285 EMPIRE BLVD 

Dax-Devlon Ross, J.D.  BROOKLYN, NY 11225 

202.905.3442 
Nonprofit executive, equity consultant and journalist serving people on the margins.  daxdevlonross@gmail.com  
Building bridges between institutions, individuals and communities to solve intractable 
problems. Lifting up the injustices and indignities suffered by people who don’t have a 
platform to share their experiences and perspectives. Holding up mirrors for people 
who’ve often been overlooked to help them pursue greatness. Generating resources to 
help under-resourced communities access capital.  

NONPROFIT EXPERIENCE 
After-School All-Stars, ​New York City, Regional Executive Director 
JUNE 2016 - PRESENT  SKILLS 
● Oversee a $8MM annual budget  Leadership development, 
● Direct and manage fundraising strategy for northeast region  fundraising, social enterprise, 
● Lead and manage regional development and program team and strategy 
● Supervise and coach all chapter executive directors in northeast markets  startup, public speaking, 
● Oversee regional corporate, foundation and university partnership  storytelling, writing, facilitating 
strategy  and training, budget/grant 
● Cultivate and steward new board and donor prospects 
● Launched organization-wide Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative  management, financial reporting, 
● Launched consulting business unit    performance management, board 
development and management, 
After-School All-Stars, ​New York City, Executive Director  change management, adaptive 
leadership, experience design, 
MAY 2014 - JUNE 2016 
cultural competency   
● Launched the New Jersey chapter of After-School All-Stars 
● Re-launched the New York chapter of After-School All-Stars 
● Increased chapter budget from $200,000 to $2.7MM 
● Managed board of advisors 
● Managed state, city grants and corporate partnerships  RECOGNITION + AFFILIATIONS 
● Directed 60+ person program, operations and development staff 
● Cultivated and stewarded new board and donor prospects 
Reporting Fellow, ​The 
● Interfaced with ASAS-National Network 
Investigative Fund at The Nation 
Institute, 2018-2019 
Bank Street College of Education, N
​ ew York City, Manager of 
Instruction and Design  
NOVEMBER 2012 - MAY 2014  Member, NationSwell Council 

● Designed and developed face-to-face and online learning resources for 

AmeriCorps VISTA members and their supervisors  Graduate, Interim Executive 
● Facilitated pre-service orientation for AmeriCorps VISTA members  Director Certificate Program, 
● Provided subject matter expertise for the Corporation for National and 
Support Center, 2018 
Community Service  
● Managed online learning community comprised of three-dozen seasoned 
trainers in five regions across the country 
Member, Global Social Enterprise 
● Administered and analyzed quantitative and qualitative evaluations that 
ensure programmatic consistency and quality  Initiative, ​Georgetown University 
McDonough School of Business, 
2018 
The Posse Foundation, N
​ ew York City, National Training Specialist  
AUGUST 2008 - FEBRUARY 2012 
2015 Salute to Excellence Award 
● Designed and delivered local and national training for more than 100 
program staff  for Investigative Reporting, 
● Co-managed replication of new Posse sites in Atlanta, Miami and New  National Association of Black 
Orleans  Journalists 
● Designed, managed and evaluated a national literacy program for more 
than 450 students annually • Oversaw Posse's recruitment, selection and 
training of staff and students  Leadership New York ,​ Coro, Class 
● Managed Posse's campus, career, pre-collegiate and off-campus 
of 2015 
curriculum 
● Planned, coordinated and executed special student-centered retreats 
● Maintained and cultivated expertise among staff in youth leadership and 
college retention 
 
 ● Provided leadership and management coaching for program staff in eight 
cities 
 
DIVERSITY, EQUITY + INCLUSION EXPERIENCE  
Dax-Dev, Inc., ​New York City, Equity + Leadership Consultant  
MARCH 2006 - PRESENT 
● Provide grant making advice to foundations  
● Manage grantee relationships for family foundations 
● Design interactive social justice experiences (retreats, installation projects) 
● Develop custom-made stakeholder engagement initiatives 
● Facilitate consciousness raising conversations around social issues for 
diverse groups of leaders 
● Lead trainings on effective communication, adaptive leadership 
principles, organizational justice and navigating change 
Present and past clients include: ​The Posse Foundation, Bard College, Columbia 
University, Fordham University, New York University, CUNY, New York City Department 
of Education, Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Washington D.C. iMentor, 
Friendship Charter School Network, YouthBuild USA, KIPP, Andrus Family Fund and the 
New World Foundation, Kean University, Chicago Scholars and Fund II Foundation  

Legislative Lobbyist, ​New York City, ‘Unlimited Justice’ Campaign to 

End Corporal Punishment in Schools  
DECEMBER 2010 - MAY 2011 
● Liaised with fashion industry leader, Ecko Unlimited, brand management 
conglomerate, Iconix, and public relations firm, Sunshine Sachs, to 
successfully generate national media coverage of the issue 
● Led UJ’s anti-CP campaign in Texas 
● Successfully coordinated lobbying efforts that led New Mexico to pass 
anti-paddling legislation protecting 300,000 students from corporal 
punishment 
● Interfaced with key legislators, policy makers, thought leaders, attorneys, 
activists and corporal punishment victims to create consensus and 
develop a multifaceted strategy for systemic change 
 
JOURNALISM + PUBLISHING EXPERIENCE  
The Nation Institute, ​Investigative Reporting Fellow  
Investigative journalist covering a social policy issues such as racial and spatial 
equity, voting rights, criminal justice and education policy 

Author 
Beat of A Different Drum​: The Untold Stories of African-Americans Forging Their 
Own Paths in Work and Life, Hyperion Books, 2006 
The Best of Intentions​, Novel, 2007 
A Staircase of Words​, Essays, 2007 
The Underdog’s Manifesto​, Memoir (ghostwriter), 2007 
The Nightmare and the Dream​: Nas, Jay-Z and the History of Conflict in 
African-American Culture, 2008  

Make Me Believe​: A Crime Novel Based on Real Events, 2011  

 
EDUCATION 
​ ashington D.C., 
The George Washington University Law School,​ W
Juris Doctorate, 1998-2001 

​ ew Jersey, B.A. Philosophy/English, 1993-1997 

Rutgers University, N