Leshia Hoot

About Leshia Hoot

With 25+ years of experience driving strategic growth, managing change, leading across functions, building strong partnerships, and strengthening operations, I lead teams to deliver meaningful impact. I am passionate about leading organizations that inspire curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning. My leadership style focuses on empowering people - staff, partners, and community alike - to share bold ideas and do their best work. My career has spanned early-stage software start-ups, large multi-national companies and non-profit organizations, and through each experience I’ve worked to create lasting change. A proud longtime Austinite, I’m passionate about building a thriving education ecosystem in Texas.

Experience

1. Chief Operating Officer

   Thinkery

   Aug 2024 — Present · Austin, TX, US

   Lead organization-wide transformation by strengthening operations, financial discipline, and cross-departmental alignment, improving efficiency, rebuilding earned revenue streams, and positioning Thinkery for long-term sustainability and growth.• Lead a high-performing executive leadership team, enhancing collaboration, decision-making, and accountability to drive mission-aligned results and advance strategic priorities.• Redesigned annual planning and budgeting processes by introducing clear KPIs, accountability frameworks, and performance dashboards, boosting transparency, agility, and goal attainment across the organization.• Champion capital improvements, donor engagement, and community partnerships to revitalize exhibits, strengthen fundraising, and expand access to play-based STEAM learning for families across Central Texas.

Education

• Harvard Business School Executive Education

  Certificate in Business Strategy

Skills

• Competitive Analysis
• Product Marketing
• Analytics
• Business Strategy
• Marketing Communications
• Web Content
• Go-to-Market Strategy
• B2b Marketing
• Digital Strategy
• Strategic Partnerships
• Early Childhood Education
• Social Impact Assessment
• Business Analysis
• Strategy
• Marketing Strategy
• Online Marketing
• Educational Technology
• Strategic Planning
• Product Management
• Brand Development
• Segmentation
• Corporate Communications
• Management
• Leadership
• Marketing