Dr. Tequilla Brownie is the Chief Executive Officer of TNTP, where she leads the organization’s visioning, strategy and operations, and business growth and social impact. TNTP’s mission is focused on transforming education to ensure all young people are empowered to access multiple pathways to academic, economic, & social mobility & ultimately thrive in life, careers & democracy. As one of the preeminent national education non-profits in the country, TNTP’s 650 staff support a broad client portfolio across 40 states and territories, reaching over 6,000 schools and 19 million students.

A sought-after speaker for global conferences, a 2025 ASU-GSV Power of Women Winner and one the first names listed on Brightbeam's top 30 list of education influencers, Dr. Brownie is an innovative thought leader tapped for her insights in and beyond public education. Her own personal journey from a childhood spent in deep rural poverty to Yale to CEO of TNTP gives her a unique and timely perspective on the complexity of the public systems that undergird our economy.

Prior to becoming CEO, Dr. Brownie spent a decade at TNTP developing the business and leadership acumen required to run a large, complex, professional services organization. Her success in leveraging a broad base of relationships to elevate the national profile of the organization while increasing both the number and value of philanthropic supporters and national partners helped secure TNTP’s position among the vanguard of education non-profits.

Before joining TNTP, Dr. Brownie led efforts to improve student outcomes in Memphis City Schools by increasing teacher effectiveness. In her role, she built community support for quality education and drove human capital reforms that led to significant policy changes and increased the number of effective teachers.

Dr. Brownie is also a licensed therapist and former school social worker. She holds a BA in Psychology from Yale University, an MS in Social Work from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, and an Ed.D in Education Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Memphis.

Dr. Brownie is a strategist and thought leader at the national and local level, driving innovations to yield improved outcomes for all young people. She lends her expertise as a board member for organizations including Stand for Children, Policy Innovators In Education (PIE) Network, ForwARd Arkansas, Deans for Impact, and Memphis Seeding Success. In addition to serving as a Senior Fellow at FutureEd at Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy, Dr. Brownie is a Pahara fellow and a member of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC) and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.