Q. Olivia Rivers

Named one of the Houston Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, Q. Olivia Rivers is an award winning nonprofit executive, international speaker, leadership consultant, and advocate dedicated to transforming communities through courageous leadership and survivor-centered innovation. She serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, one of the Greater Houston area’s largest organizations providing comprehensive services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, stalking, and child abuse.

Rivers earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice & forensics from the University of Central Missouri before completing an Executive Leadership Certificate in Organizational Leadership at Northwestern University. As a former White House intern, she combines her background in public policy and executive leadership to champion initiatives that strengthen offender accountability, expand access to survivor services, and improve coordinated community responses to gender-based violence.

Beyond her role as CEO, Rivers recently founded Q. Olivia Consulting & Mosaic Mentoring, where she partners with nonprofit organizations, corporations, and emerging leaders to strengthen organizational culture, develop transformational leadership, advance BIPOC mentorship, and promote workplace wellness through a healing-centered approach.

Her influence extends far beyond the organization she leads. Rivers serves in leadership roles with numerous local and statewide boards and collaborates with government agencies, community organizations, businesses, and civic leaders to create safer, healthier, and more resilient communities throughout Greater Houston. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders and believes meaningful change happens when people are empowered to lead with authenticity, compassion, and purpose.

A lifelong dancer and choreographer, Rivers has uniquely integrated movement into advocacy, recognizing dance as a powerful form of storytelling, healing, liberation, and resilience. Whether leading a boardroom, speaking on an international stage, mentoring young professionals, or creating trauma-informed spaces through the arts, she remains committed to helping individuals and organizations move from surviving to thriving.