Dr. Cheyenne E. Batista

Dr. Cheyenne E. Batista is Founder & CEO of Firefly Worldwide Inc., an education consulting practice where she supports educators and social impact leaders with leadership development, strategy, school and program design, and equity-driven practices. Cheyenne has served as a founding school principal and superintendent, co-designing and scaling a PK to 12th-grade network of community-driven schools in New York City. She served in a unique “player-coach” role, for years running the flagship school, managing all school principals and teachers, and superintending strategic growth. Cheyenne has taught in K-12 and postsecondary classrooms in New York City, NY; São Paulo, Brazil; and beyond. She has also directed programs for large nonprofit and corporate entities.

Cheyenne is an Adjunct Professorial Lecturer at American University School of Education. In 2022, her dissertation was awarded the Dissertation of the Year Award from the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate. She is also a TED-Ed Masterclass keynote speaker and addresses topics pertinent to leadership, organizational culture, anti-racism and equity.

First in her family to graduate from college, Cheyenne earned an Ed.D. in Education Policy & Leadership at American University School of Education; a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and an Ed.M. in Education Policy and Management from Harvard Graduate School of Education.