As Senior Director of ECE Workforce Equity and Innovation at Children’s Council, Gesita Melkamu leads strategic efforts to strengthen and elevate the early childhood education (ECE) workforce in San Francisco and beyond. Her work is centered on advancing workforce development through an equity lens, with a focus on creating inclusive pathways for Black and BIPOC educators. She also oversees programs designed to support emerging ECE professionals through innovative incubator initiatives.

Gesita brings a wealth of experience across the nonprofit and education sectors. Her career has spanned leadership roles in K–12 and higher education settings, where she focused on school leadership development, curriculum design, and organizational change. She has led diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within educational institutions and nonprofit organizations, and has also managed data and evaluation systems to support evidence-based program improvement.

With a background as a former family child care (FCC) owner, Gesita understands the realities of early education from both a systems-level and on-the-ground perspective. This unique blend of strategic leadership and direct service informs her holistic approach to workforce development.

She is currently a Doctoral Candidate (ABD) in Educational Leadership, with a focus on equity-driven policy, organizational transformation, and the intersection of education and community development.