About
Inna Walker joined the Economic Progress Institute Board in October 2026.
Inna Walker was born and raised in Southern Ukraine and moved to the United States at the age of 25. Her ties to Ukraine remain strong, with her mother and one-hundred-and -two-year-old grandmother still living there.
Educated and trained as a linguist, Inna originally envisioned a career in academia and higher education. Fluent in five languages, she has always been fascinated by communication, culture, and connecting people across borders. Life, however, presented her with an opportunity to build a successful career in financial services. As a relationship manager, Inna has spent her professional career helping individuals, businesses, and organizations achieve their financial goals. In her view, she has not left one profession for another; she simply learned to speak a different language.
Inna’s professional experience spans academia, business administration, nonprofit leadership, and banking, with positions held at Bank of America, Santander USA, and Beacon Bank. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and English from Izmail State University in Ukraine and a Master’s degree in Communications Management from Simmons University in Boston, Massachusetts.
A committed community leader, Inna serves as Treasurer of Hope & Main, a nationally recognized food business incubator; Member-at-Large of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America; Rhode Island State Delegation Leader for the Ukraine Action Summit; Treasurer of the Bienvenu Condominium Association; and a member of the American Coalition for Ukraine. She is also a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island’s Upsilon II Class of 2024.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Inna has become increasingly engaged in strengthening connections between Ukraine and the United States through advocacy, community engagement, and relationship building. Through her work with Ukrainian-American organizations, business leaders, elected officials, and civic institutions, she promotes greater understanding of Ukraine’s culture, economic potential, and strategic importance. She is particularly interested in fostering partnerships that create opportunities for trade, innovation, and business collaboration between Ukrainian and American organizations. Her efforts have included organizing cultural and educational programs, participating in public diplomacy initiatives, and engaging in advocacy and policy discussions in Rhode Island and Washington, D.C.
An avid reader, Inna is rarely without a Kindle, newspaper, or magazine. Her interests range from classical French, English, and Ukrainian literature to the works of John Dos Passos, Françoise Sagan, and David McCullough. She often reads several books simultaneously and is an active member of both a book club and a women’s debate club.
On a quiet weekend, Inna enjoys cooking, baking, and gathering friends around the table for long conversations and shared meals.
Inna is also a sailor, yogi, runner, community advocate, and connector. She is passionate about helping people build meaningful relationships, discover opportunities, and realize their full potential. Her greatest passion is bringing people and communities together through understanding, collaboration, and shared purpose to help create a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world.
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