STEPHANIE DUA | TRUSTED ADVISOR TO CEO'S, BOARDS, & EXECUTIVE TEAMS
Trusted guidance for decisive leaders navigating growth, transitions, & high-stakes decisions
Stephanie Dua
Founder & Managing Director
CEO. Board Member. Strategic Advisor. YPO Member.
A two-time CEO, former McKinsey & Company consultant, Harvard Kennedy School Fellow, and valedictorian of UCLA’s Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences, Stephanie Dua has spent over two decades leading organizations, shaping strategy, and driving execution at the highest levels.
A track record of transformational growth & leadership
She has scaled and led organizations through transformational growth, and high-stakes transitions, advised boards on CEO succession, and partnered with organizations across sectors, geographies, and company sizes—including private equity firms, venture-backed startups, multinational corporations, industrials, finance, and academic medicine, to navigate complexity and drive lasting impact.
Building industry-shaping organizations
From co-founding BEGiN—one of the world’s leading edtech companies, inspiring 15+ million children across 20+ countries—to leading one of the largest education nonprofits in the U.S., raising over $165 million to drive innovation in New York City’s 1.1 million-student public school system, Stephanie has a track record of shaping industries and building organizations that last.
At BEGiN, she built a category-defining early learning brand, including the acquisition of five consumer brands and forming strategic partnerships with global leaders. Recognized as one of Fast Company’s "Most Innovative Companies Globally in Education" (2021) and Best Places to Work in New York (2022), BEGiN became a benchmark for innovation, leadership, and impact in early childhood learning.
As CEO of the Fund for Public Schools, founded by Caroline Kennedy and Michael Bloomberg, Stephanie pioneered a public-private funding model that reshaped how cities invest in education reform, creating a blueprint now replicated nationwide.
A recognized thought leader & speaker
Stephanie’s approach is shaped by firsthand experience—she’s been in the seat, faced the pressure, and made the calls.
She is a featured speaker and writer, including guest speaker on Morning Joe, Yahoo Finance, Bloomberg International, and Aspen Ideas. She is featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Financial Times and honored in Crain’s 40 under 40
As Featured in
Navigating complexity with confidence
Stephanie has advised Fortune 500 executives, growth-stage founders, and leadership teams in:
Scaling organizations while maintaining trust and alignment.
Leading through high-stakes transactions, from acquisitions to restructuring.
Developing leadership behaviors that drive engagement and execution.
Strengthening executive presence and decision-making in high-pressure environments.
Leadership is a choice, not a title
Every CEO, Board, and Executive Team faces moments that define their leadership—scaling a company, leading through uncertainty, aligning teams under pressure. In these moments, clarity and execution matter.
Five Banyan Advisory works alongside leaders navigating complexity, offering sharp, results-driven guidance that turns high-stakes decisions into lasting impact.
