Erika Watson

Erika Watson is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She has held various leadership positions in her career, including her current role as Executive Director, National Partnerships at iMentor, where she leads a team that aims to eliminate the college credential attainment gap between majority students and first-generation students across the country.

Before joining iMentor, Erika worked at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) and Education Consultants, where she successfully built relationships with CMO and School District leaders, becoming a trusted advisor to Superintendents, School Founders, and educational sector Executive Directors. Her visionary leadership extends beyond the education sector to include women’s issues and equitable access to employment opportunities. She founded Dress for Success in Washington, D.C., a not-for-profit focused on helping unemployed and underemployed women build skills and secure meaningful career opportunities. To date, Dress for Success has helped over 30,000 women in the National Capitol community along the path toward financial self-sufficiency.

Erika is a regular speaker on topics of Leadership, Career Development, and Diversity. She holds an MBA from George Washington University and is a graduate of Howard University, where she studied Microbiology.