Ruby Payne is the authority on working across economic classes to create sustainable communities where everyone can live well. Payne holds a Ph.D. from Loyola University and is founder of aha! Process, a publishing and training firm that recently celebrated its 20th year of operation. aha! Process has garnered several awards for its publications and continues to grow.
An engaging and down-to-earth speaker, Dr. Payne translates abstract concepts into concrete strategies with a sense of humor that leaves audiences wanting more.
After changing the conversation in education to focus on poverty, Dr. Payne’s work has expanded into social services, criminal justice, healthcare, the workplace, and more. Dr. Payne has written or co-authored more than a dozen books, including Bridges Out of Poverty with Philip DeVol and Terie Dreussi-Smith. Her seminal, award-winning work, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, has sold more than 1.5 million copies and continues to help individuals of all economic backgrounds achieve academic, professional, and personal success.
Dr. Payne’s efforts to fight poverty have achieved a global reach, and she has presented her work in Australia, China, Europe, India, North America, and Southeast Asia.
Dr. Payne has also published books with Solution Tree Press and the Association for Middle Level Education. With consultants and publications around the world, aha! Process helps communities move individuals, families, and entire neighborhoods out of poverty and into sustainability and growth.