Stephanie Johnson is the Program Officer at the Rural Democracy Initiative – which includes the Heartland Fund (501c3) and Rural Victory Fund (501c4). She works to build progressive civic and political infrastructure in rural communities across the U.S.. Stephanie previously served as Program Manager at NEO Philanthropy, a national funder intermediary, working in the Donor Services and Special Projects Department. She managed projects including state-based civic engagement tables and donor collaboratives. Before NEO, Stephanie served as Program Coordinator for the Kresge Foundation, a national foundation based in Detroit. As program lead on the organization’s Opportunity Fund, she stewarded grants on issues of immigration, civic engagement and racial equity. Before her time in philanthropy, Stephanie was a Venture For America Fellow in Cincinnati, OH where she worked with a variety of technology start-ups and small businesses. Stephanie holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She grew up on a farm outside of the small town of Denton, Maryland and is passionate about making change for rural communities.