Erica Beal is the Executive Director of School Leader Lab, a nonprofit organization focused on developing transformative education leaders across the leadership pipeline, from Teacher Leaders to Chiefs and Executive Directors. Under her leadership, School Leader Lab has grown beyond its DC origins to establish partnerships with Teach for America's Greater Delta region and Richmond Public Schools. School Leader Lab's current and future potential for impact was recently recognized with a $2 million gift from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Award.

Before becoming the Executive Director, Erica served on the program team at School Leader Lab for four years. Prior to that, Erica spent a decade as a teacher and school leader. At KIPP DC, she was recognized as Teacher of the Year before moving into school leadership. During her five years as a school leader, her grade levels achieved the highest ELA growth rates in DC on state assessments, which resulted in her school earning recognition as a Bold Improvement School from EmpowerK12. Erica began her career as a Teach for America corps member at Harlem Success Academy, where her third-grade students achieved 95% proficiency on state exams.

A Georgetown University graduate with a Master's in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, Erica is also an ICF-certified coach. Erica was named a 2023 Nonprofit Leader of the Year by the Greater Washington Community Foundation and recipient of the David Bradt Award with its related $15,000 scholarship. Erica leveraged the opportunity to continue her development through Harvard Business School's Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management course.

Erica is a devoted member of the Beyhive and has attended eight of Beyoncé's nine world tours. She lives in Maryland with her husband John, a fellow educator with over 20 years of experience, and their three rambunctious children, including a set of boy/girl twins.