Trabian Shorters
Leading change for the citizen sector

Trabian is a visionary with expertise in innovative solutions for the citizen sector. He brings a wealth of experience as a social entrepreneur to his work as co-director of Ashoka’s US program.

Trabian has been a cutting-edge leader and capacity-builder for over 15 years. He was an inaugural YES Ambassador for the Points of Light Foundation in 1991, co-authored the AmeriCorps National Service Program proposal in 1992, raised funds and managed regional directors of Public Allies in 1993, and joined the National Urban Coalition as Director of its Leadership Development Institute in 1994. Over the next five years, Trabian earned a reputation as a "leader maker" for his work developing the Cultural Change Model (CCM), directing the Executive Leadership Program, establishing the Independent Sector’s Emerging Leaders Program, founding The Common Sense Group, and co-founding the National African American Males Collaboration.

In 1999, he led AOL Time Warner, Microsoft, the Meyer Foundation and Fannie Mae Foundation in a partnership to create Technology Works for Good (TWFG), a CSO that spawned collaboration among local nonprofit leaders, major technology providers, and nonprofit capital sources to bring technology to other CSOs, saving them millions of dollars and helping them serve people more efficiently. His work grew out of his conviction that "anyone who masters digital technology will enjoy greater latitude in our democracy and a greater longitude in our economy." By 2002, TWFG was Washington, DC's leading nonprofit provider of technology solutions & training to nonprofits of all sizes.

Additionally, Trabian’s experience as a conflict mediator and diversity trainer makes him an exceptional meeting facilitator.

Speaking Topics:

• “The distinct advantages of social investing over philanthropy.”
• “A beginner’s guide to social entrepreneurship.”
• “2012 when the dot-orgs will speed up social change.”
• “The African-American Freedom Movement and modern white progressives.”