Xanthe Scharff

Xanthe Scharff is the managing director for external affairs and editor at large at the Freedom Fund, effective February 2025. This collaborative fund focuses on identifying and investing in effective interventions to end modern slavery. As a media executive, nonprofit founder, and journalist, Scharff is committed to amplifying the stories of those on the front lines of change. She cofounded the Fuller Project—a global newsroom for groundbreaking journalism about women—while reporting in Turkey and on the Syrian border in 2014. Under her leadership, the Fuller Project drove significant policy changes and won 39 industry awards for reporting. Scharff is also the founder and board chair emerita of Advancing Girls’ Education in Africa, which provides scholarships and peer mentoring in Malawi. In 2024, she received the Salute to Excellence Award from the National Association of Black Journalists for magazine reporting that inspired her nonprofit. Her career began at the World Bank in Peru, followed by a role at the Brookings Institution as deputy of the Center for Universal Education, where she influenced education policies affecting billions in development spending. Scharff has received numerous accolades, including distinguished alumni awards from Tufts University and the Fletcher School, a Top 40 Under 40 recognition, and a Genius Grant for climate journalism. Her work has been featured in major publications, including the New York Times, The Atlantic, Time, Associated Press, Politico, Reuters, The Guardian, the Washington Post, CNN, The Telegraph, USA Today, CBS, NBC, Al Jazeera, and BBC.