Dr. Shameka N. Gerald is an innovative leader who works to develop learning environments that meet the needs of each student and prepare them to enter an ever-changing world. She believes that schools are the heart of communities and that the rich experiences each student, family, and staff member bring are contributions to the learning environment and are essential to meaningful learning.

As the Vice President of Learning for YELLOW -- a 501c3 education non profit founded by Pharrell Williams -- Dr. Gerald leads the work to codify, support and assess YELLOWHAB's innovate learning ecosystem. She also oversees organizational learning, strategic plan development, and measurement of organizational impact to ensure the work continuously meets the needs of our local, national, and global community. Her passion for creating equitable learning environments — combined with her experience in education innovation — allow her to co-create learning systems that amplify the unique strengths of each learner.

Dr. Gerald began her career in 2005 as a 9th grade Mathematics Teacher at Booker T. Washington High School where she earned the 2008 United States Department of Education Star of Teaching for eliminating opportunity gaps in mathematics across all student populations. In 2010, Dr. Gerald joined Newport News Public Schools as the Assistant Principal for instruction at Denbigh high school, where she supported significant increases in student performance in mathematics. She is most proud of her six year tenure as the “Wild Principal” of Heritage High School, Newport News, VA. As a member of the leader of the #5800Family, Dr. Gerald partnered with students, staff, families, and community members to positively disrupt the status quo, change the narrative, and shift systems to meet the needs of each student.

A native of Chesapeake VA, Dr. Gerald began her studies at Tidewater Community College, moved on to study Applied Mathematics at Old Dominion University, and earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She currently resides in Newport News with her husband, son, and dog. A good cup of black coffee, post-it notes, and datasets are her love language.