When Kayce Ataiyero joined The Joyce Foundation six years ago as a deputy, she realized immediately that the foundation was not taking full advantage of the opportunity to elevate its profile and amplify the impact of its work through communications.
“I began to make the case for increased attention to and investment in strategic communications to advance the work,” said Ataiyero. As a result of those initial efforts, she was promoted to communications director in six months and now serves as the chief external affairs officer.
The Joyce Foundation, founded in 1948, is a private, nonpartisan philanthropy focused on evidence-based public policy solutions in areas including culture, democracy, education, environment, gun violence prevention, justice reform and journalism.
Under Ataiyero’s leadership, the team expanded, and she crafted a communications strategy that positioned Joyce as a thought leader in public policy. One of her signature achievements was establishing the foundation as a founding partner of Crain’s Forum, a groundbreaking public policy reporting initiative.
Her trailblazing efforts continued as she created and led cornerstone initiatives now housed under the external affairs department. These included orchestrating the foundation’s 75th anniversary campaign and developing a $5 million program to rebuild the public policy media ecosystem in the Great Lakes region. Her leadership earned national recognition, including her appointment as board chair of media impact funders and a role on the steering committee of the Press Forward Chicago initiative.
Ataiyero also led the company’s response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest; this $5 million fund has supported nearly 100 BIPOC-led organizations.
Her leadership and expertise extend far beyond the foundation. A former award-winning journalist with publications like The Washington Post and Chicago Tribune, she has also held senior roles in political communications and policy. She is a Leadership Greater Chicago Daniel Burnham fellow and has been recognized among the top 50 women leaders of Illinois and Crain’s notable Black executives.
With a passion for continuous learning and collaboration, Ataiyero said she draws inspiration from her colleagues, funding partners and the broader philanthropic community.
“In recent years, there have been some big shifts in leadership locally and nationally in philanthropy that have ushered in dynamic new thinkers and doers who are informing and influencing philanthropy in transformative ways, and they inspire me,” she said. “I am excited about the potential evolution of philanthropy to be more reflective of and responsive to the communities we serve, and this motivates me to look for ways that I can do my part to advance the field positively and constructively.”