Tyra Mariani is the founder and principal of UP Advisors LLC, a firm that provides coaching and strategic advising services to help clients create results for themselves and their teams.

Throughout her 25 years working across multiple sectors and organizational structures, Mariani gained firsthand experience on the challenges and benefits of leading and working in dynamic environments and managing change within those environments.

From 2020 to 2023, she was the president of the Schultz Family Foundation, where she assisted Sheri and Howard Schultz in accelerating the family’s work to address systemic inequities by expanding opportunities for individuals and communities facing obstacles to economic advancement. Before that, she was president and chief operating officer of New America, and she has served in several leadership roles across the education sector, including positions in the Obama administration and nonprofit and school district leadership roles. Mariani began her career in the private sector, leading organizational development efforts at Kraft Foods and working as a consultant at McKinsey & Company.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Howard University and a master’s in business from Stanford University. She also serves on the boards of directors of Howard University, Fidelity Charitable, and Jobs for the Future.