Erika Halstead is a nonprofit leader dedicated to closing the opportunity gap through education. She is currently the CEO of Minds Matter, a national organization that connects low-income students with the people, preparation, and opportunities to get to, through, and beyond college. Prior to becoming CEO, she led the New York City chapter of Minds Matter for nine years. In her career she has served as a bilingual elementary school teacher, lecturer in literature at Hunter College, and as the Senior Program Officer at Humanities New York. Erika holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and a EdM from Teachers College, Columbia University. She was named a “40 Under 40 Rising Star” by the Hispanic Coalition of New York and an inaugural member of the Pinkerton Advanced Leadership Network for nonprofit leaders of color.