Aisha Francis, PhD is an award-winning Massachusetts leader, who has excelled in the non-profit and higher education sectors. Her superior leadership in her role as Chief of Staff at Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (BFCIT) in 2018, made her the obvious choice as President and CEO in 2021. She is the first female president in the more than 100-year history of BFCIT. With her decades of experience, in just a short time Dr. Francis has led the college through its most transformative years, with a $60 million capital campaign launch, negotiations, sale, and purchase of its new real estate, college rebranding and name change, and an execution of its most progressive strategic plan. Aisha has been sought after for board placement by bi-partisan gubernatorial administrations. She was placed on the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) by Former Gov. Charlie Baker (R) and on the New England Board of Higher Education by Gov. Maura Healey (D). Her civic service also extends to the board of directors of the Association of Independent Colleges of Massachusetts (AICUM). Dr. Francis is highly recognized in Massachusetts and received some of its most notable accolades. In 2022 and 2023 recipient of the Boston Magazine 150 Most Influential Bostonians, a 2022-2024 Boston Business Journal Power 50 Movement Maker, and recipient of the 2023 Pinnacle Award for outstanding contributions in the non-profit sector from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Francis resides in Boston with her husband and two children. She completed her undergraduate education at Fisk University and holds a Ph.D.in English literature from Vanderbilt University both in her hometown of Nashville, TN. Aisha is a Fellow of the fourth class of the Civil Society Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.