About
Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies joined the Economic Progress Institute as Executive Director in January 2022, bringing a vision for people-powered, transformational, and equitable budget and policy change in Rhode Island.
Prior to joining EPI, Weayonnoh served as Managing Attorney of Community Legal Aid’s Worcester County offices. She began her legal career more than 18 years ago, focusing on the cumulative effects of structural racism on communities of color, medical-legal partnerships, poverty law, public benefits, and housing.
A sought-after keynote speaker and training facilitator, Weayonnoh combines powerful storytelling with deep expertise in leadership, equity, and advocacy. Drawing on her lived experience as a civil war survivor from Liberia and her journey as an immigrant, attorney, and champion for justice, she challenges audiences to confront systemic inequities and imagine what transformational change can look like.
Weayonnoh has served as small-group faculty and a mentor at Brown University’s Medical School and as an adjunct professor at the Community College of Rhode Island. She serves on the Board of Directors of her alma mater, Roger Williams University School of Law, and The Brooks Community Health Center. She also serves on the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s New England Community Development Advisory Council and the United Way of Rhode Island Community Advisory Board.
Weayonnoh earned her Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Rhode Island College. She lives in Rhode Island with her two daughters and can be found joyfully dancing at every opportunity.
Areas of Expertise
- Economic Opportunity
- Race, Equity & Democracy
- Lifting Rhode Islanders Out of Poverty
- RI Budget, Revenue & Tax Fairness
- Investment in Children & Healthcare
