Erika Halstead is the chief executive officer of Minds Matter, a national organization that connects economically disadvantaged students with the people, preparation, and opportunities to get to, through, and beyond college. Prior to joining the national office, Erika led the New York City chapter of Minds Matter as executive director for nine years. In her career, she has served as a bilingual elementary school teacher, lecturer in literature at Hunter College, the senior program officer at Humanities New York, and a master facilitator and trainer. She was named a “40 Under 40 Rising Star” by the Hispanic Coalition of New York in 2018 and an inaugural member of the Pinkerton Advanced Leadership Network for nonprofit leaders of color in 2021. Erika holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and a EdM from Teachers College, Columbia University.