Ashley Hodges

Ashley was appointed Chief Executive of Young Citizens in 2021. She has led a range of charities and initiatives within education and social mobility charities including as the founding Executive Director and CEO of the UK social mobility charity Speakers for Schools 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 and disadvantaged backgrounds.

A former Barack Obama Campaign staffer and community organiser, she has alongside her education experience had a long-held interest in how we progress civic participation to create a modern, thriving democracy. She works with the YC team to ensure young people are given the  skills, experiences and real-world rooting of citizenship, 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 democratic dialogue, community organising and increasing the impact of corporate social responsibility.

Ashley is currently a non-executive director of the electoral tech social enterprise, 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 Wellbourne Primary School and a trustee at community centres in North and East London.