Tonya Allen is president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation, where she works to align education reform, urban revitalization, and public policy to improve the well-being of Detroit’s children. She is the architect of the Foundation’s 10-year $100-million Good Neighborhoods program, and helped orchestrate the development of Excellent Schools Detroit, a $200-million, citywide education reform organization.

Allen was instrumental in the expansion of Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, which increased summer jobs for youth from 2,500 to 8,200 paid positions. She also co-chaired the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren, which successfully advocated for $667 million for the Detroit Public Schools Community District and return of an elected school board. Allen previously served as chair for the Campaign for Black Male Achievement and co-chair for the Executives’ Alliance for Boys and Men of Color.