Phyllis Lockett has led major transformation efforts across education, housing, transportation, and business. She is currently CEO of LEAP-X, an education innovation consultancy designing solutions for the future of learning.

Previously, Ms. Lockett was the founding CEO of LEAP Innovations, a national nonprofit that partners with educators and technology companies to research, pilot, and scale instructional models and tools that advance student learning. Before that, she served as the founding President and CEO of New Schools for Chicago, a venture philanthropy through which she led the investment in, and launch of, 80 new public schools.

 Earlier in her career, Ms. Lockett was Executive Director of the Civic Consulting Alliance, a pro-bono consulting firm sponsored by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. In that role, she helped lead major initiatives for the City of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Transit Authority, and the Chicago Housing Authority. She played a pivotal role in the Chicago Housing Authority’s $1.5 billion Plan for Transformation, advising on organizational planning, resident relocation, capital construction, asset management, and economic development strategies.

 Her prior corporate experience includes sales, marketing, and business development roles at IBM, Kraft Foods, and General Mills.

 Ms. Lockett currently serves as a director of CME Group, advisor to GSV Ventures, and board chairperson of Noble Schools. She has also served on the boards of The Economic Club of Chicago, The Chicago Network, Adler Planetarium, SAGA Education, and ISTE+ASCD.

 She earned a Master of Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.