Children First
Margaret Ganyo has served as the Executive Director of the nonprofit Children First since February, 2020. The organization’s North Star is for all people and organizations in St. Louis Park and Hopkins, MN and the surrounding communities to be knowledgeable, strategically aligned, and actively involved in increasing positive outcomes for children and youth, ensuring that kids feel included, valued, and deeply connected to our caring community. Its current priorities include Kindergarten Readiness, Youth Mental Wellness, and Post-Secondary Readiness.
Under Margaret’s leadership, Children First launched a StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network partnership, one of 68 in the country working to close the race, ethnicity, gender, and poverty opportunity gaps so that all young people can realize their brilliance. Last year, the Network was awarded the Schwab Global Social Innovation Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, for its work putting 4 million more young people on the path to economic mobility by the year 2030. Children First was also accepted as one of nine Minnesota Education Partnership Coalition members.
Prior to joining Children First, Margaret served as CEO of the United Way of Southeastern Idaho for fifteen years where she managed two regional Early Learning Opportunity Act grants totaling nearly $2mm that improved Kindergarten readiness by more than 51%. Her team founded imPACT East Idaho, a StriveTogether Network partnership, and she led a policy advocacy effort to secure Idaho’s first-ever state funding for pre-K in 2019 as she was transitioning to living in Minnesota full-time to care for her mom.
Before her tenure at United Way, Margaret worked in Community Development, helping NeighborWorks Pocatello achieve Community Development Financial Institution status and secure millions of dollars in new investment. She also served as Director of Pro Bono Services for Utah Legal Services and practiced law for the six years prior to moving into Community Development work.
Margaret grew up in rural West Central Minnesota and received her Bachelor of Arts degree Magna Cum Laude from Central College in Pella, Iowa. She received her Juris Doctor degree Cum Laude from Santa Clara (California) University.