NEW ORLEANS - Black Education for New Orleans’ (BE NOLA) Executive Director, Adrinda Kelly, was selected by New Orleans CityBusiness as one of 50 “2021 Women of the Year.” BE NOLA was recognized for its outstanding contributions to the New Orleans education landscape. Kelly was also profiled in Biz New Orleans’ new, annual publication New Orleans 500 for supporting Black educators and Black-led schools in the city.
“I am so honored and humbled to be recognized amongst so many of our city’s great business leaders,” said Adrinda Kelly, Executive Director of BE NOLA. “My hope is to bring more awareness to BE NOLA’s mission, and I deeply appreciate New Orleans CityBusiness and Biz New Orleans for elevating our work. I look forward to continuing to uplift and advance Black educators and students in the city in 2022 and beyond.”
With 20 years of experience in education, Adrinda has focused on launching and developing initiatives that support underrepresented students throughout her career. She is passionate about supporting the agency and voice of marginalized communities.
In her current role as Executive Director of BE NOLA (Black Education for New Orleans) she oversees daily operations of the organization, whose mission is to support Black educators and Black-governed, Black-led schools to provide a quality education to local children. Under her leadership, BE NOLA has delivered high-impact programs to more than 1,000 Black educators, quadrupled its base of actively engaged supporters, and launched several new funding strategies, successfully raising more than $2 million for the organization’s growing programs.
As a proud McDonogh #35 graduate, Kelly credits her way of seeing and moving in the world to the rich epistemology of New Orleans Black educators. It is her personal experience benefiting from Quality Black Educators (QBE)s and Black-Governed, Black-Led Schools (BGBLS) in the city that defines her deep, personal connection to BE NOLA’s mission.
Kelly received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and her masters from New York University. As she champions BE NOLA’s vision, she is humbled to receive recognition as one of New Orleans’ leading Black business women.
To learn more about Adrinda Kelly and BE NOLA, check out her features in CityBusiness and Biz New Orleans.