About me.

Maisha Williams is a dynamic finance and operations executive with over two decades of experience in financial strategy, budget planning, process improvement, and institutional transformation. She has held leadership roles in nonprofit and higher education sectors, leveraging her expertise to translate vision into action and drive meaningful change.

As Chief Operating Officer at Carnegie Science, Maisha led the organization’s financial, operational, and strategic initiatives. Partnering closely with the President, she balanced the immediate needs of scientists with long-term institutional growth, spearheading projects such as the Life Sciences expansion in Pasadena, CA. She also represented Carnegie as a founder representative of the Giant Magellan Telescope—set to become one of the world’s largest and most advanced observatories.

Maisha also served as Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer at Marymount Manhattan College, where she played a crucial role in steering the institution through the challenges of the global pandemic. Her leadership journey also includes key financial roles at George Washington University, Howard University, and PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she gained extensive experience in financial management, research funding, and institutional operations.

A Certified Public Accountant, Maisha holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Syracuse University and an MBA from George Washington University. A Washington, DC, native, she is passionate about exploring new cultures while fostering strong family connections.