Dr. Natalie Neris is an educator, strategist, and founder of Root and Reimagine Consulting Collective. She partners with mission-driven organizations to align aspirational values with lived experience—moving bold visions into action through strategic design, infrastructure development, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. Grounded in her self-developed framework—Theory, Practice, and Proximity—Natalie ensures that strategy is not only research-driven but deeply informed by those closest to the work.

A third-generation public school graduate, Natalie knows firsthand that access to a quality education can change the trajectory of a life—especially for students in communities most impacted by injustice. She has dedicated her life to advancing educational equity and systems transformation. Natalie began her career in the classroom, where she became a National Board Certified teacher and received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. She holds degrees from Northeastern Illinois University and Concordia University, and completed her doctoral studies at National Louis University, where her research focused on radically inclusive policy design.

Natalie’s most recent served as Chief of Community Engagement at Kids First Chicago. She is a proud Surge Fellow, Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, and Pahara Fellow, and serves on the Board of Directors for Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. She is the mother of two young adult daughters, a proud plant mom, a lover of words, travel, food, connection—and a relentless advocate for the underdog