Brenda leads SCRI as Managing Partner and serves as Chief Impact Officer for BellXcel. She is a longtime visionary in the field of OST and youth development. Brenda oversees research and evaluation and develops solutions to elevate the quality and impact of educational experiences nationally.
For more than 15 years, Brenda has worked at the intersection of research, policy, and practice, translating key learnings to positively influence the education and well-being of young people and their families. Her insight and expertise have led organizations and communities to develop strategies that expand their capacity to serve more young people.
Prior to joining BellXcel, Brenda founded and led The Learning Agenda, a consultancy dedicated to building knowledge and capacity in the nonprofit, philanthropic and education sectors. She also served as vice president of the National Summer Learning Association. Brenda has a particular interest in studying the pivotal role that summer, afterschool, sports, arts, and enrichment programs play in supporting the holistic development and academic trajectories of youth.
Brenda holds a MA in Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University, and a BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Pittsburgh.
BellXcel is governed by a Board of Directors who provide oversight, leadership and counsel to meet the organization’s strategic priorities.
Chair, Executive Director, Samberg Family Foundation
Vice Chair, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs & Co.
Executive Advisor, Thomas H. Lee Partners
Managing Partner, Bulger Capital
Chief Investment Officer, Spencer Foundation
Managing Director, Thomas H. Lee Partners
Managing Partner, GPS Risk Management Advisors, LLC
Owner, AK Consulting
CEO, District Management Council; Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School
Managing Partner, Ernst & Young (retired)
Francis Keppel Professor of Practice of Educational Policy and Administration, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Chief Executive Officer, BellXcel
Deputy Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Boston
Managing Director, Comcast Ventures
Partner and Americas Forensic & Integrity Services Leader, EY Boston
SCRI’s strong network of experts in youth development and education guides our innovative work. In addition to providing specific expertise on engagements, our Research Advisory Board shapes our most pressing questions, as well as our methods to answer them.
Senior Researcher, Mathematica Policy Research
Senior Fellow, Center for Excellence in Survey Research, NORC at the University Chicago
Policy Researcher, The RAND Corporation
Chair, Independent Consultant
Managing Director, American Institutes for Research