Samantha Wright

Samantha Wright leads strategic communications at Waverley Street Foundation, where she brings together bold storytelling and campaigns to shift systems, shape public narratives, and accelerate community-driven climate solutions.

She has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of media, policy, and culture—shaping how issues like environmental justice, democratic resilience, and gender equity move people and influence power. As Senior Vice President at Participant, she led campaigns for films including Dark Waters, American Factory, and Judas and the Black Messiah, aligning storytelling with advocacy to advance policy and public engagement. At Earth Alliance, she worked with creators and organizers to bring climate stories to wider and often overlooked audiences.

Her path into storytelling began in China with TEDxBeijing and deepened while leading Girl Rising’s expansion in India. Today, she lives in Berkeley, CA, raising two small humans who remind her that imagination isn’t just part of the job—it’s where the work begins.