Natalie Orfalea

Biography

As the Co-Founder and Chair of the Orfalea Family Foundation and the Orfalea Fund (known collectively as the Orfalea Foundation), Natalie Orfalea has provided vision, inspiration, and strategy driving the foundation’s initiatives in early childhood education, food system reform, youth development, education, and disaster readiness. An executive coach, business person and philanthropist, Natalie is a catalyst for building partnerships for collaborative approaches to solving community problems. 



Following a successful career at Xerox Corporation, Natalie ran an independent product development firm, and raised two sons. In addition to her foundation work, she is currently a member of the University of California Santa Barbara's Council for Arts & Lectures, as well as a board member of Impact Partners which finances independent documentary films that address pressing social issues. Natalie is also a member of Women Moving Millions which supports the advancement of women and girls. Natalie formerly served on the boards of the Good Night Foundation, Montana Yellowstone Expeditions Foundation, Direct Relief, and All Kinds of Minds. In 2013, she was named an honorary alumna of University of California Santa Barbara in recognition of her advocacy work in education.

Seeking systemic change, the Orfalea Foundation designed its philanthropy throughout its fifteen-year history to achieve ambitious goals and sustainable results in a concentrated and deliberate timeframe before sunsetting at the end of 2015. With the launch of the Natalie Orfalea Foundation in 2016, Natalie will continue to pursue her interests in philanthropy which include education, leadership development, environment, community health, public enrichment, women and girls issues, social justice documentary films, and collective impact.