Krishunda Penn Pearson is an equity-driven strategist, redesign leader, and lifelong educator committed to transforming schools into spaces where students not only learn, but lead. She currently serves as the XQ Redesign Director at Columbia Heights Education Campus (CHEC), a 6–12 dual-language public school in Washington, D.C., where she is spearheading the transformation of the campus into a design-thinking institution. In this role, Krishunda leverages co-design, project-based learning, and culturally responsive math instruction to reimagine how students, especially those furthest from opportunity, experience school.

With over 15 years of experience in education, Krishunda has worn many hats — from math teacher and instructional coach to founding director of nationally recognized STEM academies serving over 200 students. Her leadership has focused on expanding access to high-quality, real-world learning experiences for students of color, particularly in engineering, computer science, and mathematics.

A proud alumna of Howard University, Krishunda holds a B.A. in Political Science and History and two master’s degrees; one in Elementary Education and another in Instruction and Technology. She is also the founder of InvolveED, an education consulting practice that supports schools and districts in implementing rigorous PBL and math redesign rooted in student agency and teacher development.

Krishunda is a Cambiar Catalyst Fellow and a sought-after speaker on topics including co-designing with students, instructional transformation in math, and redesigning learning environments through equity-centered innovation. Her work is grounded in the belief that students are not just future leaders — they are leaders now — and schools must be built to reflect that truth.