Piper Fellow:
Jeri Royce

Royce spent 17 years in Washington, D.C., where she served at the American Symphony Orchestra League and Points of Light Foundation. After relocating to Phoenix, she continued her work in the nonprofit sector as a capacitybuilding consultant for the ATLAS program, was an instructor for Arizona State University’s Lodestar Nonprofit Management Institute, and served as a provider delivering a variety of services for large and small nonprofits in the Phoenix area.

As President & CEO of Esperanҫa since 2017, she is fulfilling her passion to serve under-resourced communities and advocate for health equity. As a breast-cancer survivor, she has a unique perspective on the importance of health education, access to healthcare, and the role the social determinants of health play in diverse communities. Royce is committed to purposefully leading Esperanҫa to make an even greater impact through its work in health education, community development, and medical intervention for high-risk populations in Arizona and abroad. She was recognized as the 2021 AZ Business Angels Nonprofit Executive of the Year by AZ Big Media and received the 2021 Most Admired Leaders Award by Phoenix Business Journal.

Through the Piper Fellowship, Royce will advance her knowledge and skills in leadership through completion of the final capstone course to receive an Executive Scholar Certificate through Northwestern Kellogg Center for Nonprofit Management, and in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by completing the Cornell Certificate Program in Diversity & Inclusion. Additionally, Royce will be visiting multiple sites of a national nonprofit operating with a similar model to Esperanҫa to explore the opportunities and implications of expanding into direct healthcare services and growing a base of generated revenue. She will also study Spanish for the entire year with Arizona Language Center to increase communication with program staff, participants, and community-based partners.