Carolyn Smallwood

Chief Executive Officer at Way to Grow Minneapolis

Carolyn Smallwood has served the last 12 years as the leader of Way to Grow, an early childhood education and elementary nonprofit organization that serves over 2,300 people each year. Prior to Way to Grow, she served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Twin Cities Rise! and as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Minority Supplier Development Council. Before entering the nonprofit field, Ms. Smallwood was the Director of Supplier Diversity with ADC, The Broadband Company, and held a variety of senior level positions with US Bancorp. During Ms. Smallwood’s corporate career, her influence helped earn ADC national recognition as the “MEED Corporation of the Year,” and “Supplier Advocate of the Year” as well as a designation as one of the “Top 25 Companies in Supplier Diversity.” In addition, Minnesota Monthly magazine awarded Ms. Smallwood, “Small Business Advocate of the Year.” In 2014, the Star Tribune named Carolyn one of the Twin Cities’ “Top African-Americans of Influence.” Ms. Smallwood currently co-chairs Mayor Betsy Hodges Cradle to K cabinet; designed to eliminate disparities for children from prenatal to three years old in the City of Minneapolis. She has sat on Governor Mark Dayton’s Early Learning Council for four years and serves on the Robins, Kaplan, Miller, and Ciresi Foundation board, the African American Leadership Forum board, MN Comeback board, and the MinneMinds Executive Committee. Her previous Board positions include the: MacPhail Center for Music, College of Saint Benedict, Jeremiah Program, Citizen’s League and Children’s Theatre. She has also served as a member of the Greater Twin Cities United Way’s Early Learning Committee as well as the Promise Neighborhood Solution Action Group. Ms. Smallwood has a passion for work in diverse communities, a solid background in marketing, strong executive experience, and an inclusive leadership style. She is strategic, thoughtful and recognizes the education of children as a top priority.