Yamini R. Bhat

Founding Executive Director of Birmingham Corps 

“Resiliency is in Birmingham’s DNA. We are striving for a model that not only furthers the economic resiliency of our people, but by bringing this model to our city, we are also leading the nation in a cultural shift towards empathy and healing with social service as the vehicle for racial justice and change.”

Yamini Bhat is passionate about empowering and elevating Birmingham communities by connecting them to opportunities for economic mobility and financial stability. As a driver of social impact, she has dedicated her career to serving the community and developing initiatives and pathways that advance racial justice and equity. 

As Birmingham Corps’ Founding Executive Director, she is responsible for leading the organization's strategy as well as oversight of all partnerships, programs, fundraising and community outreach. Additionally, Yamini will be utilizing internal organizational policies that promote an inclusive workplace culture of “kindness first, humans first,” modeled after Baltimore Corps - Birmingham Corps’ sister non-profit in Baltimore that has been named a “Great Place to Work” since 2019.  

Prior to becoming Executive Director, Yamini served as the City Corps Senior Manager for Baltimore Corps and is a key member of the national expansion team. City Corps is an initiative with a goal of enlisting talent to accelerate social innovation in cities across the U.S. and advance a nationwide agenda for equity and racial justice. In this role, she oversaw strategic implementation and planning, partner engagement, and operational decisions as they impacted the goals and outcomes to accelerate the success of City Corps and City Corps sites such as Birmingham. 

Her professional experience includes education reform efforts, local government policy, and innovation in economic development. Before Baltimore Corps Yamini was manager of special projects for the Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity with the City of Birmingham, a Teach for America instructional coach and corps member, and a public school teacher for six years in Nashville and New Orleans. She serves on several boards including the Community Care Development Network Board, Southern Environmental Center Junior Board, and the Teach for America - Alabama Alumni Board. She is a proud graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (International Studies) where she developed her passion for research and policy reform. She also has a Masters in Instructional Design from Lipscomb University.

As a former educator, public servant, and nonprofit leader, Yamini strongly believes that every Birmingham resident has the right to a rich, meaningful educational and workforce experience that will position them for high-quality economic opportunities. She believes that community stakeholders, like herself, have a duty and privilege to create an inclusive and thriving environment that will help residents realize and reach their full potential to be successful in life. Understanding that education and workforce development are critical issues that affect every aspect of our society and our economy, as Executive Director, Yamini is dedicated to developing Birmingham Corps as a vehicle for social change and upward mobility for local residents.  

Yamini R. Bhat

Pronouns: she/her 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yaminibhat