For more than 20 years, social entrepreneur and education advocate Collette Bowers Zinn, J.D., M.Ed. has been dedicated to bringing impact and humanity to the work of connecting people. Her unique professional experiences, both as a litigator and fourth-generation educator, have deeply informed her mission to serve and guide people; employees, executives, families, students, teachers, and leaders.

Through her own innovative work as a school administrator and social responsibility practitioner, Collette recognized the dynamic daily challenges within corporations, nonprofits and schools, and identified how the needs of each community could be most effectively met. After leadership roles within several of the top independent schools in Los Angeles, Collette created Private School Axis, Zinn Education Management, and The Onyx Movement to connect people across the nation with the information and counsel they need. With each of these endeavors, Collette is designing ways to help people explore approachable, relatable, and sustainable practices aimed at benefiting individuals as they navigate difference as an essential component of our society.

As Founder and Executive Director of Private School Axis, Collette guides underserved families of color though private school admissions, connects talented educators of color with independent schools, and creates socially responsible professional development programs to address school curriculum and culture. She created Zinn Education Management as a resource to provide a breadth of top-notch educational consulting services to schools and families. With The Onyx Movement, Collette and co-founder Chuck Neddermeyer provide integrated social responsibility consulting services and customized restorative retreats for school leaders, corporations, and nonprofits.

Collette’s leadership and far-reaching impact are rooted in expertise and relationships cultivated over two decades, with an outstanding reputation and a name that is synonymous with excellence. Her work has been on the leading edge of the social responsibility movement in education, exemplifying what research and reporting now show: that greater diversity among all populations, and the skills necessary to navigate difference, lead to better outcomes for all. This is at the heart of what drives Collette as a social innovator.

Collette previously co-hosted eRaced, a podcast that explored where race, education, and culture collide. She holds an M.Ed. from Pepperdine University, a J.D. from the University of Southern California, and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

“When we genuinely become curious about others, their history, their lived experiences, and their perspectives, we open the door to peaceful dialogue across differences.”

- Collette Bowers Zinn