Evisha FordEvisha Ford, PhD, is the founding executive director of iCan Dream Center, a therapeutic school in Illinois that serves the needs of neurodiverse learners and their families. She began her career working with inner-city homeless youth in Chicago, proiding therapeutic intervention and linkages to community resources. She partnered with various community agencies to build their capacity to support the needs of vulnerable youth via training, resource development, and program evaluation. Evisha was recruited by Chicago Public Schools, which launched her path in education. She is a former assistant superintendent, director of special education, and assistant professor of educational leadership.Evisha is a sought-after thought leader and consultant in schools across the United States and internationally. She specializes in trauma-compassionate leadership, program design, cultural and racial equity, development of continua of service for diverse learners, and a variety of other topics relevant to effective school and nonprofit leadership.Evisha's passion for marginalized youth began at an early age. She earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and completed her doctoral studies in educational leadership at Aurora University in 2010. Her research focuses were students with disabilities, youth resilience, and critical race theory.Additionally, Evisha serves as president of the board for the United Way Blue Island / Robbins Neighborhood Network. In March 2018, Evisha was awarded Woman of the Year by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. In July 2018, she was honored as one of the influential 100 Black Women in Chicago for her educational contributions. In winter 2019, she received the Paige Award for her impact within the special needs community. In July 2019, the Professional Women's Network recognized her as a community igniter. In July 2022, Evisha received the Dream Maker Award from the Bronzeville Children's Museum of Chicago.To learn more about Evisha's work, visit her website (drevisha.com) or follow her on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/drevisha). Read More Read Less