the U.S. rape kit backlog and strengthening democracy. She serves on the boards of GoFundMe.org and Future Forward Women and is a founding member of the Hive Gender Climate Justice Fund. A Civil Society Fellow with the Aspen Institute, Haacke Byrd’s work, celebrated by TIME and Inside Philanthropy, inspires bold investments in social change.
Timestamp:
[00:03:32] Journey to Leadership
Haacke Byrd shares her upbringing in a civic-minded family in Port Washington, Wisconsin, and how her early experiences with volunteering and teamwork as an athlete shaped her path to becoming a social impact leader.
[00:06 :45] Overcoming Challenges as a Young Girl
Reflecting on her journey of overcoming shyness, Haacke Byrd discusses finding her voice and the importance of empowering young girls to speak up and know their worth.
[00:11:04] What is Women Moving Millions?
Haacke Byrd explains the mission of Women Moving Millions, a global philanthropic community advancing gender equality through bold investments, collective leadership, and feminist values.
[00:13:50] The State of Gender Equality
Looking at the backslide in gender equality globally, Haacke Byrd and Dr. Nancy discuss the challenges women and girls face, and the urgent need for collective action to counter these setbacks.
[00:16:47] The $72 Trillion Opportunity
Haacke Byrd highlights the upcoming intergenerational wealth transfer and the potential it holds for women to reshape philanthropy, invest in women-led businesses, and drive systemic change.
[00:18:45] Supporting the Next Generation
Dr. Nancy expresses her hopes for the next generation to pick up the baton and continue the fight for women’s equality with the support of organizations like Women Connect4Good and Women Moving Millions.
[00:24:06] Women Moving Millions’ Bold Goals
Sharing the organization’s ambitious new billion-dollar resourcing campaign for women and girls, Haacke Byrd discusses plans to mobilize the funds by 2030 to combat the current backslide in gender equality and meet the urgency of the moment.
[00:31:39] The Power of Community in Philanthropy
Haacke Byrd emphasizes the importance of joining organizations like Women Moving Millions to find support, learn from others, and collectively tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.
[00:34:02] Hope for the Future
Discussing the extraordinary leadership of women globally, Haacke Byrd and Dr. Nancy talk about the importance of sharing stories of hope and progress to inspire change.