Erika Bryant

Areas of Expertise:  Areas of Expertise: School Leadership, Dual Language Acquisition, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Community Engagement, Finance and Operations, Talent/Human Resources, Real Estate Facilities Procurement, Start-Up, Governance, and Fundraising

Erika Bryant is a nonprofit executive with more than 30 years of leadership in education and international development. She began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, West Africa, where she taught English and discovered her lifelong passion for language, learning, and travel. Erika later worked with international organizations across Africa to improve health and education outcomes in underserved communities.

In the United States, Erika has served as a school administrator, policy analyst, researcher, and nonprofit strategist dedicated to advancing youth and family well-being. She led the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School as Executive Director for more than a decade and now serves as its Chief Development Officer. In this role, she oversees fundraising and the cultivation of mission-aligned partnerships while contributing her expertise to the school’s strategic priorities.

Erika serves on the Board of Directors of One World Education, is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and mentors graduate students through the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Student Alumni Mentoring Initiative. She has also served on several local and international nonprofit boards and councils, including the Red Sweater Project, Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE), the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s School Leader Advisory Council, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education Alumni Council.

In 2022, Erika was named Chevalier of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French government, a national honor recognizing her dedication to promoting French language and culture in the United States. A proud alumna of Spelman College and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Erika enjoys walking with purpose, swimming, gardening, and discovering new places and perspectives. Her greatest joy, however, is being the mother of two phenomenal young adult sons.