Susan McDowell is Executive Director of the Sooch Foundation, an Austin, TX charitable foundation that seeks to make a positive and permanent change in the lives of economically disadvantaged people in Austin through increased educational opportunities. Previously, she served as CEO of LifeWorks, a youth and family service organization in Austin, Texas that helps transition-aged youth achieve self-sufficiency through housing, education and mental health support. Susan is active in numerous civic organizations and regional planning efforts. She has been awarded “Austinite (Under 40) of the Year,” and “Central Texas Social Entrepreneur of the Year,” by Ernst and Young. She participated in the 2007 Marshall Memorial Fellowship Program and was awarded the Anita and Earl Maxwell Lifetime Achievement Award through the Ethics in Business and Community Awards. Susan holds a B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University and the University of Texas-Austin, respectively.