Liz Dozier

Liz Dozier, an advocate for educational reform and social justice, has devoted her career to challenging the systemic inequities often found in urban communities. Her dedication emerged from her experience as an educator and principal within the Chicago Public School system.

In 2016, Dozier established Chicago Beyond, a social impact investor that seeks to address the enduring social and economic disparities prevalent in Chicago’s neighborhoods. Acknowledging that a child's zip code is one of the most substantial predictors of their future, Chicago Beyond supports leaders and organizations aiming to challenge and reshape this narrative. Since its inception, the organization has invested over $35 million in local nonprofit organizations, focusing on empowering youth and community leaders. Their investments range from initiatives supporting young African American fathers to reducing youth recidivism through engagement in performing arts and implementing holistic, trauma-informed approaches to healing communities. Beyond financial aid, Chicago Beyond provides strategic support and collaborative partnership to facilitate goal achievement and extend their reach to more young people.

Since March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice movement for Black lives, Chicago Beyond has launched several initiatives. Through Going Beyond, the organization developed a large-scale, hyperlocal distribution network, supplying food and essential items to thousands of families on the South and West Sides of Chicago. The Backing the Fight Fund was established to stand with those on the front lines, providing financial resources to 12 local community organizations fighting for a more equitable future for Chicago’s youth. Chicago Beyond also initiated an antiracism speaker series, which was joined by over 200,000 individuals worldwide, and offered a platform for those interested in understanding what it means to be antiracist. Additionally, in 2019, Chicago Beyond published "Why Am I Always Being Researched?", a guidebook for funders, researchers, and community organizations on dismantling harmful power dynamics in community research.

Before her work with Chicago Beyond, Dozier served as the principal of Christian Fenger High School in Chicago from 2009 to 2015. During this time, she also worked as a co-principal and turnaround strategist at Harper High School from 2008 to 2009. She was selected by then CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Arne Duncan, to participate in an innovative strategy for improving Chicago’s lowest-performing schools, known as the Turnaround Model. Dozier's tenure at Fenger High School was characterized by her innovative approach to reform, including the adoption of restorative justice practices and mental health strategies. Notably, under her leadership, Fenger was the first school to establish CARE Teams to support youth in crisis. Owing to this robust strategy, the school experienced a significant decrease in its dropout rate from 19% to 2%, a 40% increase in Freshman On-Track to graduate, and double-digit increases in attendance and the school’s state graduation rate.

Dozier's work and contributions to education reform have earned her several recognitions. She has been featured in Paul Tough’s New York Times Best Seller "How Children Succeed" and Harvard Education Press’ "Belonging and Becoming: The Power of Social Emotional Learning in High Schools". Furthermore, she has received awards such as the 2015 Inspiring Hope Award from Northern Trust and the US Department of Education’s Top 15 Principals of Innovation Award. Her work was chronicled in CNN's eight-episode docuseries, "Chicagoland". She has spoken at various public and institutional events, including the Aspen Ideas Festival, where she spoke at the 2017 session titled "Stopping the Violence in Chicago: Lessons for America’s Cities". Dozier also hosted the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit and the Kennedy Forum’s Fourth Annual Meeting on Mental Health Equity. A National Board Certified Teacher in mathematics, Dozier holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership.