Convening, Amplifying, and Investing in Chicago's Youth-Serving Ecosystem

Sana Jafri is the Executive Director of the Chicago Learning Exchange (CLX), a nonprofit network of 200+ youth-serving organizations in Chicago's out-of-school time learning ecosystem. Sana has been with CLX for over six years and during this time, her accomplishments include creating the City of Chicago's first festival for experiential learning entitled Remake Learning Days CHI, incubating CSforCHI, an ecosystem approach for CS as part of CSforALL, as well creating the Brother Mike Award for outstanding connected mentorship.

Sana has diverse personal and professional experiences that are woven together by an emphasis on improving lives and communities through racial equity and social change. Her previous professional experiences include working in philanthropy, community development, and education (in-school and out-of-school).

In addition to her day job, Sana currently serves as one of ten racial equity consultants to Google for Education including their CS First work. She is on advisory boards for the Center for Excellence in Computer Science at Northwestern University, Governor of Illinois' State Advisory Committee for Architecture, Construction, and Energy, and Parent Advisory for HundrED.org, global nonprofit sharing innovations in education. Sana completed her Master's in Public Policy and Administration at Northwestern University. Sana received her undergraduate degree in secondary teaching from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Sana's most important role is also serving as a mom to two little boys.

Elisheba Fowlkes is a consultant with over 10 years of experience working in Education, Nonprofit and the Arts. From instructing high school students in New York City, to training Chicago Public School teachers, to producing academic conferences at the Art Institute of Chicago, Elisheba is dedicated to centering equity and social justice in all aspects of her work.

Elisheba Fowlkes received a BA in African American Studies from Smith College and a MFA in Film, Video and New Media from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has developed and managed several Out-of-School-Time programs for the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the Atlanta History Center and the Art Institute of Chicago. She has a strong belief in the power of community to foster learning, growth and creativity in formal and informal educational settings.

In addition to her consultancy work, Elisheba is the founder of Black Marigolds, an arts nonprofit for BIPOC youth in the Chicagoland area.