Consulting
Independent systems-change consulting for institutions ready to do the work — equity, education, organizational design.
Work with me →Systems Change Strategist · Philadelphia
Alliyah Francis
Building pathways to power for women and underserved communities. Strategist, founder, writer. Based in Philadelphia. Working everywhere.
Currently
Motivate LabAssistant Director, Portfolio Management & Innovation
Bringing equity to education research, at scale.
I lead initiatives at the intersection of systems thinking, curriculum design, and educational equity — translating research on mindsets and motivation into evidence-based solutions for schools, organizations, and policy environments. The systems-change work I do publicly is the same work I do institutionally, at different scales, with different levers, for different audiences.
See my work at Motivate Lab →AACOM Partnership · National
Resilient Mindsets in Medicine
Addressing physician burnout and pipeline diversity by training medical school faculty in motivationally-supportive teaching. Reaches 11+ colleges of osteopathic medicine.
KYSSC Partnership · KentuckyKentucky Mindset Academy
Year-long professional development for Kentucky educators teaching gateway college courses — weaving learning mindsets into instruction to close completion gaps.
CCCCO Partnership · CaliforniaEquitable Placement in California
System-wide implementation of AB 705, AB 1705, and ESS 23-08 — building faculty capacity to teach corequisite math and English in mindset-supportive ways.
Selected academic venues
National Institutes of Health · International Association of Medical Science Educators · AACOM Educating Leaders · Rocky Mountain Psychological Association
As featured inMotivate LabIAMSE 2025Black Girls Can — Pathway to Power TourImmortal Vision Top Women EntrepreneursShoutout AtlantaPretty and Political
Signature Initiative
Thrive Philly
The nonprofit closing wellness, education, and economic gaps across Philadelphia. Born as Heal the Hood Project in 2020, evolved into a long-game investment in the communities Philadelphia keeps asking to make do with less.
Learn more →The Work
Multifaceted by design.
Strategy, community, and storytelling — each pillar feeding the next.
Pretty and Political
The platform reframing what leadership looks like for the multifaceted woman.
Visit P&P →Thrive Philly
The nonprofit I founded to close wellness, education, and economic gaps across Philadelphia.
Support the work →Substack
Essays on power, leadership, equity, and the long game of systems change.
Read the newsletter →Keynotes & Panels
On systems change, women's leadership, and educational equity. Featured speaker for Black Girls Can's Pathway to Power Tour.
Book me to speak →Press & Features
Top Philadelphia Woman Entrepreneur — Immortal Vision spotlight. Plus selected features and coverage.
See coverage →“
When we invest in women, we invest in the future.
How to Champion Your Testimony to Thrive as a Founder
Rewrite shame.
Every founder carries a testimony. Most are taught to hide it. This is an argument for doing the opposite — and the practice it takes to turn shame into strategy.
Read on Substack →Get in touch
Let's talk.
Speaking, consulting, collaborations, or just to say hello — I'd love to hear from you.
alliyahfrancis@gmail.com