Leslie Wright

Leslie leads the external engagement team within community impact. Under Leslie’s leadership, this team works to steward and facilitate communities of practice, learning opportunities among stakeholder groups, the Council of Agency Executives, and United Way’s Culturally Powered Communities program.

Prior to joining United Way in 2015, Leslie was senior vice president of sales and service at Meet Minneapolis. She also has extensive leadership experience in the hospitality industry, spending more than 20 years at Marriott International. Leslie has lived in seven different cities as an adult, and has a deep understanding of diverse interests, ideas and perspectives in the workplace. She is a proud graduate of Howard University where she received her bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Leslie is a member of the City of Lakes chapter of Jack and Jill of America, where she held both president and vice president positions. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and the Howard University alumni group. She and her husband Darrell are residents of Eden Prairie and the proud parents of a DeLaSalle High School graduate, Julian, who will be attending Marquette University. They are both sports enthusiasts and spend time with their son at various events and activities.

Inspiration: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” — Maya Angelou

What working in this community means to me: “It’s awesome to be able to bring my authentic self to work daily, help people in the community, and be part of a team that is passionate about addressing issues so that everyone can prosper. This coupled with being able to be more involved in the community and working side-by-side with those organizations that make meaningful work happen is a privilege.”