Rock The Street, Wall Street, Chief Development Officer, Nashville, TN
About Rock The Street, Wall Street
Rock The Street, Wall Street (RTSWS) is an innovative nonprofit dedicated to educating, preparing, and advancing the next generation of financial and investment leaders. Together with our corporate partners, industry volunteers, educators, foundations, and supporters, we are opening doors to careers in finance for high school and university students, especially young women. Our mission is to bring the M in STEM to life through financial & investment fundamentals while providing meaningful industry access, mentorship, and career guidance that supports students from classrooms to careers while fostering expanded participation in the capital markets.
RTSWS was founded by Maura Cunningham, who built on her distinguished 25-year Wall Street career to create an organization that inspires young women to pursue careers in finance by connecting mathematics, investing, and industry access to meaningful career opportunities. Since its founding, RTSWS has served more than 10,000 students across 30+ cities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and soon, Hong Kong. The organization's outcomes consistently demonstrate measurable impact. Students have increased their financial and investment literacy by an average of 79% over the past three years, while alumni pursue degrees in finance, economics, and related fields at five times the US national average for women. These results reflect the power of combining financial education with industry access, role models, mentorship, and long-term career support.
RTSWS delivers comprehensive programming that helps students progress from classrooms to careers. Beginning with classroom-based financial and investment cohorts, students engage with industry mentors through a progression of experiences, including Industry Insight Days, networking events, industry panels, leadership programming, internships, university engagement, and career exploration. Through the RTSWS Career Center, students and alumni gain access to internships and full-time opportunities, employer office hours, career coaching, professional development resources, and a growing network of employers committed to developing the next generation of financial talent.
Innovation and collaboration are central to the RTSWS model. The organization develops creative solutions that connect students with the financial industry through in-person and virtual programming, leadership events, podcasts, digital learning experiences, AI-focused career discussions, and customized partnerships with leading financial institutions. Working alongside corporate sponsors, foundations, industry volunteers, educators, and alumni, RTSWS builds meaningful relationships that strengthen talent pipelines while preparing students to thrive in careers across the financial services industry.
For more information on Rock The Street, Wall Street, please visit RTSWS’ annual report.
The Opportunity
The Chief Development Officer (CDO) of Rock The Street, Wall Street (RTSWS) is a senior leadership role based in Nashville, Tennessee, at the helm of all contributed revenue generation for one of the nonprofit sector's most distinctive investment literacy organizations. RTSWS empowers high school and university women by bringing financial and investment fundamentals to life, building an expanded talent pipeline for the capital markets and financial industry.
The CDO will serve as the organization's lead fundraiser, responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive, multi-year development strategy that spans corporate, foundation, and individual giving. Working in close partnership with the CEO, Board of Directors, and senior leadership, this executive will cultivate a culture of philanthropy across the organization, manage a portfolio of high-value donors and prospects, and forge strategic alliances with corporations, foundations, and influencers aligned with RTSWS's mission.The CDO will lead a comprehensive development strategy that expands multi-year corporate sponsorships and deepens relationships with foundations, individual donors, industry leaders, and the growing RTSWS alumni community. This leader will help secure transformational investments, strengthen strategic partnerships, and position RTSWS to continue educating, preparing, and advancing the next generation of financial and investment leaders for years to come. Candidates with a bachelor's degree, at least seven years of nonprofit fundraising experience including management responsibilities, and familiarity with the financial services industry and its culture are strongly preferred for this role.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Liz Lombard and Angie Sessoms. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing Angie directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.
DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
About DSG | Koya
DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about DSG | Koya via the firm's website.