Rukaiyah Adams is the CIO at Meyer Memorial Trust, one of the largest charitable foundations in the Pacific Northwest. Throughout her tenure as CIO, Ms. Adams has delivered top quartile performance; and beginning in 2017, she was placed in the top 5% of foundation and endowment CIOs. Under the leadership of Ms. Adams, Meyer increased assets managed by diverse managers by more than 3x, to 40% of all assets under management, and women managers by 10x, to 25% of AUM, proving that hiring diverse managers is not a concessionary practice. Before joining Meyer, she ran the $6.5 billion capital markets fund at The Standard. Ms. Adams was the recent chair of the Oregon Investment Council, the board that manages approximately $100 billion of public pension for the State of Oregon. During her tenure as chair, the Oregon state pension fund has been the top-performing public pension fund in the United States. She serves on the boards of directors of the Albina Vision Trust, the Self Enhancement, Inc. Foundation, Oregon Health and Science University Foundation, and Oregon Public Broadcasting, where she also serves on the investment committee. She also serves on the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission. She has engaged in pro bono legal work on behalf of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, the Homeless Prenatal Program in San Francisco, and the Children’s Defense Fund. Her 2016 Ted talk — A Homegirl’s Guide to Being Powerful — about her path to becoming a more thoughtful investor and the role of investment capital in achieving social justice has more than 10,000 views. Ms. Adams holds a bachelor’s degree with academic distinction from Carleton College, a J.D. from Stanford Law School, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
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Asia Center
Extends the reach and impact of the Milken Institute to the Asia-Pacific region
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Center for Financial Markets
Conducts research and constructs programs designed to facilitate smooth and efficient operation of financial markets
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Center for the Future of Aging
Advances healthy longevity and financial security for all through high-impact policies, research, convenings, and multisector partnerships.
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Center for Public Health
Develops research, programs, and initiatives designed to envision and activate sustainable solutions leading to better health for individuals and communities worldwide.
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Center for Regional Economics and California Center
Analyzes the dynamics that drive job creation and promote industry expansion
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Center for Strategic Philanthropy
Empowers philanthropists to effectively address some of the world's most urgent problems
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FasterCures
Clears roadblocks that prevent medical breakthroughs from reaching patients sooner
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Financial Innovations Labs
Addressing society's greatest challenges through a financial lens
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Global Market Development
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Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream
Anyone with a dream should have the opportunity to make it come true—through determination and an economic system that works for all
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Research Department
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