Andre Banks
Founder & CEO
A-B Partners
About Andre Banks
As Founder and CEO of A—B, Andre Banks brings his creativity and curiosity to help leaders find the courage and confidence to lead with equity and unlock their most transformational ideas.
With relentless optimism, human connection and disciplined execution as the force multipliers in his practice, he aspires to be the ultimate hands-on practitioner, working everyday between strategy, campaigning, operations and design to lead teams to the urgent breakthroughs our moment demands.
Born in Ohio to a Black family that included educators, public servants and musicians, fierce humility — and style — were the backdrop for learning how power works, who it works for and how it can change. For a Black, gay kid in the 90s, in the middle of the country and on the edge of the middle class, identity was both lifeline and limitation; the delta between the American dream and the reality of American racism. Understanding that gap drove a creative obsession to understand the complexity of injustice—to beat it and win a culture worth living in.
Over the past 20 years, Andre has founded and built organizations that reflect this vision. In 2020 he incubated and led Win Black, a new model in political infrastructure that successfully convened and coordinated hundreds of organizations to inoculate against racist disinformation campaigns weaponized against Black and Latinx voters in 20 states.
Andre also co-founded and led All Out, one of the largest organizations in the world focused on the global push towards LGBTQ equality. Previously, Andre was a Founding Partner and Director of Strategy at Purpose, a global strategy consultancy, creative agency, and social movement incubator; and Executive Vice President for Social Impact & Philanthropy at the national public affairs firm BerlinRosen.
Andre started his training early, as a student leader at Ohio State University, helping food service, custodial and landscape workers fight for (and win) a living wage and benefits. After graduation he began his professional career in Washington, D.C. at the AFL-CIO, connecting young people across the country to local, national and global movements for economic and racial justice. He currently serves as the chair of the board at Color Of Change, the largest racial justice organization in the U.S. where he was also an early staff member. He is also a board member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts NY.
Andre lives in Brooklyn and when he’s not CEO’ing or luxuriating in Airtable, he spends as much time as he can escaping to his A-frame cabin in the Catskills.