Aviva Jacobs to join Leading Edge as Chief Impact Officer, Heralding New Opportunities for the Sector

Jacobs currently serves as a Director for US Jewish Grantmaking at Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, a role which has afforded her a broad and deep knowledge of the Jewish nonprofit landscape today. She is known in the Jewish nonprofit sector as a sharp mind, bridge-builder, and steadfast leader working for systemic change.

Before joining Schusterman and Jewish communal work, Jacobs first developed her expertise in large-scale interventions for social impact at Teach for America, where she served as Vice President of Recruitment and as Vice President of Teacher Training (in Chicago). She began her career as a TFA corps member, serving as an Elementary Special Education teacher in New Orleans.

“This hire is a tremendous milestone for Leading Edge and for the movement to take talent and culture seriously in the Jewish community,” says Gali Cooks, President & CEO of Leading Edge. “Aviva comes to us with a level of skills, experience, and fresh thinking that will transform our ability to make talent excellence the new normal in the Jewish community.”

“I’m excited to step into this new role and deeply grateful for my six-and-a-half years at Schusterman, where we saw just how powerfully investing in talent can transform the Jewish community,” says Jacobs. “Leading Edge is poised to accelerate that momentum — advancing a movement that strengthens every facet of Jewish communal life, from education and hunger relief to justice work, community building, and engagement with Israel.”

Leading Edge’s mission is to mobilize Jewish nonprofits to become places where great people deliver great impact. In 2025, Leading Edge acquired JPro, creating a central address for leadership and talent in the Jewish world. The organization will double down on its efforts to engage a critical mass of Jewish nonprofit organizations to take concrete actions for excellence in talent and culture. As Chief Impact Officer, Jacobs will lead the organization’s efforts to mobilize the field to invest in actionable strategies that elevate talent, leadership, and culture in service of the Jewish community and world.