Yale SOM Names Natasha Trivers Executive Director of The Broad Center
Natasha Trivers, who currently serves as CEO of Democracy Prep Public Schools, will begin her role at The Broad Center at Yale SOM in July 2025.
The Yale School of Management has appointed Natasha Trivers as assistant dean and the Anita and Joshua Bekenstein ’80 B.A. Executive Director of The Broad Center at the Yale School of Management, starting in July 2025. Trivers, who completed the Fellowship for Public Education Leadership at The Broad Center in 2023, has served as CEO of Democracy Prep Public Schools since 2019.
Established in 2019 with a $100 million gift from The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, The Broad Center at Yale SOM fosters the ideas, collaboration, and leadership to help all students in K-12 public schools—particularly those from underserved communities—to learn and thrive. The Center prepares and supports transformational leaders from diverse backgrounds through two leadership development programs; develops essential research on effective public education system leadership; and fosters connections among education practitioners and researchers to drive better outcomes for students and communities. In her role as executive director, Trivers will set the vision and strategy for The Broad Center to continue its impact with mid-career and senior public education leaders, working collaboratively with the Yale SOM community, researchers and policymakers studying education, leaders of school systems across the country, and the Broad alumni network. A former English teacher, Trivers brings deep leadership experience in public school systems to the role, as well as her personal connections to The Broad Center and Yale SOM through her participation in the Fellowship.
Kerwin K. Charles, the Indra K. Nooyi Dean and Frederic D. Wolfe Professor of Economics, Policy, and Management, said Trivers’s background and perspective are the right fit for the next stage of growth of The Broad Center. “Natasha has been a visionary leader at every level, from the classroom to a multi-state public charter network. Her approach to leadership is both courageous and thoughtful, and I am thrilled for what comes next as she builds on the strong foundation of The Broad Center at Yale SOM.”
Trivers takes the helm of The Broad Center from Hanseul Kang. Kang served as the inaugural executive director of the Center at SOM after its many years as an independent program, and oversaw the creation of the Master’s in Public Education Management and the Fellowship for Public Leadership, the Center’s signature education leadership programs. As an alumna herself (The Broad Residency, 2012-14), Kang wanted to carry forward what made the Broad experience special and continue to forge strong connections among the Broad network of more than 1,000 alumni, many of whom still work in K-12 education systems.
“Hanseul’s stewardship allowed us to bring forward the best of what Broad has been—including a steadfast focus by school system leaders on improving outcomes for the students and communities they serve, and fostering connection as a superpower—and helping these traditions take root within the Yale School of Management,” said Charles. “The Broad Center at Yale SOM has become a superb example of the school’s commitment to educating leaders for business and society, bringing together rigorous faculty insights and frameworks with powerful conversations and opportunities for application by our Fellows and Master’s students to create meaningful change within their systems.”
Kang commented on the wealth of personal and professional strengths that Trivers will bring to the role of leading The Broad Center. “I’ve been privileged to know Natasha as a Fellow, a member of the Broad alumni community, and a colleague who cares deeply about advancing outcomes for students—particularly those from historically underserved communities. I have no doubt that she’s the right leader for this moment to deepen and expand the impact of The Broad Center,” she said.
Trivers held multiple leadership roles at Democracy Prep Public Schools before being named CEO in 2019. She previously served as superintendent of the network, which includes 17 schools across three states, as well as principal and assistant principal of the network’s flagship high school in New York City. During her tenure, Democracy Prep achieved its highest student outcomes in grades 3-8 in New York City since the implementation of Common Core. She also strengthened Democracy Prep’s commitment to equity, civics education, and international travel experiences for students enrolled in its schools.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to develop, learn from, and work alongside education leaders who see the true brilliance of our children, and can lead their systems to realize our students’ potential,” said Trivers. “As a Broad alumna myself, I am eager to build connections and support the incredible leaders in the Broad network and beyond.”
As a member of The Broad Center’s Fellowship for Public Education Leadership cohort of 2022-23, Trivers experienced first-hand how the Broad curriculum, connections with faculty, and community-building with a group of other senior education leaders can create a new sense of what’s possible.
“The Fellowship connected me with leaders of all types of systems, all across the country, and put us in a space where we were grappling with common challenges. It was something I didn’t know I needed—I’m excited to bring a sense of reinvigoration, deep connection, and a more robust set of tools to other public education leaders,” she said.
Members of the Broad network reflected on how Trivers’s professional pathway and leadership approach will serve current and future education leaders. “In the time I’ve known her, I’ve watched Natasha grow from an experienced and capable leader to a transformational one. I can think of no one better suited to guide the next chapter of The Broad Center’s work in supporting courageous, visionary leaders and articulating the critically important role that school systems play in supporting our young people,” said Dr. William Hite, Superintendent-in-Residence at The Broad Center and an alumnus of The Broad Academy (2005).
“I have known Natasha for several years and respect her deeply for her tireless work as a school system leader. She is dope! Her commitment to improving outcomes for the community she serves is inspiring and I have learned tons from her as a partner in the work,” said Recy Dunn (The Broad Residency, 2005-07), CEO of Ascend Public Charter Schools. “The Broad network remains an incredible source of connection and sustains so many of us. Natasha has already been so active and engaged as a Broadie and I know we are fortunate as a Broad family to have her stepping into this new role.”
In addition to the Master’s and Fellowship programs, The Broad Center supports research that illuminates critical aspects of educational systems and K-12 public education leadership, and Trivers will play a key role in growing this body of research and connecting education practitioners with its insights.
“In our conversations, I was impressed by Natasha’s thoughtful approach to leadership, her appreciation for what The Broad Center’s work has meant for her and other school system leaders, and her ability to critically engage with research as a practitioner. I’m excited to collaborate with and learn from her, as we continue our research work and seek to strengthen the connections between research and practice through the Broad network and with the K-12 sector at large,” said Seth Zimmerman, professor of economics at Yale SOM.
“This is a pivotal moment for education leadership,” said Trivers. “While there are challenges, I am energized by the possibilities of combining superb education leadership in some of our most critical public systems with the power of cutting-edge research to make a real difference for students and communities.”
