Fred Blackwell is the CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, one of the largest community foundations in the country. The San Francisco Foundation works hand-in-hand with donors, community leaders, and both public and private partners to create thriving communities throughout the Bay Area. Since joining the foundation in 2014, Blackwell has led it in a renewed commitment to social justice through an equity agenda focused on racial and economic inclusion.

Blackwell, an Oakland native, is a nationally recognized community leader with a longstanding career in the Bay Area. Prior to joining the foundation, he served as interim city administrator for the city of Oakland, where he previously served as the assistant city administrator. He was the executive director of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Development in San Francisco; he served as the director of the Making Connections Initiative for the Annie E. Casey Foundation in the Lower San Antonio neighborhood of Oakland; he was a Multicultural Fellow in Neighborhood and Community Development at The San Francisco Foundation; and he subsequently managed a multiyear comprehensive community initiative for the San Francisco Foundation in West Oakland.

Blackwell serves on the board of the Independent Sector, Northern California Grantmakers, the Bridgespan Group, the dean’s advisory council for UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design, and the community advisory council of the San Francisco Federal Reserve. He previously served on the boards of the California Redevelopment Association, Urban Habitat Program, LeaderSpring and Leadership Excellence. He is a visiting professor in the department of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley and the Co-Chair of CASA — The Committee to House the Bay Area. He holds a master’s degree in city planning from UC Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Morehouse College.

Jahmal Williams currently serves as the Director of Advocacy for Racial Justice at San Jose State University. In this position he is tasked with developing a strategic approach to the University's efforts to address systemic oppression and racial injustice at the institution. Jahmal also serves as one of the Co-Chairs of the Black Leadership Kitchen Cabinet of Silicon Valley. The BLKC has been working tirelessly on behalf of Black residents within the Valley for over 15 years, advocating and collaborating with local and county leadership to ensure that the Black community is being served equitably. Jahmal formerly worked as the Program Director of the Black Leadership and Opportunity Center (BLOC), and as one of the Assistant Directors at Peer Connections all within San Jose State University. He is a native of the metro Detroit area in Michigan and came to SJSU almost 4 years ago after spending over three years at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina working with their minority male retention initiative and as a licensed therapist in their counseling center.  He attended the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor where he earned a bachelor’s degree in women's studies in 2005 and Michigan State University where he earned a master’s degree in clinical social work in 2007. 

Even though working in higher education has been his calling, Jahmal knows his true passion is working towards true equity for Black lives in this country in all that he does. He hopes to inspire change through his actions, words, and empathy.

Jahmal is inspired by the love and support he gets from his family and friends. His wife, Regina is a constant source of motivation as she works to develop low-income and homeless housing for the South Bay Area. Jahmal and his wife have learned how to successfully take orders from their two daughters, Noelle, age 5 and Cori, age 1, who consistently keep them on their toes.