OUR TEAM
Michael Lowe, Ed.D.
Founder and Chief Development Officer
As a life-long educator who has a passion for his field, Dr. Lowe currently serves as the Director of Equity and Access for Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Michael works alongside instructional leaders to encourage them to not think systemically but act locally on behalf of the historically underserved scholars of Memphis, Tennessee. An equity walkthrough tool has been embraced and used through his equity work to develop teachers and create a sense of belonging for all.
Prior to his role as Director of Equity and Access, Lowe served as Director of Leadership Development for MSCS. He began his career as a 5th-grade mathematics teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, with Shelby County Schools.
Michael is a member of MOSAIC Fellowship Cohort 2022. Michael is also a member of the inaugural class of the Yale School of Management with a Master’s in Public Administration.
Roderick Richmond, Ed.D.
Senior Director of Policy and Research
Roderick Richmond is currently the Executive Director of Student Support Services for Memphis Shelby County Schools. He is responsible for driving multi-year strategic planning practices for student support services, managing extracurricular offerings, developing consistent district-wide school operation strategies, and enforcing accountability and control measures. Dr. Richmond has served in several district leadership roles. He has served as the Chief Academic Officer, co-chair of the Transition Steering Committee, which was responsible for overseeing one of the largest school mergers in the history of public education. In addition, he served as Deputy Superintendent and Chief of School Operations for Memphis City Schools. He led improvement efforts with the district’s high priority schools through the Striving Schools and I-Zone, a nationally recognized turnaround model for the country.
Erika Lowe, Ed.S.
Senior Instructional Designer and Leadership Coach
Erika currently serves as the Principal of Balmoral Ridgeway Optional School in Memphis, Tennessee. She has served as an English teacher at Booker T. Washington High School, Teacher Learning Community Advisor, and Senior Advisor to the Chief of Schools in Memphis. With over 17 years of experience in education, Erika is passionate about supporting equitable outcomes and disrupting systemic inequities by carefully crafting thoughtful learning experiences for adults. She provides masterful coaching to teacher leaders and has utilized a playbook that has a direct point of emphasis on creating a great place to work, developing teachers, and managing talent.
