As Director of Foundation and Philanthropic Partnerships, Carol Erickson works to build relationships with the philanthropic community so the Education Design Lab can fulfill its mission and increase its impact.

Prior to joining the Lab, Erickson managed education, research, evaluation, technology and literacy initiatives for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, International Research & Exchange Board (IREX), American Library Association, and Fulbright Senior Scholar Exchange.

Erickson has also supported a wide variety of nonprofits and businesses to enhance their poverty alleviation efforts, focusing on strategic planning, organizational capacity building, fundraising and foundation partnerships, board development, communications, project management, and research; and supported for-profit entities to build philanthropic initiatives that reflect their companies’ values.

Throughout her career, she has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in charitable contributions, and made thousands of grants to individuals, nonprofits, and government entities around the globe.

She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Slavic Linguistics from Albany University, and a master’s of science in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois.