Biography
Russlynn Ali has been a leading advocate for educational equity for more than two decades. For Ali, education is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time. Her early career as an educator and an attorney led to her role as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the Department of Education during President Obama’s first term, where she spearheaded the federal government’s renewed engagement with equity issues in schools across the nation. Previously, Ali was founding Executive Director of Education Trust-West; and Vice President of the Education Trust. Ali currently serves as Managing Director of the Education Fund at Emerson Collective and CEO and co-founder of XQ Institute with Laurene Powell Jobs. XQ is the nation’s leading organization committed to transforming high schools, so all students graduate ready for college, careers, and real life.
