The Opportunity Trust

Eric began his career in education teaching middle school science in the Bronx in New York City as part of Teach For America. He had a number of roles on Teach For America’s staff including helping to open the St. Louis region and to lead the San Francisco Bay Area region through a major expansion. In these roles, Eric helped to codify the organization’s regional growth and fundraising strategy and then served as Teach For America’s Chief of Strategy and External Affairs nationally. In this role, he oversaw the unprecedented growth of the organization: opening 16 new sites, growing regional fundraising from $82 million to $228 million, and securing over $50 million in federal funding that fueled a 67% increase in the size of the national teacher corps. After 15 years working to scale Teach For America’s impact nationally and being a part of bold and successful reforms of public education systems in cities across the country, Eric returned to St. Louis to launch The Opportunity Trust to help catalyze and steward necessary change in St. Louis. He serves on the Board of Directors for Forest Park Forever and Innovate Public Schools based in San Jose, CA, and is an Aspen Institute Fellow. Eric was the first in his family to graduate from college, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Washington University in St. Louis.

Email Eric: escroggins@theopportunitytrust.org