Jessica Norwood

Named to Essence’s “50 Entrepreneurs to Watch,” Jessica Norwood is an author, investor, and philanthropist exploring money as an expression of spiritual care. As founder and CEO of RUNWAY Roots, she leads a team dedicated to resourcing Black communities through restorative capital and holistic support.

Jessica is a recognized leader in financial activism, holding prestigious fellowships from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Just Economy Institute, and Harvard’s Hutchins Center. Her work in restorative economies is deeply informed by her training at the Highlander Research and Education Center and her background in nonviolence organizing.

Profiled by NPR, Bloomberg, and Fast Company, Jessica is the author of Believe-in-You Money: What Would the Economy Look Like if it Loved Black People? Originally from Alabama, she currently resides in Kingston, Jamaica, where she deepens her investment in Black joy and liberation across the diaspora, finding her greatest inspiration near the water.