Children in a classroom, seated at desks, wearing black and yellow sports jackets, with some wearing headscarves.

About Us

LEAD Edu is Redefining Leadership

Mission

LEAD Edu empowers youth globally through education and sports to develop the leadership skills and mindsets they need to drive positive change.

LEAD Edu Logomark
Two children playing soccer on a field with a soccer ball.

Vision

A future led by ethical, empathetic, and entrepreneurial young leaders.

Group of children and teenagers on a sports field, wearing soccer jerseys and shorts, some holding water bottles, preparing for a soccer game or event.

Our Values

  • Level the Playing Field

    We provide opportunities to children and youth who would be otherwise excluded. 

  • Lead Locally

    We collaborate with local changemakers to amplify their expertise and maximize community impact.

  • Improve Continuously

    We measure outcomes, adapt our approach, and share evidence to maximize our impact and inspire change.

  • Live By Example

    We are the ethical, empathetic, and entrepreneurial leaders we seek to cultivate in the world.

  • Dream Big

    We set ambitious goals and take courageous action to achieve them.

  • Play with Purpose

    We bring joy, passion, and playful energy to our work.

Why We’re Different

What Sets Us Apart

Our approach embraces holistic education, champions gender equity, and centers locally-led solutions to cultivate transformative leaders who can create lasting change in their communities and beyond.

A graphic with three yellow blocks labeled Education, Sports, and Leadership, each with an icon representing the category.

Guiding Principles

A group of people walking in a commercial street, all wearing black shirts with the word "LEAD" printed on them, smiling and holding hands.
A boxing glove with a black, white, and gray color scheme

Holistic Leadership

We support programs that integrate social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development, recognizing that neither classroom nor sports alone can provide the complete range of experiences needed for effective leadership development. 

Two women in hijabs and casual clothes having a conversation at a table with papers, pens, and a water bottle.

Transformational Leadership

When young people have the confidence, skills, and support to lead, they don’t just shape their own futures, they uplift entire communities. We work at both individual and systemic levels to nurture this potential: supporting young leaders on their post-graduation pathways while also partnering with governments, private-sector, and community-based organizations to create enabling environments where youth leadership can flourish and drive positive change.

A teacher leaning over a child's desk, showing something on paper, in a classroom with yellow desks.

Local Leadership

We believe the most impactful solutions come from those most proximate to the challenges. We enable local leaders to positively impact the lives of the young people they serve through a replicable model based on the principles of education and sports, flexible grant funding, and ongoing technical assistance.

A young woman wearing a yellow sports jersey with a smile, raised arms, and a short black hairstyle, standing outdoors on a sunny day, with trees and a person in the background.

Inclusive Leadership 

We believe everyone has the potential to lead. By nurturing the skills and mindsets of historically marginalized groups, particularly girls and low-income youth, we ensure those who rarely see themselves reflected in positions of economic, social, or political power can claim their seat at the table.