Joi Gordon

Joi Gordon joined the executive board of Dress for Success® in 1999 and became CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide in 2002.

Driven by her passion for helping those facing socio-economic hardship, Joi left her law career 20 years ago to establish Dress for Success as a global leader in empowering women in their economic and social development, and to expand the organization's reach so that women across the world could have access to the resources and tools they need to succeed in the workplace.

Under her leadership, Dress for Success Worldwide has expanded from a singular brick and mortar location in Manhattan to a global entity with a presence in more than 150 cities in 30 countries, serving more than one million women to date by giving them the tools they need to achieve lifelong economic independence and upward mobility in the workplace. Not only has she expanded the organization geographically, but programmatically as well, providing Dress for Success clients with a variety of programming to help them excel at every phase of their personal or professional journeys.

Joi has received recognition from the following institutions: the University of Oklahoma, which presented her with its second highest honor, the Regents’ Alumni Award; Working Mother Media, with its Legacy Award; Business Law in Leadership Award from Lawyer’s Alliance; the Herbert Woods Community Service Award from the Sylvia and Herbert Woods Scholarship Fund; the distinguished alumni award from the University of Oklahoma, Gaylord College of Journalism; the Vice Chancellor’s Award from The American Foundation for the University of the West Indies; and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

She has been profiled in Crain’s New York Business, Financial Times, Epoch Times and Black Enterprise. She also was named among Working Mother Magazine's “Most Powerful Moms in Non-profit” list and named one of the “25 Most Influential Black Women in Business” by Network Journal Magazine.

Joi received her B.A. in radio and television broadcasting from the University of Oklahoma and her juris doctorate from its College of Law. She lives with her husband Errol in Queens. Her greatest joys are her daughter and son, Sydney and Nicholas.