Russlynn Ali is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of the XQ Institute, a position she has held since 2015. She also serves as the Managing Director of the Education Fund at Emerson Collective, a role she began in 2012. Her work focuses on education and civil rights.

Prior to her current roles, Ali held a significant government position as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education from March 2009 to December 2012.