Innovation For Equity Inc

Innovation For Equity (IFE) is a network of changemakers in education – including K-12 district leaders,  higher education officials, entrepreneurs, researchers,  investors, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders – committed to transforming the life outcomes of Black learners of all ages. IFE connects and cultivates Black leaders across the education ecosystem to build collective power and advance innovative solutions, shaping a future where Black learners of all ages thrive. IFE seeks to blend the moral vision of a civil rights organization with the innovation and urgency of Silicon Valley. We aim to achieve lasting racial and educational equity through an intentional strategy of empowering and growing the number of Black leaders who can develop and deliver innovative, high-quality practices and policies at scale. 

IFE’s approach is rooted in two main areas: supporting transformational leaders and scaling innovation. Research shows the demonstrated effects of hiring and retaining Black and other leaders of color on student, school, and organizational outcomes. To change the paradigm where reforms impacting Black learners are too often designed without the input of Black education professionals, IFE aims to develop a deeper bench of Black leaders positioned to accelerate the path of Black learners through innovative practices and policies. 

Through its signature Senior Leadership Fellowship, generative summits and other learning events, promising research, and growing community, IFE is a recognized leader in convening and cultivating Black talent and advancing Black-designed and -led education innovations and solutions. 

 Current programmatic efforts include: 

• Leadership Development and Capacity Building to connect and cultivate Black education leaders from the public, private, social and philanthropic sectors through skill building and critical social networking. This includes our flagship Senior Leadership Fellowship, an EdTech Leaders Peer Cohort launched in February 2024, and a HigherEd Leaders Peer Cohort launching in fall 2024.
• Summits and other learning events, both in-person and virtual, for Black leaders and allies across the education ecosystem to connect, collaborate, and disseminate thought leadership, including the annual HBCU EdTech Summit/Career Fair and Black Education Forum.
  1. Over 1,500 leaders have participated in IFE Summits and events to date
• Research to identify, codify, and share what is driving outcomes for Black leaders and learners 
• Annual Awards to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of Black education leaders who have leveraged innovation to improve outcomes for Black learners

IFE’s distinct approach as simultaneously cross-sector and cradle-to-career-focused makes IFE unique among other existing leadership networks that may focus primarily on a portion of the learner cycle such as K-12, or only on the public or social sectors. IFE, by design, intentionally reflects and enlists the full breadth of the education ecosystem.

IFE’s efforts to date have benefited from contributions by organizations that include the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, NewSchools Venture Fund, Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Lumina Foundation, HMH, Vistria Group, Curriculum Associates, Knowledge Leaders Group, Cambium Learning, and Edmentum.