ADAPTING FOR TOMORROW

Nearly twenty years ago, Lakenna Booker stepped into urban education with a simple conviction: every child deserves systems as strong as their potential. That conviction pulled her from the classroom into leadership—first as an instructional leader, then into charter school management and, ultimately, into superintendent-level oversight and charter governance. She became the person boards, and founders called when they needed both vision and a concrete plan by Monday.

Over more than a decade in charter school leadership, Lakenna has led and advised on strategic planning, grant writing, nonprofit development, and governance. She has successfully guided nearly four major school construction and facilities projects from idea to ribbon-cutting—securing funding, navigating compliance, and aligning community needs. Her work spans small, scrappy start-up budgets all the way to multimillion-dollar facilities and sustainability allocations, always with the same focus: build what will last, not just what will open.

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At the same time, Lakenna’s work has never been limited to schools. Along the way, she has partnered with entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits—helping founders clarify their model, stabilize operations, secure resources, and move from hustle to healthy, sustainable growth. She brings an entrepreneurial lens to every project, understanding both the heart and the numbers behind big vision.

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Today, as Principal Consultant at Booker Impact Strategy Group, Lakenna weaves together her experience in urban educational leadership, charter management, superintendency, governance, facilities, grant writing, nonprofit work, and entrepreneurship. She helps school leaders, nonprofit executives, and small business founders see the big picture—and then build the strategy, systems, and structures that can sustain impact for years to come.