Speaker

Sarah Yates is a transformational executive who shapes how organizations and sectors harness technology, digital, data, artificial intelligence (AI), and human-centered design to transform how people work, learn, connect, and create impact at scale. Originally from Hawaii, Yates began her career at IBM in 1997 as a software engineer, building the company’s first e-commerce website. Over 17 years, she grew from engineer to global executive, leading at the intersection of technology, innovation, growth, and people. Her
work spanned digital transformation, advanced analytics, cognitive computing, and emerging AI, while her passion for creating opportunity led her to co-create IBM’s first diversity councils and affinity groups. Selected for IBM’s senior executive development program, Yates became one of the company’s youngest female executives and ultimately led at a scale of 25,000 team members, seven global labs, and $1.7 billion in annual revenue.

In 2014, Yates brought that experience to mission-driven organizations, beginning with Girl Scouts of the USA, where she mobilized 110+ councils and 800,000 volunteers to digitize the iconic $860 million Girl Scout Cookie Program and equip 1.8 million girls with digital entrepreneurship skills. Digital Cookie generated more than 4 billion media impressions, exceeded adoption projections by 30%, drove $41 million more cookie sales than forecast, and earned recognition from Fast Company as one of the world’s most innovative nonprofits. That experience became part of a broader career focus on building the experiences, ecosystems,
and solutions that enable organizations to scale their mission impact. At Year Up United, Yates helped reimagine workforce development as a talent supply chain, each year connecting 4,000+ young adult learners’ development and skills with employer demand and opportunity. At Save the Children, she expanded her approach globally, aligning leaders across a 32-country
federation operating in 100+ countries and leading digital and data transformation for a movement reaching more than 197 million children annually.

In 2024, Yates joined the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a partner with communities where children come first, stewarding an endowment exceeding $10 billion, awarding $400+ million in grants annually, and supporting over 1,500 active grantees. As a member of the executive team, she shapes enterprise strategy and execution across technology, data, AI, cybersecurity, digital and
physical spaces, responsible innovation, and organizational learning. Her work also extends across the broader philanthropic and nonprofit sector, building cybersecurity and AI capacity and capabilities through cross-sector collaborations and shared learning.

Throughout her career, Yates has championed the responsible use of technology, data, and AI through human-centered design, ethical stewardship, and a commitment to equity. Her dedication to expanding opportunity for historically marginalized youth earned her a U.S. Congressional Award. Yates also earned an MBA from Cornell University, a BS from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Girl Scouts of the USA Gold Award. A frequent keynote speaker and board member, she has written for Forbes and Inside Philanthropy and has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and other
publications, all under her former name. A lifelong entrepreneur and creative, Yates retired from professional salsa dancing to establish a dance studio and later a performing arts coffeehouse that became a gathering place for local artists. At home, she is the proud mother of a blended family of six children and the wife of a dedicated firefighter and first responder.