About
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Darius Graham is a lawyer and leader in the areas of philanthropy, social impact, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Across roles and sectors, Darius innovates within institutions, builds community connections rooted in trust and reciprocity, and leads organizations to growth and sustainability.
As a director at one of the largest private charitable foundations in the U.S., Darius guides the distribution of over $30 million in grants annually to nonprofits working across the areas of housing, health, jobs, and education in Baltimore and beyond. Previously at Johns Hopkins University, Darius served as the founding director of two university-wide innovation and entrepreneurship programs (Social Innovation Lab and the FastForward U student innovation hub) where he helped students, faculty, and community members transform new technologies and novel ideas into viable ventures.
Darius is a Civil Society Fellow with The Aspen Institute and ADL and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. He serves as a trustee, chair of the public engagement committee, and co-chair of the search committee at the Baltimore Museum of Art. He also serves on the steering committee for the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund (the mayor’s guaranteed income pilot program) and on the Baltimore advisory board for My Brother’s Keeper, a collective of public and private sector leaders committed to improving outcomes for boys and young men of color.
Darius is an adjunct professor at Goucher College where he teaches graduate courses on social entrepreneurship and public sector innovation. He’s been a speaker at SXSW, SOCAP, and Startup Champions; published in The Baltimore Sun, Inside Philanthropy, and more; and received honors from Ebony, Baltimore Business Journal, and more. Darius' work and insights are highlighted in two books, Becoming a Changemaker: An Actionable, Inclusive Guide to Leading Positive Change at Any Level and In the Business of Change: How Social Entrepreneurs Are Disrupting Business as Usual. He is the author of Being the Difference: True Stories of Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things to Change the World.
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