Patricia Wilson

Patricia Wilson is the former CEO of Make-A-Wish, Greater Bay Area, an organization renowned for granting over 400 wishes annually for children with life-threatening medical conditions in northern California. Beginning her leadership role in 1998 with a small team of four employees and a budget of $1.6 million, she expanded the chapter significantly. By 2016, she was overseeing 28 staff members, more than 600 volunteers, and a budget exceeding $10 million. Wilson gained widespread recognition for orchestrating the transformation of San Francisco into Gotham City to fulfill a young cancer patient's wish to be "Batkid" for a day—a story captured in the documentary "Batkid Begins" and an upcoming feature film by Julia Roberts. Her approach to leadership, focusing on integrity, communication, and empowering others, has earned her accolades such as the Producers Guild of America's Digital V.I.P. Visionary Award and a place among the San Francisco Times' "Most Influential Business Women."

The "Batkid" event, under Wilson's guidance, became a global phenomenon, turning San Francisco into Gotham City to celebrate five-year-old leukemia survivor Miles. The day included heroic acts fit for a superhero, rallying the community and attracting worldwide attention. For her innovative use of social media and public relations during this event, Wilson's chapter received the Shorty Industry Awards for "Best Social Good Campaign" and "Best Twitter Campaign." The remarkable social media impact included a 96% positivity rate in tweets and discussions in 117 countries, highlighting Wilson's adept use of digital platforms to amplify social good initiatives.

Beyond her notable achievements at Make-A-Wish, Wilson is a respected TED speaker, sharing her insights on philanthropy, leadership, and crisis communication. She continues to influence through her consultancy roles for startups in the Bay Area and Vancouver and serves on the boards of Illuminate and Friends of the Urban Forest. Her career, marked by a philosophy of giving credit and fostering community engagement, positions her as an inspiring figure in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Her talks emphasize the importance of motivating teams and securing sponsorships, vital for sustaining impactful community-oriented projects.