Tesha McCord Poe

Tesha has spent over a decade working as a senior administrator in Independent Schools in the Bay Area. In this capacity Tesha has partnered with leadership teams to set and implement innovative educational strategies and provide growing revenue streams through admissions and fundraising K-12. She’s also helped raise over $100M, including direct solicitations of 6 and 7 figures. She served as the Chief Development Officer for the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula and as the Chief Advancement Officer for Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California, where she helped to lead the largest campaign in the school’s history.

​Formerly she served as Associate Head of School for Hillbrook School in Los Gatos, California where she later returned to serve as a trustee. Tesha currently serves as a Trustee for Prospect Sierra School in El Cerrito, California, EatReal Certified in San Francisco, Challenge Success, and is the Board Chair for the Mariposa Foundation DR based in the Dominican Republic. Most recently, she served as Interim Head of School at the Girls’ Middle School in Palo Alto, California.

An accomplished speaker and thought leader, she has captivated audiences nationwide with her presentations at prestigious conferences, shared her fundraising and business expertise on numerous podcasts, delivered inspiring TEDx talks, and co-authored the transformative book Beyond Widow.