Interested in attending IFE’s 4th Annual Black Education Forum?
Past Senior Leadership Fellows
2021 Senior Leadership Fellows
ANTONIO A. SAUNDERS
Founder and CEO, The Experience Consulting Firm
- Phone: Entrepreneur, Educator, & Speaker
- Email: Antonio never asked for permission to change inequitable systems. As a teenager, he became financially independent and the patriarch of his family, navigating through racial systems in Birmingham, Alabama. For more than 15 years, Antonio has advised organizations across multiple sectors on race and equity to drive systems change. He works with chief executives and leadership teams in education, tech, and healthcare to apply a DEI lens on a range of issues that include strategy, innovation, and change management. With deep expertise leading complex systems during uncertain or pivotal moments, Antonio developed an equity change process that has transformed organizational operating models, services, and performance by centering on the experiences of the global majority. Amid the pandemic, Antonio leveraged his insights on generational trends and the future of work to help organizations across diverse industries and geographies digitize their user experience by scaling new technology and platforms for thousands of educators and front-line workers. Antonio hosts The Promised Land podcast and uses storyteller traditions passed down from his grandmother to galvanize audiences on topics that expand our collective consciousness and imagination. Antonio plans to use the IFE Fellowship to launch an organization that curates reclamation journeys for Black people to experience their full humanity, freedom, and dreams.
BERNEX RICHARDSON
Senior Director, Solution Discovery, Guild
- Phone: Education
- Email: Bernex Richardson is a DEI and education technology expert committed to creating educational and professional opportunities for individuals who have been denied access for far too long. Throughout his career, Bernex has served in education and program leadership positions at global tech companies, national education non-profits, and high performing charter and traditional public schools. His administrative and instructional experience include leading elementary and middle school literacy, school leadership as a Dean and Principal, supporting K-12 schools as a teacher and school leader coach and professional development facilitator, and leading state-wide and national initiatives related to higher education programs and partnerships. Currently, Bernex is a Senior Director of Solution Discovery at Guild Education, an EdTech startup that is on a mission to unlock opportunity for America’s workforce through education and upskilling with a double bottom line business model that does well by doing good. In this role, Bernex is responsible for leading market validation and solution discovery to enable Guild to explore new and expanded capabilities that extend Guild's programs to support adult learners while preparing organizations for the future. Prior to launching into his career, Bernex joined the Teach For America organization where he was a Greater New Orleans corps member. Bernex received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Music Education from the University of North Georgia, a senior army military academy located in Dahlonega, GA, and a Master of Science in Education degree from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. When Bernex is not at work, he is teaching indoor cycling across NYC and spending quality time with his partner, plants, and 12 year old Catahoula, Simba.
DANNY LACKEY
Central Office Administrator, Merrillville Community School Corporation
- Phone: Community School Corporation
- Email: Danny Lackey has spent the last several years working with children and families in mental health and educational settings, specializing in the treatment and service to children and adolescents. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Indiana University and a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Purdue University. In 2014 he received his administrative license after completing his administrative coursework at Indiana Wesleyan University. In 2017 he received a 2nd Master’s in Specialist in Education from Ball State University. During the summer of 2019 he received a Doctorate Degree in Education from Ball State University ——Dr. Lackey has been noted for his work with a diversity club called S.T.A.N.D. (Socially Together and Naturally Diverse) in Merrillville, Indiana. S.T.A.N.D. is a student-led club that promotes an appreciation for diversity by doing various community service and social justice projects and activities throughout the year. Dr. Lackey has been a Guidance Counselor and Coordinator of Diversity Programming for Merrillville Schools and in 2013 he was promoted to an administrative position, Director of Diversity and Student Support Services. In his new role ——Dr. Lackey has been responsible for supervising school social workers corporation-wide, the school nursing department, as well as overseeing the climate, cultural and social-emotional issues as it relates to student achievement. Lastly, Dr. Lackey serves as the District 504 Plan Coordinator, P.B.I.S. (Positive Behavior and Intervention and Support) Coordinator, the McKinney-Vento Liaison for the district, the Point of Contact Person for foster students in Merrillville Schools, and oversees the diversity and cultural competency training for the Merrillville School Corporation. ——*Biographies are considered current for the submission year only.
TITILOLA (TITI) HARLEY
Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Phone: Foundation
- Email: Titilola Harley is a Program Officer on the K-12 Education team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this role, she works with grantees and partners to explore the elements of effective educational solutions and practices that are integral to improving the educational experiences and academic outcomes of students who are Black, Latino, English learner-designated, and/or are experiencing poverty (e.g. culturally responsive and sustaining education, social emotional learning, language learner supports, etc.). ——Titi started her career in education as a Business Analyst in the Office of Special Education at DC Public Schools and then transitioned to management consulting to pursue her interest in helping education agencies better meet the needs of students from all backgrounds. As a consultant, she led and supported projects in areas such as strategic planning, performance management, program implementation and evaluation and data system adoption with educators across the United States. In 2017 she branched out and founded her own consulting firm, Harley Consulting Group, which supports a variety of organizations including non-profits, start-ups, and foundations to help them successfully manage change and develop and implement strategies exceed their goals. ——Titi is passionate about expanding equitable access to high quality, culturally responsive education, and working collaboratively to solve problems and improve opportunities and outcomes for the most vulnerable students. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the George Washington University School of Business and serves on the university’s National Council for Education and Human Development. Titi loves to travel, and she and her husband live in Maryland with their 4-year-old son, Caleb, and 2-year-old daughter, Chole. ——*Biographies are considered current for the submission year only.
