Liz Simons

Elizabeth (Liz) Simons is a philanthropic leader with an extensive record of engagement in education, nonprofit governance, criminal justice reform, and journalism. She is the co-founder and chair of the Heising-Simons Foundation, which she established with her husband, Mark Heising, in 2007. The foundation is dedicated to advancing sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy, enabling groundbreaking scientific research, enhancing early childhood education, and upholding human rights.

Throughout her career, Liz has championed efforts to create a more just and equitable society. Her professional journey spans philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, and education, with a focus on supporting young learners and improving outcomes for vulnerable children. Before establishing the foundation, Liz began her career as an educator, teaching in Spanish-bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms in under-resourced schools. She later founded Stretch to Kindergarten, an innovative early childhood program designed to support young learners during the critical transition into formal schooling.

Liz’s leadership extends to several organizations dedicated to improving lives and strengthening communities. She serves as Chair of the Board of The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization focused on raising awareness of the U.S. criminal justice system. She is a board member of Math for America, which supports excellence in STEM teaching, and the Learning Policy Institute, which conducts research to improve education policy and practice. Liz is also a founding pledger of One for Justice, a philanthropic initiative focused on criminal justice reform, and an advisory board member of Smart Justice California, which works to promote fair and effective public safety policies. [With her husband Mark, she is a signatory to the Giving Pledge.]

In 2023, Liz was appointed by President Biden to the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, where she works to foster collaboration among programs serving vulnerable youth nationwide.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, and her master’s degree in education from Stanford University.