About Our Team
Dr. Nadrea R. Njoku Co-Founder & Principal
Nadrea brings over 15 years of higher education and nonprofit leadership experience, including five transformative years leading research for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) as Director of the Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute. During her tenure at FDPRI, she led nationwide studies and worked with national data sets to articulate the economic and cultural value of HBCUs and UNCF, providing critical evidence that shaped policy and funding decisions across the sector. Throughout her career spanning the education and nonprofit sectors, Dr. Njoku has established herself as a thought leader in HBCU research and institutional transformation, co-editing groundbreaking work on HBCU environments that has shaped national conversations about these vital institutions.
Dr. Natasha McClendon Co-Founder & Research Director
Natasha brings over 15 years of experience establishing educational initiatives through data-driven research and currently serves as Director of the Center of Excellence for Black Women in STEM at Spelman College. Her career includes pivotal work at the Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute (FDPRI), where she led research-driven change theory and strategy development for nonprofits and corporations related to UNCF scholarships, translating complex data into actionable organizational strategies. Dr. McClendon has established herself as an expert in P-20 educational policy and STEAM education for minoritized students, combining deep policy knowledge with innovative data storytelling through creative methodological frameworks that make complex research accessible and compelling.
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