Shamaya Gilo
New York, NY

In 1998, Shamaya created the Winds of Change Foundation which is dedicated to empowering women’s leadership through a combination of funding and knowledge-sharing. As a progressive foundation Winds of Change makes strategic philanthropic investments in organizations that support women’s leadership and access to leveraging economic resources.

Born in the United States, she was raised on a kibbutz in Israel. Before entering her military service there, she spent a year volunteering to serve underprivileged and immigrant families. During this time and in following years she worked as a political activist to promote peace and to help level the playing field for minorities.

Shamaya has traveled extensively in Asia and South America gaining insight into women's roles in society (most recently to Afghanistan). She has made her home in Israel, Alaska, Japan, California and recently moved to NY.

Shamaya has served on several national and regional organizational boards in the past. She currently serves on the Board of the Women’s Edge Coalition – an advocacy organization that reviews the impact of US foreign Trade and economic policies that effect women in developing countries, on the board of Count Me In – an innovative young organization providing micro-financing to women entrepreneurs and focused on changing the way we bank in this country. Shamaya is also a founding and current member of The Pluralism Fund – a philanthropic collaborative created in response to 9/11 – whose mission is to strengthen civil and pluralistic society in Pakistan and Iran; and on the Board of Eagle Hill School in MA with the goal of changing the national dialogue on Education in the US. She also serves on the advisory council for International Museum of Women in San Francisco .