I am a Black, bi-racial woman who is the granddaughter of farmers on both sides of my family– each brought to the land by vastly different histories. My experiences around trust cannot be separated from my cultural upbringing and I learned early on that trust is complicated and varies by context.

Over the course of my career, I kept coming back to trust as necessary for social change. From the classroom to the boardroom, everything we do comes down to relationships. Through my doctoral work, I began to explore the intersection of trust and racial equity and developed a deep curiosity about the phenomenon of trust and the ways in which it is influenced by race and power. Yet we have much more work to do to capture the nuances of trust and repair in our multi-faceted society.

After a decade of research and facilitation on the topic of trust and racial equity, I started the Center for Trust and Transformation to fill this gap. Trust is undoubtedly one of the most powerful tools for positive change however, we require a new understanding of trust that creates space for the ways in which trust is culturally and contextually constructed. With a focus on trust, we can unpack and begin to heal from the pervasive injustices that are enacted through our relationships and institutions.

We are all products of the relationships that shape us and I am honored to be part of a collective that is evolving our ideas and behaviors around trust to enable greater joy, justice, and liberation. 

Formal Bio

Dr. Amber Banks is the Founder & CEO of the Center for Trust and Transformation, and is also the inaugural Vice President, Programs at Decolonizing Wealth Project. She is honored to lead DWP’s programs and support the direction of Liberated Capital’s funds. 

Dr. Banks started her career as a Special Education teacher and is a seasoned social sector leader with over two decades of experience as an educator, researcher, coach, facilitator, advisor, grant maker, entrepreneur, and organizer. Across all her work, Dr. Banks’ centers trust as a foundational building block for racial justice and social change and elevates how race and power shape our relationships, and how healing and social transformation go hand in hand. 

Dr. Banks completed her undergraduate degree in Journalism at Boston University and Ph.D. in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Policy from the University of Washington with a focus on cross-cultural trust, racial justice, and social network analysis. Dr. Banks is certified as a Healing Centered Coach and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP). She also is a Pahara Institute Fellow and a Mosaic Changemakers Fellow. Dr. Banks loves to dream of what’s possible when we work together from a place of trust and healing. [LinkedIn]