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Having opportunities to appreciate art and culture in our community helps us look up from the everyday hustle and bustle and see the beauty in the objects and intentions around us. Not only do we get to see beauty in our part of the world, but its presence helps train our brains to look at the many perspectives around us.
- Sakura
Sakura Takano, Chief Executive Officer
Sakura Takano is the Chief Executive Officer of Rotary Charities of Traverse City, a place-based foundation serving Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties in Northwest Lower Michigan, advancing its vision for adaptive and equitable communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Under her leadership, the organization has deepened its commitment to equity, investing in learning and adapting its strategies to better meet the needs of under-represented and under-resourced groups across the region.
She has spearheaded Rotary Charities’ impact investing initiative, which has committed $2 million to generate both social and financial returns. This strategy not only unlocks new sources of capital to benefit the region, but also serves as a call to action, demonstrating how philanthropic assets can be leveraged to accelerate systemic change.
Sakura’s leadership blends financial acumen with a deep belief in collaboration and community wisdom. She brings experience from both the private and nonprofit sectors: previously serving as Rotary Charities’ Director of Community Assets & Impact Investing, leading housing and workforce development at Goodwill Northern Michigan, and beginning her career in investment banking at JPMorgan.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from Boston College and an MBA in Social Enterprise from Columbia Business School. Sakura serves on the boards of IFF, a regional CDFI; Venture North, a local small business lender; and Munson Healthcare, northern Michigan’s healthcare system.
Sakura believes in a holistic, open-listening approach to creating positive community change and brings non-conventional minds together to implement data-driven solutions.