The Good Fight: Founder, Advocate, Policy Expert Avis Jones-DeWeever Bringing It To Power Up Conference
Avis Jones-DeWeever, principal and founder of Nouveaux Strategies, is speaking at Power Up Conference 2026.
“I am a fighter and if there ever was a time to fight, now is the time. And I know we will move forward to protect ourselves, our children and our communities in order to love this country and have it be the way it needs to be,” says Avis Jones-DeWeever, PhD, Principal and Founder of Nouveaux Strategies.
A speaker at Power Up Conference 2026, Audacity: Leadership in Action, in Washington, D.C., August 26 on the panel, “Invest in Herself: Women, Money & Long-Term Success,” Jones De-Weever previously served as the youngest ever Executive Director of the National Council of Negro Women.
“I know we will move forward to protect ourselves, our children and our communities in order to love this country and have it be the way it needs to be,” says Avis Jones-DeWeever, PhD, Founder, author, advocate and Power Up speaker. @takeleadwomen”
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What Jones-DeWeever, who launched Nouveaux Strategies in 2025, says she plans to offer at the conference her decades of experience in policy, social justice and strategic communications internationally at a divisive and disrupted period in American history.
“In order to create something that is sturdy, it is going to take more radical steps and strategies. This moment has taught us that the promises that were made from a woman’s standpoint to see women as full human beings,” have not been sustained, she says.
At a recent National Coalition on Black Civic Participation Black Women’s Roundtable, Jones-DeWeever was a panelist on the release of the 10th annual poll focusing on the power of the perspectives of Black women. Released on the 61st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Jones-DeWeever, a senior research adviser at NCBCP, offered results and insights into the survey where 83% of Black women say they are dissatisfied with his country, and 69% say they are motivated to vote.
“Black women are zoned in,” says Jones-DeWeever. “They are not resting, they are tuned into what is going on in the government, the economy and voting affairs.” The poll shows 70% of Black women are paying attention to the government most of the time, and 70% say their vote is powerful, a 20 percentage points jump from 2024.
Top issues that are most concerning include fighting discrimination and racism, with 82% saying that, with 70% saying employment discrimination is a key issue. Maintaining the social safety net is a top issue for 47% of the respondents.
“Black women are zoned in,” says Jones-DeWeever. “They are not resting, they are tuned into what is going on in the government, the economy and voting affairs.” @takeleadwomen #change”
Growing up in Clarksville, Va., Jones-DeWeever, author of the 2016 book, How Exceptional Black Women Lead: Unlocking the Secrets to Creating Phenomenal Success in Career and in Life, wanted to be a civil rights attorney.
“In order to create something that is sturdy, it is going to take more radical steps and strategies. This moment has taught us that the promises that were made from a woman’s standpoint to see women as full human beings” have not been met, says Avis Jones-DeWeever. #Blackwomen #leadership ”
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Without a scholarship to law school, she pursued a political science undergraduate degree at Virginia State University in 1990, and earned a PhD in government and politics in 2000 at University of Maryland. Her dissertation was on the rollback of affirmative action at University of Texas- Austin.
After graduation, she became tenure-track assistant professor at University of Richmond, teaching political science and taught there two years.
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“But I missed D.C. and the real world applications of politics,” Jones-DeWeever says.
That is because Jones-DeWeever had worked on policy research as an undergraduate and while earning her doctorate. Her contributions were for key organizations including the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation where she focused on elementary and secondary education, welfare reform, childcare issues, crime, unemployment, and the survival of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
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Later as director of poverty and social justice programs at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, she was immersed in social justice, economic and political issues key to Black women. In 2007 moved to the National Council of Negro Women, and served as executive director 2010-2013.
Working with President Barack Obama’s administration, and on several boards, Jones-DeWeever was the Keynote Speaker to Obama’s Inaugural President of the United States’ Young African Leaders Summit and was also a Featured Speaker before the World Bank. Additionally, she expanded her reach and expertise internationally with the U.S. State Department.
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“I did a lot of work at the intersection of women and girls with a civil rights focus around policy needs,” says Jones-DeWeever, who also hosts Fearless Podcast, rated in the top 10% of all podcasts in the world.
“I did a lot of work at the intersection of women and girls with a #civilrights focus around #policy needs,” says Jones-DeWeever, host @FearlessPodcast, and youngest ever exec director @NCNWHQ”
“I worked with U.S. Ambassadors across the world and met with Black women in many different countries in leadership. It was always different in the U.S. for Black women,” she says.
