Maura Pally
Blackstone Charitable Foundation
Washington, DC USA
"The person next to you doesn’t know how to do it either, but they’re going to try, so you might as well try."
Career Roadmap
Maura's work combines: Business, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Political Science and Women's Studies
Brown University
Doctorate
Law
USC Gould School of Law
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Executive Director:
Bachelor's Degree: Political Science and Women's Studies
Doctorate: Law
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I grew up in Los Angeles, California.
2.
I always knew I wanted to work in the public service field.
3.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in political science and women’s studies from Brown University and later went back to school for my law degree.
4.
I spent most of my career in public service through the government, including working for the White House, the U.S. Department of State, and the Clinton Foundation.
5.
Later in my career, I realized that there were so many opportunities to effect change outside of government, both in the nonprofit and corporate sectors.
6.
After spending almost 10 years working for the Clinton Foundation, I joined Blackstone Charitable Foundation as executive director.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I can't do this. Someone else would be a better fit than me.
How I responded:
While working for Hillary Clinton, she asked me to serve as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. I was only 33. It was a bureau of 450 people with a $650 million budget. I really doubted myself but I managed to build it up and took each day as it came. Two years in, I had grown the confidence to realize I can accomplish these things. There'll be times that you don't know how to do something but you have to try.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
After almost 10 years with the Clinton Foundation, I transitioned to Blackstone. Despite my experience, I still feel imposter syndrome. I feel like everyone else knows more than I do but I've come to embrace that as a good opportunity for learning.