Rachel D’Souza, MPPA

Founder + PRESIDENT

Rachel D'Souza is the founder of Gladiator Consulting, a boutique firm serving nonprofits across the country. Through Gladiator, Rachel has served as an innovator and pioneer in the Community-Centric Fundraising movement, a global initiative to reimagine the nonprofit sector through a lens of radical collaboration, racial equity, social justice, and decolonization. Rachel is a proud member of the Community-Centric Fundraising Global Council, a body of 25 individuals helping guide and resource the movement. Additionally, Rachel is currently the president-elect for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater St. Louis Regional Chapter and has been an active supporter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network and EPIP -Emerging Professionals in Philanthropy. 

Rachel brings attention to the incredible work happening in the St. Louis region. Her thought leadership has appeared in Blackbaud Institute's 2021 npExperts publication The Great Reset, NeonOne's 2022 report, Donors: Understanding The Future of Individual Giving, and on the Season 4 premiere of the Ethical Rainmaker podcast.  She has raised awareness of the potential for transformation in our sector through webinars and panel conversations in partnership with Bloomerang, the Independent Sector, BBCon, numerous AFP chapters, and this spring, will host a session and the Collective Impact's Forum's Collective Impact Action Summit.

Rachel is the proud mama to her two children, Cameron and Emelia, and makes her home in the Shaw Neighborhood. Rachel enjoys spending time with her kids, Peloton workouts, and Instagram. Currently, she is pursuing her second Master’s Degree at the Washington University School of Law and upon completing her studies in 2024, hopes to build more transformative connections between the nonprofit and public sectors.