Ashley Furst

Ashley Furst is a passionate advocate for the belief that individuals are more than their worst mistakes and that every breakdown has the potential to become a breakthrough. As someone who has personally experienced the challenges of reentry after justice involvement, she brings a deep understanding of the unique needs of this population and the transformative power of second chances. As the Director of Business Development & Community Engagement at Breakthrough, Ashley is responsible for identifying growth opportunities through funding, building strategic partnerships, and driving the implementation of organizational objectives through development and community engagement initiatives.

In her previous role as Senior Program Manager for Employment Opportunities at the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ), Ashley worked on the award-winning Unlock Potential hiring program, which successfully engaged businesses in supporting employment opportunities for Opportunity Youth and Second Chance Hiring. Her work also includes the publication of a comprehensive “roadmap” titled Hiring Justice-Involved Talent: Practical Steps to Becoming a Second Chance Employer, which has been used as a resource for companies committed to adopting fair hiring practices.

Ashley currently serves on the Board of Directors for Evolution Reentry Services, and she previously served on the Advisory Council for the Colorado Fair Chance Hiring Initiative, where she helped create strategies to encourage employers to adopt inclusive hiring efforts. With over a decade of experience in the Marketing & Communications sector, particularly within the nonprofit arena, Ashley holds an MS in Marketing from Johns Hopkins University and a BS in English from Towson University.