Chief Executive Officer
LESLIE ABBEY, ESQ. (she/her) is a nonprofit leader and social entrepreneur dedicated to expanding economic opportunity and advancing equity. As CEO of Hot Bread Kitchen, Leslie leads a dynamic team advancing economic mobility through workforce development and food entrepreneurship across New York City’s vibrant food industry. Under her leadership, the organization has more than doubled in size, and now serves more than 700 participants annually.
Leslie has served on many not-for-profit organizations’ Boards and Committees, including organizations she has launched. She is a co-founder and the Chair of the Board of Directors of Anthos|Home, which is transforming the way New Yorkers with housing vouchers source and rent housing, in partnership with a wide range of housing system stakeholders. Previously, she co-founded and was a longtime member of the Board of Directors of Family Legal Care (formerly LIFT), a non-profit organization that promotes access to justice in New York City’s Family Court. Leslie also serves on the Board of Managers of Swarthmore College, the Board of Trustees of NYU School of Law, and the Board of Directors of the NYC Employment and Training Coalition.
Leslie holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law and a B.A. with Honors from Swarthmore College. She has remained committed to building cross-sector partnerships that drive systems-level change, and is a frequent speaker on social entrepreneurship, leadership, and the power of bold, community-centered innovation.
A native New Yorker with a lifelong love of food, Leslie and her husband live in Manhattan, where they have raised two children and now share their home with a rescue puppy.
