Bela Shah Spooner

About Bela Shah Spooner

Nationally respected systems-change executive who has spent two decades aligning philanthropy, public systems, cross-sector partnerships, and grassroots coalitions to advance racial equity in education. My passion lies at the center of poverty reduction and racial wealth equity with educational opportunities as the catalyst for economic mobility. Top Career Achievements• Spearheaded a national movement to transform local government officials into champions for education, enabling 1 million+ new students access to enrichment programs and facilitated municipal investment in youth grow to $2 Billion+ in 2022.• Built deep relationships with philanthropic leaders and successfully raised over $30 million in grants for community-wide educational initiatives.• Established 150+ strategic partnerships with state and federal government agencies, nonprofits, K12 and postsecondary education institutions, corporations, state and national advocacy organizations, and philanthropy to create large-scale educational impact and sustainable change.• Developed and managed 11 multi-year, citywide initiatives that promoted community schools, reduced student food/housing insecurity for postsecondary students, closed opportunity gaps, and built new pathways to high wage STEM careers for older youth and young adults.• Led staff team through the COVID-pandemic producing a record number of resources for the field. I\'m passionate about building strategic partnerships that unlock resources and enhance access to educational opportunities for young people. Throughout my 20+ year career, I have a proven track record of driving high impact change efforts in communities across the nation by cultivating influential champions for education, building bridges between diverse stakeholders, leveraging resources, and increasing local, state and federal investments to ensure low-income children and youth of color have an equal chance at success.All young people deserve access to diverse opportunities that will set them up for success. As a child of immigrants whose family struggled financially, but taught me how to self-advocate, my educational equity work is personal.I leverage my powerful abilities to listen and authentically connect with people, identify non-traditional stakeholders for impactful partnerships, understand the educational needs at the local, state, and national level, and design and manage innovative solutions to drive greater alignment and collaboration for systemic educational improvement. Let’s connect to transform possibilities into action!

Experience

1. Executive Member

   International Leap Network

   Mar 2024 — Present

   LEAP is a private exclusive network for members of the #LeapAcademy Program: executive leaders across all sectors, entrepreneurs, and high achievers from around the world who inspire and drive growth and impact on themselves, their work and their communities. This is a professional development and executive leadership coaching network I joined to level up my leadership skills to transition into executive leadership and strategy development to impact more organizations, children, families, and communities around the nation and globe.

Education

• Columbia University

  MA with courses towards a Doctorate in Education, Education Policy Analysis

• Teachers College, Columbia University

  MA, Sociology and Education, Concentration in Education Policy

  1998 — 2000

• University of Pennsylvania

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Major: Psychology Minor: Spanish