Giving My All

Earl Martin Phalen is one of K-12 education's most visionary leaders: a founder and CEO of multiple successful nonprofits, his mission is to deliver educational excellence and equity to low-income Black and brown children. Born into the Massachusetts foster care system, Earl was adopted into a large, loving Irish Catholic family at age two. His parents instilled the values that led him to a life of service, but growing up Black in a largely white, often hostile world made it hard for him to embrace his gifts. Earl's education taught him the power of Black self-determination, and the love of his family and community sustained him as he struggled to become the leader he'd once doubted he could be. Earl's exciting career is a testament to his mission's core message: all children deserve the support, the opportunity, and the self-belief they need to reach for their dreams without hesitation. He currently resides in Quincy, MA.