joi gordon

Joi Gordon is chief executive officer of Dress for Success Worldwide, an international grassroots organization that has provided professional attire, support and career development tools to more than 450,000 disadvantaged women since 1997.  In this role Joi oversees an affiliate network that now spans 90 cities in 7 countries.  She is responsible for strengthening the Dress for Success brand, implementing innovative programming, and developing collaborative relationships with corporations, foundations and individuals who share the organization’s mission.  Joi is committed to positioning Dress for Success as an acknowledged leader in advancing the economic and social development of women.

Among her professional activities and accomplishments, Joi serves on the board of directors of Urban Brands, owner of both the Ashley Stewart and Marianne nameplates and a leading specialty retailer who targets the fashion-savvy urban, multi-cultural woman, and America’s Charities, a leader in workplace giving.  She sits on several women’s advisory councils for American Airlines, Office Depot and VOICE, an imprint of Hyperion Books.  Joi also serves on the advisory board of a New Jersey-based non-profit organization My Daughter’s Keeper. 

Over the past several years a number of prominent institutions have recognized Joi for her achievements.  In 2007 she was presented with an Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and she received the 2006 Visionary Award from Office Depot.  She is a member of the Greater Queens Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.  The Harlem YMCA and Coalition of 100 Black Women in New York City, among other organizations, have presented Joi with community service awards to acknowledge her contributions.  A February 2007 cover story in Black Enterprise magazine recognized Joi’s leadership of Dress for Success as an example of successful social entrepreneurism.
                                                            
A lawyer, Joi worked as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx Criminal Court prior to joining the non-profit sector. 

Having earned her B.A. in radio/ television broadcasting, Joi received a juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

Joi lives in Queens with her husband Errol, where they own and operate a fleet of luxury limousines.  Her greatest joys are her two children, Sydney and Nicholas.