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Dr. Christopher J. Means

Founder & CEO, By All Means Leadership Alliance, Inc.

Developing Leaders. Building Organizations. Transforming Communities.

Dr. Christopher J. Means is a multidisciplinary executive leader, educator, researcher, and nonprofit founder whose work spans education, organizational leadership, hospitality, and youth development. He is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of By All Means Leadership Alliance (BAMLA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders through identity-centered leadership development, workforce readiness, civic engagement, and evidence-based youth programming.

  • With more than two decades of executive leadership experience, Dr. Means has led organizational transformation across education, nonprofit organizations, and the hospitality industry, managing multimillion-dollar operations, building high-performing teams, and designing innovative leadership and educational initiatives that expand opportunities for young people and strengthen organizations. He holds a Doctor of Education in Executive Leadership from St. John Fisher University, where his research examined the impact of youth development programs on the postsecondary experiences of Black male high school graduates.

    Grounded in Positive Youth Development and culturally responsive leadership, Dr. Means believes that leadership is measured not simply by personal achievement, but by one's ability to develop others, strengthen organizations, and create lasting opportunities for communities to thrive. 

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Lee A. Means

Director of Education Policy, Strategy & Research, By All Means Leadership Alliance, Inc.

Doctoral Candidate, University of Pennsylvania

Lee is a founding member of By All Means Leadership Alliance, Inc. (BAMLA) and an accomplished educator, policy strategist, and non-profit leader with over 15 years of experience in K–12 education, instructional leadership, and equity-centered program design. He has taught and led in a range of educational settings across New York City and Newark, NJ, with a consistent focus on culturally responsive practice, inclusive school culture, and student empowerment.

  • As BAMLA’s Director of Education, Lee designs and facilitates programming that supports the personal growth, leadership development, and civic engagement of underrepresented youth.

    He brings an interdisciplinary background to his work merging legal training, public policy expertise, and deep classroom experience to create transformative learning environments for students and educators alike.

    Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Indiana University, as well as a Master of Science in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education and Organizational Leadership at Penn, where his research explores the impact of race and gender identity on the leadership trajectories of Black men in K–12 education.

    In addition to his work at BAMLA, Lee has led large-scale school improvement initiatives with the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), directed national LGBTQ+ advocacy projects, and served on multiple equity-focused boards. His work bridges practice and policy, always to drive justice, belonging, and lasting change.

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Dr. Danielle Williams (Board Chair)

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Dr. Franchesca Capellan

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Shobita Mampilly

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Frank Trigg

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Titus Trask

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Damon Clark