Empower Schools Announces Alyssa Morton as New CEO
December 16, 2022

Empower Schools is pleased to announce that Alyssa Morton is the organization’s new CEO. She follows in the footsteps of Chris Gabrieli, who co-founded Empower Schools in 2013. As part of Empower Schools’ partnership operating model, Chris will remain a core part of Empower’s leadership team, serving alongside five fellow Partners: Co-Founder Brett Alessi, Matthew Matera, Cara McKenna, Sarah Robb, and Alyssa Morton, who as CEO is also responsible for overall organizational leadership. 

“This leadership transition builds from our first decade of results and sets the stage for a new phase of impact.  Alyssa has been key to the organization’s development in her time here, and we are thrilled to have her stepping into this new role.” – Co-Founders and Partners Brett Alessi and Chris Gabrieli

Empower Schools partners with states and districts to advance opportunities and outcomes for Black, Latinx, and economically disadvantaged students, impacting tens of thousands of students in more than 10 different states. Building from Empower’s early expertise in empowering educators in district schools through the creation of empowerment zones and autonomous innovation schools, the Empower team has also added additional focus areas in rural innovation and early college, advancing both policy and practice to accelerate student success. 

“Throughout her tenure at Empower Schools and in her most recent role as Co-CEO, Alyssa has exhibited exceptional leadership skills, teamwork, and passion for Empower’s mission. The board is united in its belief that she is the right leader for this next stage in Empower Schools’ growth and maturity.” Jose Alvarez, Lead Director, Empower Schools Board of Directors

Alyssa joined Empower in 2016 and has held multiple roles in the organization, most recently as Co-CEO and Partner with particular responsibility for launching and leading Empower’s partnerships in her home state of Texas. Before joining Empower, Alyssa was part of the team at Bain & Company, where she had the opportunity to support several leading educational equity organizations in their strategic planning, performance management, and organizational design. She is also a former team member and Fellow at Education Pioneers in Washington, DC and New Orleans. Alyssa has a B.A. in Political Philosophy, Policy, and Law (PPL) from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Tylor and two children. 

For more information on Empower Schools’ team and work, visit empowerschools.org.