As NurtureFirst prepares to exit incubation at the Global Development Incubator (GDI) and step into its next chapter as an independent organisation, we are delighted to welcome Persis Ashers as our new Director of Operations and Chief of Staff.
Persis brings a powerful blend of operational rigour, strategic clarity, and people-centred leadership. With over 17 years of experience spanning philanthropy, global development research, education, and the private sector, she has led and strengthened operations across diverse and complex environments. Most recently, she served as Operations Officer at the Firelight Foundation, a philanthropic funder advancing community-driven systems change for children and youth across Eastern and Southern Africa. She has also held leadership roles at IDinsight and the African Leadership Group, and earlier in her career worked with NielsenIQ, Microsoft, and founded afriQuest Research.
In her new role, Persis will help steward NurtureFirst through a pivotal transition: our spin-off from GDI and the establishment of strong, independent operational systems. Working closely with the team, she will focus on building the structures, processes, and organisational foundations needed to support a resilient and sustainable NurtureFirst.
We caught up with Persis to learn more about what drew her to NurtureFirst and what she is most looking forward to in her first year. Below, she shares her reflections.
What inspired you to join NurtureFirst and contribute to strengthening support systems for home-based childcare providers globally?
Persis: Joining the NurtureFirst team felt deeply aligned with the thread that has run through my work for over 17 years; strengthening systems so people can do meaningful work with clarity, dignity, and impact.
Childcare sits at the heart of thriving communities. When early childhood is supported well, families are stronger, women can participate more fully in economic life, and communities flourish. Yet the systems surrounding home-based childcare are often fragmented or under-recognized.
What drew me to NurtureFirst is its commitment to strengthening the ecosystem itself; increasing investment in support programs, elevating provider voices, building a global learning community, and advancing standards of quality. It reflects a belief that sustainable change requires thoughtful infrastructure, not just good intentions. That philosophy resonates deeply with me.
How do you see your role helping advance NurtureFirst’s mission?
Persis: I see my role as strengthening the foundation that allows the mission to scale with integrity, both externally and internally.
Responsive and coherent systems do not happen by accident. They require aligned governance, clear decision-making, strong internal coordination, and disciplined follow-through. My focus is on building and refining these structures so that our team and partners can move with clarity and confidence.
Strong operations, to me, are not about process for its own sake, but about enabling people to do their best work. When the internal backbone is strong, we can better support locally led leadership and the co-creation of contextually relevant solutions that ultimately benefit young children and their families.
What are you most excited to learn, explore, or achieve in your first year?
Persis: I am most excited to learn, both deeply and humbly, from providers, partners, policymakers, and our own team about what truly strengthens home-based childcare ecosystems across contexts.
I’m also excited to help build an organization that models the very coherence and responsiveness we hope to see in the systems we influence. Scaling impact matters. Scaling thoughtfully matters even more.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Persis: Across my career, I have been guided by a belief in community-driven systems change; that lasting impact for children, youth, and women depends on strong systems and locally led leadership. I am motivated by designing structures that elevate community voices and priorities, and by building the foundations that enable the co-creation of contextually relevant solutions.
On a personal note, I became a mother just as I was joining the NurtureFirst team, an alignment I couldn’t have planned if I tried. It has deepened my appreciation for the care economy and the extraordinary work of those who nurture young children every day. It has also given me a healthy respect for anyone who can operate with grace on very little sleep. I feel grateful to be stepping into this work at a time of growth and possibility, and look forward to contributing to NurtureFirst’s next chapter alongside an incredible team.
As our conversation with Persis makes clear, her commitment to thoughtful leadership, strong systems, and mission-driven execution aligns deeply with NurtureFirst’s values and ambitions. We are excited about the clarity, discipline, and care she brings to this next phase of our journey, and we look forward to building a strong, independent NurtureFirst together.
