Sean White is a leader who passionately believes in the power of philanthropy and mission-oriented investing to transform lives and communities.

In his role as Director of Strategy for Civic Partnerships at Michigan Central, Mr. White leads the fundraising strategy and execution for one of Detroit’s most ambitious placemaking and economic development projects in the last half century. In addition to providing leadership over Michigan Central’s philanthropic partnerships, Mr. White also collaborates with his colleagues to connect local talent to emerging job opportunities through Michigan Central’s skills work.

Previously, Mr. White led impact investment decisions at the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and was responsible for deploying $10M of capital from the foundation’s endowment into Washtenaw County. Specifically, he was charged with building trusting relationships with municipal and community leaders, sourcing a robust pipeline of deals, striking partnerships with CDFIs and donor-funders, and advancing the social investing ecosystem in the county.

Prior to joining AAACF, Mr. White has held a variety of fundraising and philanthropic advising roles including Director of Development at United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Develop Detroit, and the University of Michigan where he partnered with philanthropic families across two $2B+ capital campaigns.

Mr. White has extensive experience in collaborating across the philanthropy and capital ecosystems to create impact in Ann Arbor, Detroit, and the greater southeast Michigan region.