Welcoming Dr. Cecilia Conrad to MCN’s Board of Advisors
Millennium Campus Network (MCN) is pleased to officially welcome Dr. Cecilia Conrad to our Board of Advisors. MCN trains and supports thousands of young civic leaders through its Millennium Fellowship on university campuses across the nation and globe.
Dr. Cecilia Conrad is the Chief Executive Officer of Lever for Change and a senior advisor at the MacArthur Foundation. Lever for Change connects donors with problem solvers to find and fund bold, effective solutions to accelerate social change.
Dr. Conrad brings a lifetime of civic engagement spanning higher education and philanthropy. She has helped to transform how philanthropy tackles global challenges, mobilizing over $2.5 billion (and counting) in grants and empowering hundreds of non-profit organizations to accelerate social change. She has also helped to shape the MacArthur Fellows program and championed equity through every role she’s been entrusted with, including in multiple roles at Pomona College and at Scripps College. Her groundbreaking economic research on race and gender earned her the National Economic Association’s Samuel V. Westerfield Award and the National Urban League’s Women of Power Award.
“Do not lose hope. Do what you need to do for yourself to stay optimistic. For me, it is a balanced diet, which includes chocolate, exercise, experiencing the beauty that's in the world, and remembering that action is the antidote.”
Dr Conrad has been an important role model and sounding board both for MCN’s team and for thousands of Millennium fellows around the world. In November 2024, MCN recognized Dr. Conrad with its Global Generation Award in front of thousands of Millennium Fellows tuning in worldwide, as a role model for young civic leaders. While speaking at the Millennium Fellowship Global Graduation, she shared three powerful insights we share here:
“Be prepared to Pivot. Long term plans tend to be overrated. You should have a plan, but expect it to change”
“Continue to associate with smart people who think differently from you. Spending time with people who think differently is not always easy, sometimes it can be quite uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the muscle required to listen to each other, and to disagree respectfully, can atrophy if you don’t develop and exercise it regularly.”
“When a door opens for you, you must keep it open for others behind you”.
You can watch her moving remarks in full below:
We are honored to welcome Dr. Conrad to our Board of Advisors. Her strategic vision will help us grow and help our Millennium Fellows thrive as we help launch the next generation of civic leaders.
Follow her on LinkedIn here.