Leigh-Ann Buchanan

Leigh-Ann A. Buchanan, Esq., is a writer, facilitator and strategic advisor. Her body of work leverages over 15 years of experience as an attorney, DEI and social impact practitioner to explore how equity intersects with tech, innovation and social investment to transform organizations and communities.

Notably, Leigh-Ann has launched and raised over $5.5 million to fund a diverse portfolio of social impact initiatives, including Nyah Project, Tech Equity Miami, Opportunity Connect and Venture Cafe Miami. She has also helped syndicate over $55 million in philanthropic capital for digital equity initiatives. Her insights and ideas have been featured in the New York Times, Inc. Magazine, NPR, PBS, Bloomberg, the American Psychological Association, ABA Journal among others.

She works closely with public, private and philanthropic organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies, family offices to private foundations to improve internal culture and social investment outcomes by helping their leaders build their capacity to accelerate equity.

Leigh-Ann is also the founder of Nyah Project, which unlocks opportunities for underrepresented students through leadership development, fellowships abroad and college access coaching. Under her leadership, 100% of Nyah Fellows attend college and over 90% win scholarships — accumulating over $20 million in scholarships since 2014.

She is passionate about elevating the stories and solutions that bridge systemic gaps in access, opportunity and equity through content production projects, including the award-winning Innovation City podcast and the Hustle To Scale documentary, which was licensed by PBS for distribution.

Leigh-Ann previously served as Chair of the American Bar Association Coalition on Racial & Ethnic Justice. She holds executive certificates from Harvard Business School, INSEAD and Columbia Business School as well as a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.

She was raised in Vancouver, Canada and has traveled to more than 50 countries to date.