Mala Batra

Mala Batra joined Aspire in 2011 and has managed various functions including strategy, growth, and operations – overseeing the launch of six new Aspire schools, designing the organization’s strategic planning process, leading Aspire’s expansion into Memphis, and supporting the spinoff of Schoolzilla to share Aspire’s data tools with the sector. Mala served as Aspire’s Chief of Staff for 3 years before serving as interim CEO in 2018.

Prior to joining Aspire, Mala held strategy and project management roles at Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap Inc. and worked as a consultant for Deloitte. Mala holds a B.S. from University of California, Berkeley and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School.

Mala’s WHY: “I joined Aspire because I wanted to be a part Aspire’s promise to empower ALL young people to realize their potential. As the daughter of immigrants and an educator, I was deeply inspired by my father – who was raised by a single mother with limited means. He was able to pursue his dreams of attending college and teaching physics because of the adults who believed in him and equipped him to access a system that felt impenetrable. My sister and I were raised with opportunities and access – knowing that we stood on the shoulders of so many. I grew up identifying as part of a community that acted on its responsibility to lift one another up. My belief in the transformative power of education and choice – coupled with a deep sense of community, is why I do this work on behalf of our scholars and families.”