Cassandra H. Webster

Cassandra Hughes Webster is an accomplished innovator and creative thinker with a strong track record of fostering win-win relationships that enhance organizational outcomes. With over 20 years of experience as the Executive Director of The Memphis Challenge, Inc., a talent pipeline for high-achieving students of color, she has coached over 1500 high school and college students, emerging leaders, and their parents, empowering them to amplify their voices. In 2024, the Leadership In Excellence Scholarship Fund was established in her honor to recognize undergraduate and graduate Memphis Challenge alumni who embody her enduring vision and values of educational excellence, civic engagement, and community leadership.

As a certified Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ) coach and graduate of Michigan State University with a BA in Advertising and Marketing, Cassandra has provided leadership development training as a consultant for various organizations, including  Christian Brothers University School of Business, the City of Memphis, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center to name a few.

Her leadership has been recognized in several publications, and her contributions to the nonprofit sector have received significant acclaim.  She was recently named the 2025  Distinguished Alumnus of the Year by Leadership Memphis. In 2024, The Memphis Business Journal named her one of the 25 Top Women in Business, and in 2023, she served as the campaign treasurer for Mayor Paul Young. These accomplishments highlight her exceptional leadership skills and business acumen.

Cassandra is deeply committed to organizations that empower women and girls, holding various leadership roles. She serves as a trustee for the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, is an advisory board member for Baptist  Memorial Hospital for Women,  treasurer for Forward 901, Inc., and board chair of The Red Door, Inc. Her pivotal role in these organizations underscores her dedication to causes that positively impact the lives of women and children.

Cassandra is also a proud mother of two adult children and a daughter-in-love, and she cherishes