Martisa Francois is an educator, school leader, nonprofit executive, and U.S. Army veteran whose work focuses on strengthening institutions by equipping people—educators, staff, and families—with the skills and systems needed to deliver consistent outcomes. Her career spans education, mental health, and organizational leadership, with more than a decade of experience operating and improving mission-driven organizations.
Martisa is the founder and Executive Director of Empowered for Life, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families through early childhood education, literacy initiatives, and community-based programming. She is also the owner and operator of Empowerment Station Academy, a multi-site early learning organization serving families across Mississippi. In both roles, Martisa has led efforts to train educators and staff to use data, instructional tools, and technology-enabled systems to strengthen literacy instruction, monitor progress, and improve consistency across sites—reinforcing the importance of workforce capability alongside program growth.
Martisa currently serves as Principal of Stokes-Beard Elementary School, where she leads schoolwide instructional improvement initiatives centered on literacy, data-driven instruction, and student achievement. Her professional background also includes service in Head Start programs and public schools as a classroom teacher, academic coach, and administrator, giving her firsthand experience implementing systems at every level of the education pipeline.
A United States Army veteran, Martisa previously served as a mental health therapist during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and later as a commissioned officer in the Army Reserve. This experience continues to inform her disciplined, people-centered leadership approach.
Martisa holds degrees in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Educational Psychology, and Educational Leadership. She brings to the board of FutureSouth Foundation a rare combination of instructional expertise, operational leadership, and experience building sustainable education and nonprofit systems that expand opportunity in underserved communities.