As CEO of the Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women from 2015 to 2021, Jones-DeWeever maintains the Exceptional Black Women Network. Her observations locally, across the country and around the world of Black women in leadership positions weighed on her mind.
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Those experiences prompted her to write her book, How Exceptional Black Women Lead, at a time when Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, was gaining attention.
“Black women always lean in. It’s insufficient advice. We need a more robust strategy,” Jones-DeWeever says. She interviewed “75 Black women in leadership positions from corporate to public service, and communities. From that I wrote about what it takes for them to lead, what are the patterns.”
“For her book, How Exceptional Black Women Lead, Avis Jones-DeWeever interviewed “75 Black women in leadership positions from corporate to public service, and communities. From that I wrote about what it takes for them to lead, what are the patterns.” #leadership #Blackwomen”
Comparing today’s erasure of civil rights and women’s rights to the post-reconstruction era in U.S. history, she says, ”When the rug was pulled out, there was a move toward self-reliance and a bigger reliance on community and the flow of capital within community. We need a new approach to reconstruct a new reality in politics,” says Jones-DeWeever, the mother of two sons, 23 and 30.
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“We have to define power differently. A different path to power is the prescription for the future. This moment requires new revolutionary thinking.”
She adds, “The good thing is when things are flattened, you’ve created now a basic open field where you can build a new foundation to create what should have always been. You can think more boldly and freely. What would it look like to crate a society that lives up to the promise?”
“We have to define power differently. A different path to power is the prescription for the future. This moment requires new revolutionary thinking,” says Jones-DeWeever, who serves on boards of National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Sisters Lead Sisters Vote, Women’s Voices, Women’s Vote and the National Network to End Domestic Violence, and is Senior Public Policy Advisor to the Black Women’s Roundtable.”
While she says she is not ruling out running for office in the future, Jones-DeWeever serves on the boards of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Sisters Lead Sisters Vote and is the Senior Public Policy Advisor to the Black Women’s Roundtable and a Board Member of Women’s Voices, Women’s Vote and the National Network to End Domestic Violence.
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Yes, working with elected officials, aspiring candidates, policy makers, community leaders and corporate leaders, Jones-DeWeever is positive about the future. She also is positive about the takeaways she will offer at the Power Up Conference.
“I want them to take away a sense of power. It’s easy to feel helpless. We are as far away from helplessness as humans can be. We still have the agency to create the future and the reality we want,” Jones-DeWeever says. “It will take more intentionality and aligning with people and not trying to do it by yourself.”
“We still have the agency to create the future and the reality we want. It will take more intentionality and aligning with people and not trying to do it by yourself.” Avis Jones-DeWeever, speaker #PowerUp @takeladwomen”
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Jones-DeWeever adds,” All the work I do in civil rights, women’s rights, reproductive rights, voting rights, it feels like that arc of my background uniquely positions me to fight back.”
The overriding question she is prepared to answer and act on, she says is, “How can we move forward in a way to take back our power?”
The good news, Jones-DeWeever says, is 28% of the Black women in the NCBCP report they are feeling hopeful, while 28% say they are motivated to take action. More than 67% report they see the Black community has the power to change things, and feel as individuals and communities they have the power to create change.”
Half of those in the poll say their voice makes a difference, more evidence that the time is now for action leading to change.
Take The Lead’s Power Up Conference 2026, Audacity: Leadership In Action, features a diverse group of speakers and experts speaking on the importance of inclusive leadership and strategies to solve systemic and historical barriers across all sectors. Joining Avis Jones-DeWeever on the panel, “Invest in Herself: Women, Money & Long-Term Success,” are Vernetra Gavin Hardy, Esq., Deputy City Attorney · City of Pasadena; Alexis Allen, Associate Financial Advisor · UBS; and Vanessa Coppes, Founder & CEO · BELLA Magazine. Other panel topics include, Women Claiming Midlife Health & Power, along with Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, Executive Director, NYU Law; Emily Serebryanny, co-founder of Institute FLE; Dr. Rachel Rubin, Urologist & Sexual Medicine Specialist; and Davina Lyons, Resilience Strategist, Creator of the RISE Framework. Additionally, following keynote speaker Margaret Atwood, there are panels on the power of storytelling, AI, wealth, entrepreneurship, investing and more. Learn more about other speakers and panels and register here.
