The Leaders’ Table

Amanda Renteria leads Code for America as CEO, guided by a deep belief in public institutions and the promise of opportunity. She has led the organization in modernizing safety-net systems across states, launched innovative resources to combat child poverty, and streamlined services that impact millions of Americans.  Raised in California’s Central Valley by her parents — including her father, who...

Carmita Semaan, the founder and CEO of Surge Institute , an organization that develops and elevates leaders of color, began her career as a chemical engineer before earning her MBA and stepping into corporate leadership. Across her career, she has kept social impact front and center — organizing colleagues, investing in local communities, and challenging systems to do better.   In this episode, Ca...

Andy Rotherham, Co-Founder and Senior Partner at Bellwether , has built a career in public service driven by a deep belief in expanding opportunity for those too often left behind. Growing up in Reston, Virginia, he saw how even communities that appear integrated can mask significant inequities — particularly in education, where disparities compound and shape outcomes over the course of a lifetime...

Michele Jawando, CEO of Omidyar Network , leads with both head and heart — grounded in analytical rigor, driven by collaboration, and deeply committed to people. A lawyer, former Hill staffer, and lifelong sci-fi fan, she brings curiosity and optimism into every space she leads — whether she’s thinking about the transformative power of technology or investing in the people and culture around her....

Darryl serves as President of the Charter School Growth Fund , where he leads investments supporting a national community of over 100 high-performing charter school networks. As the founder of the Emerging CMO Fund, he also supports and invests in charter school leaders of color.   In this episode, Darryl reflects on what failure taught him while leading a charter school in Chicago — and why growt...