Janae Bruce

Janae is a mission-driven operations leader with a passion for strengthening systems that enable organizations to grow, scale, and deepen their impact. At Retaaza, she brings a people-centered approach to operational excellence, ensuring that the organization’s work remains both effective and grounded in community impact.

Janae’s career spans leadership roles across nonprofit and global organizations, where she has built and optimized systems across finance, operations, and human resources. She previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta, where she led organization-wide operations, supported strategic growth, and partnered closely with leadership, staff, and community stakeholders. Her experience also includes managing complex procurement, global operations, and cross-functional teams at the CDC Foundation, as well as overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets, audits, and organizational scaling initiatives.

She is particularly motivated by work that directly improves people’s lives and is passionate about building systems that are both practical and human-centered. Janae brings a unique blend of hands-on operational experience and strategic insight, allowing her to balance organizational goals with the needs of the people who power them.

Known for her strong communication, problem-solving abilities, and thoughtful leadership style, Janae excels at navigating complex challenges with professionalism and empathy. She is especially skilled in building trust, fostering community, and meeting people where they are.

Outside of work, Janae enjoys staying creative and grounded through gardening, making kombucha, cooking, and exploring with her two dogs.

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