Emily Grizzard Valdés is the Director of Operations at the Lemon Street Fund, a family fund dedicated to advancing equity and systems change in the U.S. South. Originally from Georgia, she spent many years in Tennessee before moving to Philadelphia. She brings a strategic, relationship-driven approach to philanthropy, engaging deeply in communities and continuously expanding her knowledge through professional development programs like Invest for Better and the CHIP’s High Impact Philanthropy Academy. She is also an active member of philanthropy networks including Generation Pledge, the Women Donors Network, and the National Center for Family Philanthropy.
Before focusing on philanthropy, Emily built a career in education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Elon University and a master’s in education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She worked as a Spanish teacher in both public and private settings and spent nearly a decade in language immersion summer camps—eventually launching and leading a startup camp in Chattanooga in 2017. While no longer working in education, she draws on these experiences in her philanthropic work.