Xavier W. Richardson

Miami Connected Fellow, Senior Associate

Xavier W. Richardson is the Miami Connected Fellow and a Senior Associate at The Miami Foundation. Here, Xavier the leads Digital Navigation and Workforce Development strategy for Miami Connected, a Collective Impact portfolio initiative focused on ensuring that all families in Miami-Dade County have access to the internet, the skills to make the most of it, and accessible pathways to careers in tech. He also focuses on partner strategy, managing relationships with external partners to develop local goals and plans that support programmatic growth and sustainability.

Xavier brings over a decade of experience in change management, education (primary through post-secondary), and ed tech to the philanthropy space. Prior to joining The Miami Foundation, Xavier led 1,500 Charter Schools USA students (K-8) through the COVID-19 pandemic by creating an award-winning music production and theory course to support their at-home learning. He managed outreach and recruitment for Georgia and Florida (East Coast) at the University of Florida, a Top 5 public institution, and supported the launch of UF Innovation Academy – the nation’s first-ever “Spring-Summer” academic model rooted in creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation. There he launched UF’s first ever Innovation Week bringing together students, city government officials, non-profit organizations, and major corporate brands to discover, be inspired, play, and connect. All this after driving the Nationwide Insurance Commercial Lines Department through a season of record growth and transformation as a member of the company’s Leadership Development Program.

A Miami native, Xavier graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor -of Music in Organ Performance, -of Arts in English, and a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship. Upon graduation, he received a scholarship to attend the University of Western Cape, South Africa to consult struggling South African business owners as part of the Entrepreneurship Empowerment in South Africa exchange program. He is currently pursuing his MBA at Babson College.

Xavier serves the South Florida community as a Board Member and Keeper of Exchequer for the Fort Lauderdale Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Board Member and Member-at-Large for the Miami Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and as the Music Director and Organist at Miami’s oldest Black Episcopal Church, The Historic Saint Agnes Episcopal Church in Overtown.