Dr. Gisele C. Shorter is the third President and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, which funds community-rooted educational transformation that challenges racial inequities and advances excellent, student-centered public education for all New England youth. Foundational to Gisele’s career is the deep belief that an equitable society starts with an equitable education system. Over the last 15 years, she has led large-scale community-based programs, research and policy initiatives to advance justice and equity, close health disparities and ensure access and opportunities for Black and Brown youth and communities to flourish. Dr. Shorter most recently served as the Director of the National Education Strategy at the Raikes Foundation, where she was responsible for impact and strategy coherence across the K-12, post-secondary, education field building, and policy portfolios. She is a Distinguished Senior Fellow in the Office of Leadership and Innovation at NYU Steinhardt Department of Administration, Leadership, and Technology. In that capacity she advises doctoral students on a wide range of complex problems of practice–from the role of philanthropy in China’s evolving socio-political context to the role of district superintendents as agents for change. Dr. Shorter both facilitates and is a strategic designer of Leadership Summits across NYU’s international campuses.

 Dr. Shorter earned her Doctorate in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She holds a master’s degree from Long Island University and a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College. She is a Pahara Aspen Fellow and active member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.