LaVerne Evans Srinivasan

LaVerne Evans Srinivasan is a national leader in education and philanthropy. Most recently, LaVerne served as Vice President National Program, Program Director, Education at Carnegie Corporation of New York, where she oversaw the foundation’s education grantmaking – directing up to $65 million annually. At Carnegie, LaVerne led the Corporation’s grantmaking and strategic efforts focused on strengthening K–12 education through community engagement, improved teaching and leadership, innovative learning models, and integrated pathways for students’ college and career success. LaVerne has deep expertise in urban school reform, nonprofit education, and education technology. Before joining Carnegie, she served as Deputy Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, where she spearheaded long‑term strategic planning and launched Project Home Run — a system that significantly improved teacher and principal recruitment and placement in high-need schools nationwide. She also served as President of New Leaders for New Schools, guiding the organization’s expansion into multiple urban districts. Later, she led Time to Know, an ed‑tech company that delivered integrated tools for deeper learning, project-based work, assessment, and curriculum planning. LaVerne also co-founded FieroNow, a tech startup dedicated to helping education organizations collect and respond to stakeholder feedback. Earlier in her career, LaVerne worked as a lawyer at Shearman & Sterling LLP, before moving into the entertainment industry at BMG Entertainment, where she rose to General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs. An Aspen Global Leadership Fellow and Pahara Fellow, LaVerne has been a long-standing champion of research and policy innovation. She has partnered with leading institutions such as the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the Stanford Educational Opportunity Project, and Opportunity Insights. Most recently, she helped launch the Carnegie Young Leaders for Civic Preparedness initiative through the Institute for Citizens and Scholars.