MEET THE TEAM

Kelly C. Davenport, Ed.D.

Kelly Davenport builds schools the way she leads them — from the ground up, with heart, and for the long haul. As the co-founder and former CEO of the Freire Schools Network, Kelly turned a single charter high school in Philadelphia into a thriving network of four campuses serving 2,000 students across Philadelphia and Wilmington. She didn't just build a school — she built a movement grounded in peace, equity, and an unshakeable belief in young people.

Kelly leads with bold vision and deep care. Bilingual in Spanish and Portuguese, her roots as a classroom teacher inform everything she does — she has never lost sight of what it means to stand in front of kids and fight for their futures. She also founded the Freire Foundation to ensure every student and school in the network has the resources they need to thrive.

Kelly holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A.T. from Indiana University, and an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Her leadership has earned national recognition, including Freire Schools’ designation as a CREDO “Gap-Busting” Charter Network, a WE Hatch Empowering Women in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award, and an Eisenhower Zhi-Xing Fellowship in China. She has served on boards including Philadelphia Financial Scholars and the National Advisory Board for YONDR. Kelly brings that same fearless, student-centered leadership to her work with IIG.