Tiara Wheatley is an educator, mentor, equity advocate, and lifelong Chicagoan. She currently serves as Chief of Staff at the Surge Institute, where she manages and leads the Office of the CEO, and is responsible for driving strategic alignment across departments and supporting executive decision-making. Prior to this, Tiara served for three years as Vice President of Alumni Impact at Surge, where she led programming and engagement for a growing network of nearly 500 senior education leaders of color.

Tiara is also the founder of the Young Women’s Leadership Society (YWLS) and the annual Little Black Dress Night (LBDN). YWLS is a STEM-focused mentorship and leadership development program dedicated to empowering high school girls of color in Chicago with interests in STEM, entrepreneurship, and public service. LBDN complements this work by convening Chicago’s female STEM and business leaders to raise funds, uplift young talent, and honor women who are challenging the status quo and driving innovation.

Before joining Surge in February 2022, Tiara spent more than a decade at Chicago Tech Academy High School (ChiTech). As Assistant Principal, she led the school’s shift to restorative practices, eliminated exclusionary discipline policies, and launched ChiTech’s first Race & Equity Working Group. She later served as Senior Director of Philanthropy and Corporate Engagement, leading fundraising and real-world learning programs.

A proud product of the Chicago Public School system, Tiara earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and holds a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Loyola University. She is also a 2020 alumna of the Surge Fellowship (Chicago). Her mission is rooted in the betterment of BIPOC communities and creating lasting change through leadership, love, and legacy.

Janaia Nash is a seasoned professional with experience leading teams, developing strategy, and implementing and expanding programs. As the Chief Program Officer at Surge Institute, she oversees programs – including Surge Fellowship, Surge Academy, and the Black Principals Network – that are dedicated to developing, connecting, and elevating education leaders of color. These programs empower leaders to drive systemic change and advance equity for youth, families, and marginalized communities.

Prior to joining Surge, Janaia served as the Chief Program Officer for Travis Manion Foundation, a national veteran nonprofit, championing causes that amplified the military and veteran community. As a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a combat veteran, she found renewed purpose in continued service in the nonprofit space to affect change and support communities in need.

A civil servant at heart, Janaia’s passion to give back extends outside of her professional career where she mentors BIPOC youth to guide and assist them to live up to their fullest potential. She is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Do More Together (West Point’s Black Alumni Association), Chief (network supporting women executive leaders), and volunteers with various non-profit organizations. She holds a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management from Webster University. And she spends her free time visiting and traveling with family and friends and trying to make the world a better place by living out the ethos of “If Not Me, Then Who.”

Dr. Amanda Aiken is a nationally recognized leadership strategist, executive coach, facilitator, and former school system executive who helps leaders and organizations build the capacity to lead through growth, change, and complexity. As Founder and CEO of the A.Leigh Ecosystem, she partners with school systems, nonprofits, foundations, and mission-driven organizations across the United States to strengthen executive teams, develop leaders, design succession strategies, and build cultures where people and organizations thrive.

With more than two decades of leadership experience, Dr. Aiken has served as a teacher, instructional coach, turnaround principal, district executive, and chief of schools. She previously served as Senior Chief of Schools Officer for NOLA Public Schools, where she led school performance, leadership development, and systemwide improvement efforts. Earlier in her career, she led one of New Orleans' most improved schools, earning recognition for accelerating student outcomes and developing high-performing teams.

A respected thought partner and speaker, Dr. Aiken is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), and a certified facilitator in multiple leadership and team effectiveness frameworks. She is also a 2026 Tory Burch Foundation Fellow and serves nationally as Co-Chair of Links University: Training for Excellence for The Links, Incorporated.

Dr. Aiken earned her Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) from Harvard University, a Master of Arts from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College. She is passionate about helping leaders build organizations that are not only high-performing, but deeply human, sustainable, and built to outlast any one individual.