Meet the Mastermind

Ashley lynn priore

She’s not just playing the game differently - she’s changing the rules entirely.

Ashley Lynn Priore is the strategist leaders call when it’s time to think differently - and lead with precision. A nationally recognized chess innovator, entrepreneur, and civic disruptor, Ashley is a leading expert in strategic decision-making, systems thinking, and intergenerational power-building. She’s transforming chess from a game into a global framework for agency, equity, and leadership - one bold move at a time.

Ashley is the Founder, President & CEO of Queens Gambit, a national nonprofit using chess to equip 2,000+ youth annually with critical thinking, confidence, and leadership skills. She also leads Queenside Ventures, a consulting firm that helps executives, athletes, and mission-driven brands achieve strategic clarity, decision architecture, and purpose-driven communications. Her client roster includes top CEOs, entrepreneurs, and NFL powerhouses.

A former chess phenom who began teaching at age 8, Ashley launched Queens Gambit at 14 to democratize access to chess and reimagine it as a tool for personal and social transformation. She has since built a first-of-its-kind career using chess to help people navigate complexity, lead boldly, and change systems from within.

By 25, she had founded seven ventures - including the nation’s first youth-led campaign strategy firm - and led the national push for a White House Youth Policy Council. In 2019, she made history as one of Pennsylvania’s youngest candidates for public office, quickly becoming a rising force in civic reform.

Ashley is also a seasoned board director, having held leadership roles on more than a dozen nonprofit boards, including a recent tenture as Board Chair of City of Bridges High School. She currently serves on the boards of Women and Girls Foundation, Western PA Bleeding Disorders Foundation, Center for Hearing & Deaf Services, and was appointed in 2023 by Governor Josh Shapiro to the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Next Gen Engagement.

She is the host of Queen Me!, a podcast spotlighting disruptors who reshaped their industries. Her thought leadership has been featured in Forbes, Fox Sports, Katie Couric Media, and Elite Daily. Her honors include Forbes 30 Under 30, Obama Foundation USA Leader, and a feature in The Epic Mentor Guide alongside Hoda Kotb, Tyra Banks, and Bobbi Brown.

Ashley also leads Project d4, a global initiative to teach one million women how to play chess - and lead strategically. Whether advising NFL athletes or shaping the next wave of changemakers, Ashley is turning every chessboard into a launching pad for impact. She doesn’t just challenge systems—she rearchitects them.