Every nonprofit faces challenges, but the right solutions look different for each organization.
That’s where Aubrey Sampson comes in. As the Nonprofit Leadership Center’s first Custom Solutions Specialist, she will cultivate and manage relationships with nonprofit, philanthropic, and corporate partners across Tampa Bay to solve real-world challenges and build capacity through custom training and support.
Aubrey is a skilled educator, facilitator, and strategist who joins the Nonprofit Leadership Center (NLC) after more than a decade of helping nonprofits and mission-driven organizations strengthen their work. She has extensive experience in bringing people together across sectors, mobilizing diverse groups, improving internal systems, and guiding teams through complex, values-driven projects.
“The Nonprofit Leadership Center seeks to hire team members who not only demonstrate the ability to excel at their role, but also have that extra something: the warmth, spark, and drive that fuel individual and team growth. We have found that in Aubrey Sampson.”
Before joining Team NLC, Aubrey held roles supporting communities experiencing domestic and sexual violence, including at Sunrise of Pasco County Domestic & Sexual Violence Center, the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and the University of South Florida. She is also an adjunct instructor at Saint Leo University in the College of Education and Social Services.
Outside of work, you can typically find Aubrey cooking, hanging out with her dogs, creating pottery, or planning her next trip to the mountains.
Meet Aubrey Sampson
We recently sat down with Aubrey to help you get to know the newest face at NLC. Here’s what she had to share with us.
What drew you to the Nonprofit Leadership Center and the Custom Solutions Specialist role?
I was drawn to the opportunity to work for an organization that focuses on serving individuals and organizations across the Tampa Bay area. I’m passionate about creating tailored learning experiences that improve, strengthen, or enhance programs and services. And, most importantly, I felt compelled to return to the community I come from and invest in supporting those who support others.
Custom solutions are all about meeting organizations where they are. What do you enjoy most about helping teams solve real-world challenges?
Supporting individuals who are striving to create meaningful change brings me tremendous joy. I am most inspired in spaces filled with people dedicated to improving the lives of those they serve. I enjoy the moments where innovation happens, alignment is found, or partnerships are solidified. Because I deeply value collaboration, I enjoy helping teams break down silos and join forces to address a shared problem. There is something truly special about taking an idea and helping bring it into reality.
At the Nonprofit Leadership Center, we’re all about lifelong learning. What is one area of your own leadership or professional development that you’re excited to keep strengthening?
I am ecstatic about all the ways I will be able to learn and grow at the Nonprofit Leadership Center! One area I’m currently working to strengthen is project management. I’m currently pursuing the Project Management Professional Certification. It has always felt natural for me to create structures and processes to complete tasks, but I’ve enjoyed receiving training that helps formalize some of my systems. I hope this skillset will better equip me to support the nonprofits I work with at NLC.
What’s one piece of advice you’ve received during your career that has stuck with you?
Through observing my mentors, collaborators, and peers, I learned the power of building with people rather than for them. We must hear from and listen to the community we aim to support. Understanding is the first step toward creating a connection or finding a viable solution. Intentional collaboration and mutual development lead to deeper learning and more meaningful relationships.
What motivates you on the hard days in nonprofit work?
I remain motivated because I know the mission continues. With a foundation in the domestic and sexual violence response and prevention field, it is often the hardest days that push me to dig deeper and remind me why we do this important work. Those difficult days are reminders that our efforts are needed.
What is one thing most people would be surprised to learn about you?
It may come as a surprise that I am an avid birder, specifically birds of prey! I find them so fascinating and beautiful. Whether it is a red-tailed hawk, an osprey, or an eagle, I’m always captivated by their poise and grace. Also, if you have not attended before, I highly recommend going to Raptor Fest. It is a free, annual, family-friendly event held at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg, featuring live demonstrations of trained raptors in free flight, environmental exhibits, bird walks, and photo opportunities with live birds of prey.
Please join us in welcoming Aubrey Sampson to the Nonprofit Leadership Center!
