Cindy Eggleton is Co-Founder and CEO of Brilliant Cities, a national early childhood nonprofit focused on creating “Kid Success Neighborhoods,” where families with young children can access essential support within their own communities. Through this model, Brilliant Cities repurposes neighborhood houses into community hubs that provide integrated services for children and caregivers.

With more than 25 years of experience in education services and strategy, Cindy has dedicated her career to driving systemic change at the neighborhood level. Her leadership has helped expand the Brilliant Cities model to 25 neighborhoods, serving over 30,000 children and caregivers, supported by more than 250 partners across the United States.

Previously, she worked as a nonprofit funder managing a $60 million education portfolio, where she played a key role in bringing the Social Innovation Fund to Detroit, adding significant education support to the city. She has also contributed to initiatives aimed at improving high school graduation rates, training over 15,000 early childhood caregivers, and supporting foreclosure recovery efforts.

Cindy’s work is grounded in both lived experience and professional expertise, shaped by her background as a first-generation high school graduate and her long-standing commitment to education equity. She continues to scale Brilliant Cities nationally, with expansion plans underway in Philadelphia and Chicago, and a growing waitlist of cities seeking to adopt the model.