Christy Uchida

A champion of good causes and role model to many, Christy Uchida is a conscientious leader with 20 years of philanthropic experience and a lifelong passion for arts and altruism.

As President of The Brinson Foundation, she heads a private family foundation that’s been funding education and scientific research for over two decades.  She leads a staff of four to support the family-run board and guides the organization’s focus and vision.

Christy’s collaborative nature and gift for connecting people have helped her to create a far-reaching network that facilitates The Brinson Foundation’s impactful efforts.  She also deploys her formidable network as a frequent mentor for young professionals new to the nonprofit sector.

Before joining The Brinson Foundation she served as a Community Investor in Global Corporate Citizenship for The Boeing Company.  She also led several arts nonprofits in Chicago culminating as Managing Director of the spectacle troupe Redmoon Theater where she directed the transformation of an empty warehouse to a full-service performance space.

Also a prolific volunteer, Christy serves on the board of the School for Field Studies (where she is an alumna), is on the advisory board of the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and recently completed a decade of board service at Links Hall, an independent performing arts incubator.  Christy is a volunteer host for the Midwest Access Coalition, a practical abortion fund.  She is on the Leadership Council of the Chicago Public Education Fund and on the investor councils of UChicago’s Consortium on School Research and The Partnership for College Completion.  She is also active in various member groups at Forefront, the National Center for Family Philanthropy and Chicago Women in Philanthropy.

Christy holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies and Biology from Tufts University.

Known as an efficiency geek and punctilious proofreader, Christy loves spending time with her two nieces and twin sister, rides a shared Divvy bike year-round, and is famous for her signature dish: novelty Jell-O.