The Sadie Collective

The Sadie Collective aims to bring together Black women at different stages of their academic and professional careers in economics, finance, data science, and policy to share resources, network, and advocate for broader visibility.

Founded by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman and Fanta Traore, The Sadie Collective was created after their shared personal experiences of being "the only one" in predominantly white economic institutions. Today, The Sadie Collective is the first and only American non-profit organization that addresses the pipeline and pathway challenge for Black women in economics, finance, data science, and policy across the world.

The Sadie Collective is named after Dr. Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, who in 1921 became the first African American to earn a doctoral degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Equipped with a PhD, she entered the job market, where she faced pervasive racism and sexism within the economics profession. Instead of giving up, Dr. Alexander pursued a successful career in law, holding positions such as Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia and President of John F. Kennedy's Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. With a special interest in labor economics, she was a civil rights activist involved in the National Urban League and the NAACP who advocated for economic justice and workers' rights, championing collective bargaining to improve conditions for marginalized workers.

Today, The Sadie Collective works to center Black women in the economy—shifting inequitable power structures that create barriers to access and creating safe spaces so that everyone can fully participate in these fields.

VISION

The Sadie Collective envisions a future where people from underrepresented backgrounds, especially Black women, are leaders in economics, finance, policy, and data science. We hope to dismantle barriers, forge pathways to success, and foster inclusive excellence.

MISSION

The Sadie Collective is on a mission to close the diversity gap in economics, finance, policy, and data science with a special commitment to Black women. We are committed to creating pathways to success for people from underrepresented backgrounds by promoting both personal and community empowerment.

VALUES

Access: Fostering an environment that values individuals from different backgrounds and ensures equitable opportunities for participation and advancement.

Empowerment: Dedicated to promoting self-confidence, agency, and capacity among Black women and girls so they can pursue opportunities and achieve their goals.

Collaboration: Emphasizing a commitment to working together, building networks, sharing resources, and leveraging collective expertise to open more pathways into economics, finance, policy, and data science

Community: Nurturing a collective mentality founded on shared aspirations, trust, and an unwavering commitment to collective improvement.

Scholarship: Promoting technical knowledge-creation and progress in the economics, finance, and data science fields.

MOTIVATION

The Sadie Collective believes closing the diversity gap in our target fields leads to greater impact on a large scale. We strive to uplift Black women and create transformative mentorship and professional opportunities, because we believe in the Black Women Best framework—the idea that if Black women can thrive in the economy, then the economy must be working for everyone.