Wendy Via is an expert in achieving social justice change and influencing narratives and actions around some of the most pressing civil and human rights issues of our time, including the effects of extremism on our society, systemic racism, economic inequality, immigration, criminal justice reform, and LGBTQ rights. For the last two decades, she has successfully directed impact philanthropy initiatives, exposed hate and extremism in institutional systems, designed influential policy and advocacy campaigns, leveraged research, and highlighted storytelling to educate the public and create lasting change.

Prior to co-founding GPAHE, Wendy was the Chief Communications and Development Officer at the Southern Poverty Law Center, where she led numerous teams. She also helped launch Justice for Migrant Women, dedicated to ensuring that migrant women can live and work with dignity and free from violence, and worked with Jeremiah Program, dedicated to disrupting generational poverty for single moms and their children. She holds a BA in Humanities from Auburn University, Montgomery.