Justine Lucas

Justine Lucas is an advocate, organizational and systems change strategist, and a proven leader in the philanthropic and policy sectors. She is the Founder of Q15 Impact, a social impact advisory and strategy practice and is currently a term member on the Council on Foreign Relations - a think tank unmatched in accomplishment and diversity in the field of international affairs.

For the previous 7 years, she was the Executive Director of Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) which focuses on climate resilience and climate justice, both in the Caribbean and United States. In 2021, Fast Company named CLF as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies and in 2022, recognized its Climate Resilience Initiative in their World Changing Ideas climate category. In 2020 alone, CLF leveraged $47M in giving to support COVID-relief and racial justice efforts. Additionally, through a partnership with #StartSmall, Jack Dorsey's philanthropic initiative, CLF committed $15 million commitment to 18 organizations that touch all 50 states and seven Caribbean countries on the frontlines of climate justice. At the center of this work was Lucas's staunch view that the climate crisis does not impact all communities equally – and too often the communities that are hardest hit by natural disasters are the ones with the least support.

Prior to joining the Clara Lionel Foundation, Lucas was the Global Director of Programs for Global Citizen where she oversaw the Global Citizen Festival, events, programs and strategic partnerships and was a Producer of the 2012 - 2015 Global Citizen Festivals in Central Park and the 2015 Global Citizen Earth Day event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Before taking on event production and talent acquisition for the organization, she led policy and advocacy campaigns in the U.S., mobilizing and motivating government officials, students and constituents in key congressional districts to take meaningful action around issues of extreme poverty.

Lucas is an expert in campaign mobilization, strategic partnerships, and developing and leveraging creative campaigns around complex policy issues. Additionally, she has consulted for both international and domestic nonprofits and worked extensively on grassroots program development around human rights and access to justice issues. Before living and working on human rights issues in Cameroon, she began her career at Safe Horizon, the largest social service nonprofit of its kind in the U.S., providing advocacy and support for survivors of all forms of violence.

Lucas has a B.A. in History and Anthropology and an M.A. in Global Affairs and Nonprofit Management, both from New York University. Additionally, in 2022 she graduated from the General Management Program at Harvard Business School. She serves on the Board of Directors of One for Democracy & Ekō, as a Strategic Advisor of 100Kin10 and on the Advisory Board of Future BARBADOS. Lucas resides in New York City, is an avid traveler, runner, writer and connector of people.