Bailey Gordon
Take a natural connector, give her the ability to strategize and the determination to not stop until it’s done and you have Bailey. She uses all those skills to propel local non-profits in a way no one else can.
What keeps you up at night?
Wondering how there will be enough hours in the next day to do all that I want to do!
Who is the biggest influence in your life? Why?
I don’t have one single influence who guides my decisions, but have been fortunate to have many people share their wisdom with me. I should credit my mom for making me get that summer job in college. I ended up at the Oklahoma State University Foundation, which sparked my interest in fundraising and philanthropy. Who knew it would become my career?!
One year from today, how do you hope you’re different?
I hope I’m more thoughtful. I hope I have a broader perspective. I hope someone can say that I helped them grow in the past year.
“If we can start making connections to solve problems incrementally, we can see a wave of change in our community.”
What’s the single biggest problem you’d like to solve in your community?
Disconnection is the problem I’d like to solve. I think if we can connect people and organizations to the right resources, we can solve a lot of problems. In my work, I see great need in many different areas, and many times these needs are linked together or compounded on one another. So, if we can start making connections to solve problems incrementally, we can see a wave of change in our community.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
A wise friend told me, “You need to take care of your business, and your business is you.” When you’re working on your own, if something is not serving your business well, it’s also not serving you well.
bailey is one of 100 women we have featured in the inaugural issue of Hundred Magazine. To learn more about her and the other 99 women, buy the issue.
