Executive Director of the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS)
Priya Shanker is the Executive Director of the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS). In her role, she sets the strategy and vision to fulfill Stanford PACS’ mission to create a shared space for scholars, students, and practitioners to inform policy and social innovation, philanthropic investment, and nonprofit practice.
Shanker has devoted much of her career to strengthening the policy and operational infrastructure for philanthropy and social innovation around the world through programs and partnerships that leverage diverse resources to enable long-term impact. Prior to joining Stanford PACS, she spent over a decade working with a diverse array of for-profit and social impact organizations in the US, India, Ghana and China.
Shanker is a leading voice on issues related to the state of philanthropy and civil society and has spoken on these topics at major conferences and convenings for leaders in philanthropy, civil society, business, and government. She earned her MBA in Finance and Economics from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.