Earl Martin Phalen

Earl Martin Phalen has a diverse work experience spanning multiple organizations and roles. Earl began their career in 1992 as the Co-Founder and former CEO of BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life), where they worked until 2008. From 1997 to 1999, they also served as a Fellow at Ashoka. In 2009, they founded and became the CEO of Summer Advantage USA, a program that offers high-quality summer learning opportunities to children. In 2012, they founded and became the CEO of Phalen Leadership Academies, which operates charter schools for children in Indiana. Earl Martin Phalen also served as the Social Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2014 to 2015. Currently, they hold the position of President and CEO at Great Jobs KC, a program that supports young adults and adults in low-income communities on their path to good careers. Earl is also a Member of the Board of Trustees at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation since 2016.

Earl Martin Phalen obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Political Science and Government from Yale University in the years 1986 to 1989. Earl then pursued a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School from 1990 to 1993.