Virginia Tenpenny

Senior Advisor

Virginia Tenpenny is a nationally recognized leader in social impact with more than two decades of experience in corporate philanthropy, community impact, ethical sourcing, workforce development, and stakeholder engagement. She currently serves as Chief Social Impact Officer at NationSwell, where she leads a national community of senior corporate, philanthropic, and nonprofit leaders working to accelerate innovative solutions to social, economic, and environmental challenges. In this role, she guides cross-sector leaders toward collaborative strategies that advance social impact, workforce innovation, and community-based change.

Virginia’s Story

Previously, Tenpenny spent 16 years at Starbucks in executive roles across public affairs, ethical sourcing, and global social impact. As the company’s first Chief Global Social Impact Officer, she partnered with senior leadership to architect and operationalize the enterprise-wide impact strategy; oversaw global philanthropy and major humanitarian responses; launched the Social Impact Innovation Hub; and scaled signature initiatives supporting veterans and military families, Opportunity Youth, refugees, and communities facing systemic barriers. She began her career at Nordstrom, leading global social responsibility programs, and today serves on the Board of Directors of USA for UNHCR and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

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