Sloane Davidson

Activist, Change agent, Connector, Entrepreneur, Global soul, Idea generator, Parent, Philanthropist, Social entrepreneur, World traveler

Sloane Davidson is the Founder and CEO of Hello Neighbor. Hello Neighbor works to improve the lives of refugees and immigrants though mentorship, resettlement, and community-based programming. Their goal is to help refugees and immigrants feel more comfortable and confident in their new lives. What started as Sloane inviting a Syrian family in her neighborhood to Thanksgiving Dinner in 2016 has blossomed into a nonprofit organization that has matched 150 families from 17 countries of origin with caring neighbors to help guide and support them through events, life skills and cultural exchange. On a national scale, the Hello Neighbor Network, was created as a program within Hello Neighbor convenes a coalition of grassroots nonprofit leaders working with refugees and immigrants to help their organizations grow and inspire change. Sloane was named to the 2018 Pittsburgh Magazine 40 under 40 and was included on The Incline’s Who’s Next Philanthropy. That same year she was also named an Immigrant Advocate of the Year by Global Pittsburgh, a finalist for the Distinguished Individual Leadership Award at Coro Pittsburgh’s Martin Luther King Jr. Awards and received recognition from Park Place AME Church and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church for her community service and dedicate to Pittsburgh. In 2020, Sloane was named a Woman of Influence by the Pittsburgh Business Times and a Woman of Achievement by Cribs for Kids. She was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar in 2020 and appointed to the City of Pittsburgh's Gender Equity Commission and the founding Council of Welcome.US in 2021. Previous to starting Hello Neighbor, Sloane spent 15 years in the nonprofit, international development and social impact sector. An active philanthropist and advocate, Sloane currently sits on the Council for the Women's Philanthropy Institute and Resolve Network. In 2009, Sloane served as a Kiva Fellow in the Philippines. Sloane received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Vermont and a Masters in Public Policy and Management from The University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. She lives in Highland Park with her husband and two young sons.

Having the eye of a tourist and the soul of a native. Learning, asking questions, being present, seeking abundance, finding joy, holding onto pockets of peace, knowing thyself, valuing friendships, meeting new people, traveling new places, and manifesting audacious goals.

Cultural humility starts with cultural curiosity. We can hold two truths at the same time. We can proud of our home and our own culture while recognizing we are not the center of the world and seek to hold up truths and respect cultural norms from around the world.

community building, grassroots, immigrant, nonprofit, philanthropy, refugee

I'm so excited to be attending my first TED Vancouver in 2022 after attending TEDx's around the U.S. for over a decade! Catch me on a TEDx stage later this year, and hopefully on the main stage at TED in 2023!

baking bread, making TikToks, gardening, being dropped in a new place and being able to make a friend and build a meaningful connection.