Erika Bryant, Chief Development Officer at the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School (Stokes School) in Washington, DC has spent three decades working at the intersection of education, community development, and social justice both domestically and internationally. She is no stranger to leadership roles, with two decades of leadership experience at Stokes School. She recently completed the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Executive Education program, Empowering Black Leaders, to “reflect, recharge, and sharpen my approach to leading through change, address persistent inequities in education funding, and manage the emotional and relational demands of long-term nonprofit leadership while sustaining my own well-being.”
Erika is a lifelong learner, always finding new ways to challenge herself professionally and deepen her knowledge in her field. She brought this enthusiasm to the Empowering Black Leaders classroom, where she was excited to learn and work with a new network of leaders driving change. “I was eager to connect with other experienced professionals, share stories and strategies, and expand my professional network in a meaningful way,” she said. “I was looking for a space where I could learn alongside peers who understand the weight and responsibility of leadership and who are equally committed to purpose-driven work.”
Purpose was a consistent theme when asked what Erika’s biggest takeaways from the program are. She said, “The program helped me reconnect to my “why” and reshaped how I approach leadership in this phase of my career. I feel more grounded, more confident in my voice, and more intentional about how I show up in both staff leadership and external partnerships. It reminded me that leadership can be both rigorous and deeply human.”
In her current role, Erika leads the school’s fundraising and partnership development efforts and provides strategic advisory support to advance the school’s long-term sustainability, including planning for the launch of a new foundation to support this work. After completing Empowering Black Leaders, she now has a completely new approach to her leadership. “One of the most meaningful shifts I made after returning from the program was becoming more reflective about my leadership presence: how I listen, how I engage in complex conversations, and how I assess dynamics in the room,” she said. “I became more thoughtful about how I adapt my leadership style to different situations while staying true to my values, which has been especially helpful in fundraising conversations where trust, confidence, and clarity matter deeply.”
In addition to transforming her leadership approach, the program also empowered her with tangible skills that can now be utilized in her work. “The program deepened how I think about access to capital and the historic barriers that continue to shape who gets funded and how,” she said. “That perspective now more explicitly informs how I approach prospect research, foundation strategy, and donor engagement for Stokes School. It strengthened the way I articulate both the moral and economic case for investing in Black-led institutions serving children and families of color.”
“Executive Education at HKS is both transformational and practical,” Erika said. “You gain real tools you can use immediately, but just as importantly, you gain perspective, clarity, and community. The combination of rigorous content, thoughtful facilitation, and a powerful peer network creates an experience that stays with you long after the program ends.”
As a testament to how impactful her time in the program was, Erika recommended it to a colleague who will be attending the program in the spring, allowing for even further organizational change. “Seeing another senior leader choose this experience based on my recommendation has been one of the clearest signs of how the learning has extended beyond me and into our leadership culture,” she said.
Erika also returned to the Stokes School with a clear, reinvigorated vision of what next steps to take to ensure a thriving future for the school. “In the near term, I am focused on strengthening the long-term sustainability of Stokes School by helping to build the next phase of its philanthropic and institutional support. This includes deepening our fundraising strategy, expanding partnerships, and contributing to the creation of new structures that will support the school’s mission for generations to come,” she said.
“In the longer term, I hope to expand my citywide impact through board service, civic engagement, and volunteerism focused on equity in education and wellness. The skills I gained through Empowering Black Leaders - especially around purpose, collaboration, and resilient leadership - will guide me through the next chapter of my career and my continued service to the community.”