Phaedra Leslie

Phaedra M. Leslie is a nationally recognized workforce development, diversity, and community engagement executive with more than 20 years of experience designing strategies that connect people, businesses, and communities to opportunity.

Throughout her career, she has led initiatives that expand access to jobs, strengthen talent pipelines, drive supplier diversity, and create measurable economic impact. Her work spans corporate, nonprofit, government, and community sectors, where she is known for transforming ambitious goals into sustainable outcomes.

Phaedra specializes in building partnerships that align workforce development, economic mobility, and business growth. She has collaborated with employers, educational institutions, public agencies, labor organizations, and community stakeholders to create pathways into high-demand careers while helping organizations achieve their talent and growth objectives.

A trusted advisor and connector, Phaedra has successfully led initiatives involving inclusive hiring, workforce transformation, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, community investment strategies, and large-scale stakeholder engagement. She is recognized for bringing diverse groups together around shared goals and delivering results that benefit both organizations and the communities they serve.

Beyond her professional work, Phaedra is deeply engaged in civic and philanthropic leadership. She serves on nonprofit boards and advisory groups focused on economic development, workforce advancement, and neighborhood revitalization. As a founding member of the South Side Giving Circle at the Chicago Foundation for Women, she has helped advance community-based investments that support long-term economic opportunity and leadership development for women and families.

Phaedra holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Mass Media Communication from Denison University and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix.

Based in Chicago, she continues to champion innovative partnerships, workforce solutions, and community-centered strategies that expand access to opportunity and strengthen local economies.