Charliese B. Lewis is a visionary educational leader, author, strategist, and communications professional with more than 25 years of experience advancing educational excellence, building sustainable systems, and driving community impact. As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Collabrae Group, she leads an educational consulting and community impact firm dedicated to creating collaborative solutions that improve student outcomes, strengthen organizational capacity, and elevate community engagement.

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Throughout her distinguished career, Charliese has operated at the intersection of K-12 education, higher education, state government, grant administration, public policy, and the non-profit sector. She has successfully launched transformational programs from concept to statewide execution, managed multi-million-dollar federal portfolios and established cross-sector partnerships that connect schools, families, and communities around a shared vision for success.

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Her executive trajectory reflects a deep commitment to systemic equity, college and career readiness, and student success. Charliese served as the District Family & Community Engagement Liaison and an inaugural College & Career Readiness Coach for Fayette County Public Schools, the Executive Director of Louisville Literary Arts, Inc., and the inaugural Director of TRIO Student Support Services at Berea College. Her targeted advising models elevated student retention to 84%. She has also driven statewide educational frameworks through leadership roles with GEAR UP Kentucky at the Council on Postsecondary Education, Title I & Migrant Education at the Kentucky Department of Education, and Land Grant/External Relations at Kentucky State University. In addition, Charliese spent over a decade as an adjunct professor across multiple colleges and universities, specializing in English, Communications, Business Writing, and First-Year Experience courses.

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Charliese's unique leadership approach combines high-level strategic planning with hands-on co-implementation and storytelling. Through The Collabrae Group's Five Centers of Excellence, specialized Studios, and signature intellectual property—including the Collabrae College & Career Readiness Student Success Framework™, Collabrae Family College & Career Readiness Framework™, Collabrae Family Engagement Framework™, Girls Rising Mentorship Academy™, and Boys Elevation Mentorship Academy™—she equips superintendents, university leaders, non-profits, and grantmakers with turnkey solutions that turn innovative ideas into sustainable systems.

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A nationally recognized speaker, panelist, and certified specialist in family engagement and meeting facilitation, Charliese holds advanced degrees in Higher Education (M.S.), Journalism/Communication (M.A.), and English/Secondary Education (B.A.), with doctoral studies in Educational Leadership & Policy. Through her strategic vision, authentic collaboration, and unwavering commitment to integrity, she continues to serve as a catalyst for meaningful, multigenerational impact across the educational landscape.​