BOARD OF TRUSTEES
GAIL MOODY-BYRD - 1st TERM
Jazz is in Gail Moody-Byrd's blood. Growing up with an audiophile father who studied music in college, played swing-era saxophone in WWII and beyond, and built a treasured album collection, Gail was immersed in the music from an early age. Her connection runs even deeper: legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker is her first cousin, twice removed. A lifelong jazz enthusiast, she is passionate about both honoring the art form's rich history and championing its enduring legacy as America's classical music.
Gail is an accomplished technology and retail marketing executive with operating experience spanning AI, digital transformation, and revenue generation across B2B and B2C companies. She has led go-to-market strategy, customer adoption, and business impact initiatives in large enterprises throughout her 25-year career. Gail is Founder and CEO of Distill.Works, a consultancy practice for technology and retail startups, after serving in strategic, operating, and consulting roles at companies including LinkedIn, AI startup Noodle.ai, SAP, McKinsey & Company, Levi Strauss & Co., and Bloomingdale's.
A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Gail addresses topics including sales and marketing innovation leveraging AI, and diversity in technology. She serves on the Board of Directors of Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ: GO), a $5B high-growth extreme-value retailer, and Juma Ventures, a social enterprise employing underserved youth. Gail is a proud graduate of Spelman College and Harvard Business School.