T'wina Nobles
T'wina Nobles is the inaugural CEO and a founding architect of the Black Future Co-op Fund, Washington's first cooperative philanthropy created by and for Black people to ignite Black generational wealth, health, and well-being statewide.Â
She, along with three other Black women of African descent, launched the Fund in June 2020 to manifest a liberated future with shared prosperity for Black Washingtonians. Rooted in the strength, beauty, and soulfulness of Blackness, the Fund is shifting the philanthropic paradigm by promoting a truthful Black narrative, connecting Black communities for collective power, and investing in Black generational prosperity. In its first two years, the Fund has seeded $2.37 million to 60 Black-led organizations that are leading powerful work to forge new pathways to self-determination. T'wina and the co-architects are guided by their belief in communities and their desire to be good ancestors.
Growing up, T'wina and her family faced many challenges, including homelessness, which led T'wina to move into foster care at the age of 15. T'wina was determined not to become a statistic and applied her passion, energy, and hard work to graduate high school and go on to become an educator. She believes strongly in giving back to the community that helped her succeed, and she has worked to do that throughout her career.Â
As part of her commitment to community, T'wina serves as senator for the 28th Legislative District of Washington state. Sworn into office in 2021, she is the first Black state senator in more than a decade. In her first two years, she has championed issues important to her community, and has successfully passed legislation that improved public school support for kids in foster care, increased subsidies for single mothers struggling to make ends meet so they can purchase diapers for their young children, and expanded access to college bound scholarships, among other accomplishments. She's also advocated for many other important causes such as housing, transportation, health, environmental, and justice issues.Â
Previously, T'wina was the president and CEO of the Tacoma Urban League, where she led programs to strengthen and support the local African American community in social equality and economic independence. She also has worked as an instructor for Metropolitan Development Council's College Bound program at Stadium High School and Lincoln High School in Tacoma, as well as served as a PTA leader and a school board member. One of her proudest endeavors was co-founding Ladies First, an in-school and after-school program dedicated to empowering young women and building positive self-esteem, which she continues to be involved with today.