Joanna Drew is an independent consultant specializing in grants management and AI capacity building, with over 15 years of experience in the social sector. She founded Hilo Consulting in 2020, securing over $4 million in funding for grassroots organizations. Beginning in 2023, Joanna pioneered work at the intersection of AI and social impact, bringing a practitioner's lens to responsible AI adoption in the philanthropic sector. Her work focuses on translating complex AI capabilities into actionable, values-embedded strategies that enable changemakers to scale their impact. In 2024 and 2025, she was featured on the Fundraising.AI podcast, co-authored an article for the Center for Effective Philanthropy on philanthropy's role in responsible AI adoption, and presented about AI at nonprofit and philanthropy conferences in Atlanta, Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul. Most recently, she launched an AI for Social Impact Newsletter to equip mission-driven leaders with the tools to build new pathways to impact.
Joanna holds a BSc in Business Administration from Boston University and an MA in International Development from the University of Kent - Brussels School of International Studies.
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