Joint Center Welcomes Two New Board Members

WASHINGTON — The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is pleased to announce two new board members — Brian Dixon, managing partner at Kapor Capital, and Ashley Lewis, deputy director of the Office of Communications and Engagement for the regulator Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

“For the Joint Center to thrive, we must grow. The additions of Brian and Ashley support the sustained progression of our board,” said Paul. N.D. Thornell, president of the Board of Governors. “Ashley and Brian are at the top of their respective fields, and it will be an honor to work with them. I know they will bring innovative ideas for how we can build on our critical work of producing groundbreaking research that leads to policy solutions to support the full freedom of Black Americans.”

Joint Center President Spencer Overton said, “The Joint Center board, staff, and I are grateful to have Ashley and Brian on our board. We will lean on Ashley, a communications expert and Capitol Hill alum, for first-hand insight across the D.C. policy and communications landscapes. Brian, who was named in Business Insider’s ’46 Most Important African Americans in Technology,’ has significant depth in key Joint Center issues that are essential to the future of Black communities — diversity, technology, and economic opportunity and wealth creation. We are fortunate to have both of these leaders at the Joint Center.”

About Brian Dixon: Brian is one of the first and youngest African American partners at a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. He is committed to making sure entrepreneurs of all backgrounds have access to advice and capital to make their businesses succeed. For the past 10 years, he has worked his way up from intern to partner at Kapor Capital. Brian is a Kauffman Fellow, Management Leadership for Tomorrow Fellow, and two-time tech startup founder. Brian has an MBA from F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Science from Northeastern University.

About Ashley Lewis: Ashley is the deputy director of the Office of Communications and Engagement for the regulator Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), where she leads the PCAOB’s communications and outreach efforts. Before joining the PCAOB in February 2023, Ashley was senior vice president at Edelman, the world’s largest public relations firm, where she led partnerships with global financial services companies to help them protect, promote, and evolve their reputation. Ashley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in mass media communication and public relations from Michigan State University.

Read their full bios here.

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The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America’s Black think tank, provides compelling and actionable policy solutions to eradicate persistent and evolving barriers to the full freedom of Black people in America. We are the trusted forum for leading experts and scholars to participate in major public policy debates and promote ideas that advance Black communities. We use evidence-based research, analysis, convenings, and strategic communications to support Black communities and a network of allies.