Elisa Villanueva Beard

Elisa Villanueva Beard is president and CEO of Houston Endowment, a Houston-based foundation that deploys more than $100 million in annual grantmaking across public education, civic engagement, arts and culture, and greenspaces. She stepped into that role in 2026 after 27 years at Teach For America — 12 of them as CEO.

Her path started in a Phoenix elementary classroom as a TFA corps member. It’s the experience she still points to: every kid has potential, and what they need is care, high standards, and real support. Before becoming CEO, she served as TFA’s chief operating officer, and earlier as executive director in the Rio Grande Valley, where she more than tripled the teaching corps.

A South Texas native and longtime Houston resident, Elisa holds a B.A. in sociology from DePauw University. She also serves on the boards of The Holdsworth Center, GoGuardian, Leadership for Educational Equity, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. She lives in Houston with her husband and four sons.