Ruby Payne

Dr. Ruby K. Payne is the authority on working across economic classes to create sustainable communities where everyone can live well. Payne has written or coauthored 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 1.8 million copies and continues to help individuals of all economic backgrounds achieve academic, professional, and personal success. 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. Payne holds a Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago and is the founder of aha! Process, a training and consulting firm that has been in business for more than 20 years.