Mia Howard is a Managing Partner at NewSchools Venture Fund. In her role, she leads the Innovative Schools investment area, which supports educators with bold new visions for schools that embrace an expanded definition of success, equity, and innovation.
Prior to joining NewSchools, Mia was the Founding Partner of Schools and Talent at The Opportunity Trust, where she led the organization’s strategy for the design, development, and launch of innovative schools and support of educators and existing schools throughout the St. Louis region. Before that, Mia was Founder and CEO of Intrepid College Prep Schools, a growing network of public charter schools in Nashville, Tennessee. She began her career in education at Building Excellent Schools, where she spent two years in deep study of successful school models around the country.
Mia has a Juris Doctor with a concentration in Business Economics and Public Policy from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Wharton School and her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Vanderbilt University. Mia is an alum of the Posse Foundation, a non-profit rooted in the belief that a small, diverse group of talented individuals –a Posse– can serve as a catalyst for increased individual and community development on college campuses, in the workforce, and in the world. Mia is currently on the board of NAMI St. Louis, the local affiliate of the National Alliance for Mental Illness.
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, she currently resides in St. Louis with her dog, Fizzy. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time at the beach, discussing pop culture, and exploring new restaurants.