Leigh Gianakos is the Director of HR Operations at Cambiar Education, where she builds the systems, policies, and people practices that enable the organization to grow sustainably and in alignment with its values. Her work centers on creating clear structures, equitable processes, and thoughtful employee experiences that support teams to do their best work.

Leigh brings more than a decade of experience across edtech, PK–12 schools, and mission-driven organizations. She has led people operations and talent functions in high-growth edtech environments, partnering with leadership teams to scale culture, hiring practices, and organizational systems. Earlier in her career, Leigh helped design, grow, and lead a teacher residency program for a large charter management organization, expanding and diversifying the pipeline of future educators across multiple states. She began her career as a middle school literacy teacher through Teach For America, where she developed her commitment to building environments where both students and adults are seen, supported, and able to thrive.

Leigh holds a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in education from Lipscomb University. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and their two children, where she spends as much time outdoors as possible.