about
Rosie Forrest is the Director of Community Impact at The HOW Institute for Society, a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing the practice of moral leadership across industries. At HOW, Rosie leads the strategy and communications for an international graduate community of 800 emerging leaders from 43 countries, building programs, content, and storytelling that deepen engagement and amplify impact. Her work includes designing virtual learning series, producing written and video promotional campaigns, and creating communication playbooks that give the community a shared voice while driving growth.
Rosie has spent more than 20 years in education and nonprofit leadership, developing programs that spark creative problem-solving, connection, and belonging. Prior to HOW, she was part of the leadership team at OZ Arts Nashville, where she oversaw contemporary arts educational programming and community partnerships, directly expanding audiences and organizational visibility. Her earlier roles include Director of Vanderbilt Summer Academy for Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth, Interim Creative Writing Director for Interlochen Center for the Arts summer programs, and Literary Manager/Dramaturg for Chicago institutions including Northlight Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Rosie serves on the board of 2nd Story, one of Chicago’s most celebrated storytelling collectives, which uses well-crafted first-person narratives to inspire change through live events, classes, workshops, and professional development programs.
A 2022 graduate of the NXT-GEN Fellowship for Moral Leadership and a participant in Metro Nashville Arts Commission’s REAL (Racial Equity in Arts Leadership) cohort, Rosie holds a BA from the University of Virginia and an MFA in creative writing from the University of New Hampshire. She has also volunteered as a digital crisis counselor for The Trevor Project, supporting LGBTQ youth.
“I wish that we would not fight for landscapes that remind us of who we think we are. I wish we would fight, instead, for landscapes buzzing and glowing with life in all its variousness.”