Nancy Gutiérrez

Dr. Nancy B. Gutiérrez is the President & Lead Executive Officer of The Leadership Academy, a nationally recognized nonprofit driving transformational leadership development for educators. Under her leadership, the organization has partnered with leaders across 41 states and 430 districts, equipping them with skills to create sustainable, context-driven change.

A Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow and City & State’s 100 Most Influential Education Leaders in New York (2020), Nancy was honored as a Distinguished Alumna by San Jose State University (2023). She serves on the boards of The Hunt Institute, brightbeam, The Neurodiversity Alliance, and is Board Chair of EdLoC.

Nancy’s leadership journey began as a teacher and principal in East San Jose, CA, where she founded Renaissance Academy—a California Distinguished School—and led the turnaround of the district’s lowest-performing middle school, two blocks from her childhood home.

She earned her doctorate from Harvard’s Ed.L.D. program and is an alumna of the ALAS Aspiring Superintendents Academy. A former adjunct professor at NYU and faculty at Teachers College’s Summer Principals Academy, she has been a guest expert at Harvard Principals’ Center and featured in Education Week, Kappan, The74, and Hechinger Report.

Nancy co-authored Stay and Prevail (2023), highlighting leaders giving back to their communities, and Coaching Education Leaders (2024), showcasing The Leadership Academy’s coaching model.