Ashley Hodges

Ashley was appointed Chief Executive of Young Citizens in 2021. She has led a range of charities and initiatives within education including as the founding Executive Director and CEO of the UK social mobility charity Speakers for Schools (now Futures for All) in 2012. Her career to date has focused on innovative design of education initiatives that bring together cross-sector collaboration and influential leaders to increase equitability of opportunities, inclusion and support for young people from under-served backgrounds.

A 2008 Barack Obama Presidential Campaign staff member, she has alongside her education experience has long worked with communities and institutions to progress stronger civic participation to create an inclusive thriving democracy. She works with the Young Citizens’ team to see that more young people are being given the chance to develop critical skills as citizens before they leave school, whilst seeing that institutions and policy makers are coming to the table to be a part of the solution. She has spoken on the role of rethinking democratic dialogue, modernising education and increasing the impact of corporate social responsibility in the UK. 

Ashley serves as a non-executive director of Democracy Club and a trustee of the social mobility charity, EY Foundation. She previously served as a Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors at a Tottenham primary school and a trustee at community centres in North and East London.