Changemaker Spotlight: Sara Elaqad, Minds Matter Cleveland

Sara Elaqad serves as Executive Director for Minds Matter Cleveland and Chair of the Cleveland Board of Education. Her work at Minds Matter is focused on ensuring high school students from low-income households have the resources, tools, and people support they need to get to and through college.

Sara has served on the Board of Education since 2019 and has been Chair since June 2023. As Chair, she has led first-time district goal creation, improved governance, and overseen key community engagement initiatives. Her top priority on the Board of Education has been to build on the district’s previous successes by dedicating the Board’s efforts to a laser focus on improving student outcomes.

Sara has a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and a juris doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

From Sara Elaqad: “I thoroughly believe that every young person is eminently capable of succeeding and that it is the job of adults to help young people overcome the barriers that could prevent them from succeeding. Education should be the great equalizer, and Minds Matter helps make that true.”