Merita Irby

Merita Irby is co-founder and managing partner of the Alliance for Youth Thriving, a coalition of coalitions across education, youth development, and career pathways dedicated to  strengthening learning ecosystems so that all youth can thrive. Throughout her career—as a classroom teacher, youth worker, researcher, partnership coach, and field leader—she has
worked to mobilize community connections with and in support of young people. Nearly 30 years ago, she cofounded the Forum for Youth Investment with longtime colleague Karen Pittman. As partners in Knowledge to Power Catalysts, they continue to collaborate to advance research-based approaches to learning and development across the allied youth fields.