Meet Dr. Cheryl Pruitt

 About Dr. Cheryl Pruitt

• I am a systems leader and truth-teller who leads with clarity under pressure and builds pathways that protect people and sustain impact especially for Black women and children.
• Doctoral-trained systems leader with nearly 40 years of leadership across education, policy, and community systems, including service as a K–12 Superintendent
  
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  TEDx speaker and published scholar whose work leads at the intersection of education, health, and entrepreneurship driving data-informed decisions and leadership under pressure
  
  
• knowing who you are, standing on your experience, and using your voice to shape outcomes not just occupy space.
  
• Making decisions from clarity instead of fear, setting boundaries without apology, and leading without waiting to be validated.
  
• Black women must exhaust themselves to be seen, proving instead that authority, excellence, and sustainability can coexist.
• Stopped confusing endurance with leadership and chose to trust my discernment, even when the room was uncomfortable.
• For the next seven days, make one decision each day without asking for permission, over-explaining, or apologizing, whether that’s saying no to a misaligned request, stating your position clearly, or protecting your time.
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  What I want every woman to walk away with after hearing my keynote is an unshakable trust in her authority, clarity about the decisions only she can make next, and the resolve to lead without shrinking, over-explaining, or waiting for permission that was never required.
• Join me at the Top 100 Most Powerful Black Women Summit, where Black women are no longer asked to endure, explain, or prove. This is a space to sharpen authority, protect purpose, and make decisions that shape what comes next. If you are ready to step fully into power that is grounded, strategic, and unapologetically yours, I would be honored to stand with you.