Zoë Richman
I am committed to providing compassionate, non-pathologizing, relational care, collaborating with clients to help them navigate challenges, recognize strengths, and feel moments of relief within the broader context of their lived experiences.
Graduate Fellow Zoë Richman supports the staff and affiliated faculty of the Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health (CISWH), contributing to strategic planning efforts and helping to introduce the systems dynamics framework to center. She was part of a Boston University (BU) collaborative virtual reality project on social determinants of health with BU’s School of Social Work, Medical School, and Nutrition Department, and presented the project’s pilot program at the American Public Health Association conference. Zoë also led a research project on political social work and is supporting the Beyond 2025 initiative.
Zoë began her career as an organizer, with NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, where she launched and led the organization’s first year-round fundraising canvass. There, she learned the psychology behind fundraising and saw firsthand that there is no replacement for a face-to-face conversation.
At ActBlue, a nonprofit tech company that powers digital fundraising for Democrats, Zoë directed teams that advised campaigns on digital organizing and fundraising strategy, collaborated with the tech side to surface campaign needs, and worked closely with national party committees and presidential campaigns. Through this work, she built a strong foundation in relationship-building, people management, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Zoë was drawn to social work to gain clinical, trauma-informed skills that would enhance her ability to support individuals—while working in a field rooted in social justice, systems-thinking, and the recognition of environmental influences. CISWH has been the tool through which she is bridging her political organizing and advocacy experience with the clinical path she is now on.
Zoë holds a Bachelor of Arts in Science, Society, and Policy with a minor in politics from Brandeis University. She earned a Master of Social Work at BU, specializing in trauma, justice, and oppression on the clinical track.