Rosie M. Connor is vice president of external affairs at America’s Promise Alliance (APA), a community for the CEOs and executive teams of 170 of the most effective youth-serving nonprofit organizations in the country. Through its programming, APA supports leaders to strengthen their organizations, navigate evolving dynamics in the field, and collaborate on collective action initiatives that address challenges too complex for any one organization to solve alone. In her role, Rosie leads strategy across fundraising, communications, and strategic partnerships, advancing the Alliance’s work to improve outcomes and expand opportunity for young people nationwide.

Prior to joining APA, Rosie spent over a decade working primarily in the K–12 education space. She most recently served as vice president of foundation partnerships and development content at Teach For America, where she partnered with national funders and internal teams to support organizational growth and impact. Earlier in her career, Rosie worked in youth development at the Boys & Girls Club and later managed a grant focused on providing coordinated, wraparound supports for young people.

Across nearly two decades, Rosie has dedicated her career to helping organizations and institutions work together across systems to better serve young people. Her work centers on aligning strategy, resources, and partnerships to drive meaningful, scalable change.

Rosie’s perspective has been directly shaped by her experience as a first-generation college graduate and the daughter of immigrants, learning to navigate complex systems. Through these experiences, she witnessed firsthand the impact of systemic barriers on low-income families, which reinforced her commitment to working with organizations to dismantle inequitable systems and expand opportunities for all young people.

Rosie was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, earned her bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University, and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.