Shalanda Young

This political powerhouse is breaking glass ceilings one budget at a time. In March, Shalanda Young was confirmed as the director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget after already serving in the role for months. Young is the first Black woman to hold the crucial position, and she’s already made a name for herself at the office. Despite the name (pun very much intended) Young is hardly a newbie to politics. She’s been hard at work in Washington for the last twenty years, with a notable former position as the Democrat’s staff director on the House Appropriations Committee. Young has done more than just break down archaic race and gender barriers in the White House and in Washington. She’s also helped spearhead some pretty major racial equity initiatives from the Biden White House that crossed several agencies. For her work breaking barriers and bringing support to the community, we gladly give her a prime seat on the Root 100 list.