From humble beginnings, Ashley Sharp worked her way up to become one of the foremost thought leaders in the Dallas nonprofit community.

​With over a decade of experience in public service, Ashley is a true servant leader whose greatest passion is fighting for the voiceless and underrepresented. Throughout her career, she has excelled at bringing communities together and organizing people in support of her deeply held values: equity, opportunity, and diversity. She brings compassion and dedication to her leadership roles, as well as her role as a wife and mother.

Born to a Haitian immigrant father, Ashley brings firsthand knowledge to her work helping the underserved. She knows the struggle of striving to reach your full potential while overcoming numerous obstacles along the way. Her diverse background, from her mother’s upbringing in Venezuela to her own childhood in Germany, has equipped her with a broad and unique perspective on life.

​Ashley has spent her career in public service. She first served as Corporate Development Coordinator with the Dallas Symphony before taking a position as Manager of Patron Relations at the Nasher Sculpture Center. More recently, she served as Chief Development Officer at Interfaith Family Services, where she successfully raised $1.8 million annually to alleviate poverty for children and families. In 2018, she began her current role as Executive Director of Dwell with Dignity, a nonprofit organization that designs and installs complete home interiors for families in need.

During her time at Dwell with Dignity, she has led the organization to new heights of success, attaining national recognition through the Decade of Dignity dining series and winning the Best Place to Donate award from D Magazine. She has also spearheaded the organization’s Diversity In Design initiative, which highlights talented designers of color in an effort to promote industry diversity. In 2020, Ashley seized the rare opportunity to participate in the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Social Innovation Accelerator’s Class of 2021.

In addition to her professional career, Ashley serves on the KERA Community Advisory Board, the Forbes Young Entrepreneur Council, and the Mayor’s Star Council as the Engage Dallas Chair. She teaches management and leadership at the University of Houston and often speaks at conferences on fundraising, nonprofit management, career development, and being a millennial in the workplace.

Ashley holds a Master of Public Administration in public affairs with a concentration in nonprofit management from the University of Texas at Dallas, where she also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration. She has completed programs in Executive Leadership at the University of Houston and at the Lyndon B. Johnson Women’s Campaign School at the University of Texas at Austin. Ashley lives in Grand Prairie, Texas with her husband, two children, and various animals.