Dr. Destiny McLennan

Destiny McLennan, Ph.D. is an innovative leader in sociological research and evaluation with a passion for amplifying the voices of those who have been systemically excluded or marginalized. 

As the Director of Applied Research at Pacific Community Ventures’ leading-edge Good Jobs Innovation Lab, Destiny is dedicated to using research to help foundations and philanthropists, policymakers, and impact investors measure and communicate the outcomes of their investments while increasing their impact. She is committed to fostering a culture of innovation by optimizing impact in communities who have been underestimated, serving as a thought leader to CDFIs and other community practitioners. 

Destiny brings substantial experience to this position, leveraging her expertise in culturally responsive and equitable evaluation methods in K-12 and higher education systems to lead research focused on addressing and closing racial and gender wealth gaps. Prior to joining PCV, Destiny supported foundations, school districts, colleges, and community based organizations in understanding the problems students were facing and developing solutions to support them.

She has a Ph.D. in higher education and organizational change from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a M.S.Ed. in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania. Destiny is also a 200hr certified yoga instructor, believing that maintaining a focus on her practice is the driving force of success in other areas of her life.