Sharon Silver

About Sharon Silver

I am the CEO of WithinReach, a Washington-based nonprofit focused on strengthening the systems that support families, caregivers, and young children.After more than two decades working in the nonprofit and public health space, I’ve come to see that many of the challenges families face are not the result of individual failure, but of systems that were never designed to work together. When supports are fragmented, families experience that fragmentation as confusion, delay, and often shame.Over time, I’ve learned that systems don’t change through structure alone. They change through relationships, trust, and the ability to recognize patterns across people, policies, and practice. Sustainable change requires listening deeply, centering lived experience, and holding a long-term view, especially when short-term pressures dominate decision-making.My leadership is grounded in prevention, equity, and partnership with communities. At WithinReach, we work alongside families and community-based organizations to co-design more connected, accessible systems of support, strengthening the infrastructure that allows families to thrive.Here, I share reflections on systems change, leadership inside complexity, and the often invisible work required to build humane, effective systems.

Experience

1. Chief Executive Officer

   Withinreach

   Oct 2023 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

Education

• University of Washington

  Master's degree

• Western Washington University

  Bachelor of Arts (BA)