Janet Topolsky

For more than 30 years, Janet Topolsky has helped community leaders, organizations and policymakers across the country find, create and spread innovative community and economic development strategies. Since 1993, she has directed the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group (CSG) where she has become a specialist in peer-learning techniques, individual and family asset building, regional development collaboration, and community development philanthropy.

Janet leads CSG’s Community Development Philanthropy work, which builds the capacity of community foundations to grow community endowments and make strategic investments that enhance economic prospects for families, businesses and communities. She also helps organize and strengthen regional livelihood efforts that connect low-wealth places and populations to regional development and prosperity, and facilitates exchanges to advance the economic success of low-income families.

Before CSG, Janet worked as a development policy analyst and writer; as director of communication for CFED – a non-profit organization that develops innovative asset building and economic opportunity strategies; as special assistant to the director of the Michigan Department of Commerce; and as a political organizer. A native of Detroit, Michigan, she is a graduate of James Madison College (Michigan State University) and from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy (University of Michigan).