Indigenous Wisdom for Funders and Fundraisers: A Conversation with Edgar Villanueva
Edgar Villanueva - Author of "Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance"
Heather McKissick (Moderator) - University Federal Credit Union
What if we could use wealth to heal rather than cause further harm? What if money was spent trying out concepts that shatter current structures and systems that have turned much of the world into one vast market? This is the core argument explored by author and nationally-recognized philanthropy expert Edgar Villanueva in his new book Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance (Berrett-Koehler Publishers). Using his own personal experiences as a Native American grantmaker and foundation executive—along with field data and dozens of funder interviews—Villanueva reveals the racial and colonialist dynamics at play in philanthropy and finance, including banks, investment funds, and aid organizations.
We invite you to a special Decolonizing Wealth book event featuring an in-depth conversation between Edgar Villanueva and Heather McKissick about the book and how institutions that control access to money can better serve the needs of Indigenous people and communities of color.
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Edgar Villanueva - Author of "Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance"
Edgar Villanueva is a globally-recognized author and expert on philanthropy. His newest book is Decolonizing Wealth, which offers compelling alternatives to the dynamics of colonization in the philanthropic and social finance sectors. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Native Americans in Philanthropy and is a Board Member of the Andrus Family Fund and NDN Collective. Edgar currently serves as Senior Vice President of Programs and Advocacy at the Schott Foundation for Public Education. There he oversees grant investment and capacity-building supports for education-focused justice campaigns across the United States.
Edgar holds two degrees from the Gillings Global School of Public Health at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and resides in Brooklyn, NY. Follow him on Twitter and IG at @VillanuevaEdgar.
Heather McKissick (Moderator) - University Federal Credit Union
Deeply involved in the community, Heather McKissick brings decades of experience and service to Central Texas.
She is a member of the board of Directors of the American Heart and Stroke Association of Central Texas and Communities In Schools, serves on the Young Women’s Alliance community advisory board; and is chair of the advisory council for the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce (and their 2013 “Changemaker of the Year”). She served as chair of the Heart Association’s 2017 “Go Red for Women” campaign; as honorary co-chair with Austin Mayor Steve Adler of the 2016 “Austin Under 40” awards; was the inaugural “Austin Under 40 Mentor of the Year” honoree; a “Women of Distinction” honoree in 2014 by the Girl Scouts of Central Texas, and a recipient of a 2010 Austin Business Journal “Profiles in Power” award. She also holds a credit union development education certification (CUDE) through the National Credit Union Foundation.
Heather is Senior Vice President of Community Impact for University Federal Credit Union (UFCU), which itself is one of the most committed community organizations in Austin and Central Texas. She leads credit union strategic relationship development, community engagement, social purpose, advocacy, and marketing. She also focuses on strengthening the UFCU brand and establishing collaborative opportunities for positive community impact. Prior to joining UFCU, Heather was already an experienced advocate and community leader after serving for seven years as an alumna volunteer and then five years as Chief Executive Officer of Leadership Austin.
Heather’s personal blog on community and career can be found at www.heathermckissick.com, or find her on Twitter: @HeatherMcK
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