Ashleigh Starke joined Fistula Foundation as senior director of philanthropy in April 2026. In her role, she builds relationships with some of our most generous donors whose support makes life-transforming surgeries possible for women across Africa and Asia.
Ashleigh began her career as a newspaper photojournalist where she quickly learned how to build trust and share people’s stories with authenticity. She later earned a master’s degree in intercultural relations, where she examined the social, cultural, and political forces that shape equity and opportunity across communities. It was through this lens that she came to believe that fundraising is simply another form of storytelling—one that connects people to missions they believe in.
That belief first took shape at The AjA Project, a participatory photography nonprofit serving refugee and immigrant youth from Southeast Asia and East Africa in San Diego. There, she worked closely with young women whose stories of displacement and women’s health challenges stayed with her, and ultimately drew her to the mission of Fistula Foundation.
Over the past 15 years, Ashleigh has brought that relationship-centered approach to frontline fundraising and development leadership for global nonprofits across public health, environmental sustainability, the arts, and youth development.
Ashleigh holds a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in intercultural relations from Lesley University. She is based in San Diego, California.