Dr. Leiah Groom-Thomas is the Senior Director of Programs, Strategy, and Impact at Final Third Foundation (F3), where she leads the organization’s Wellness and Education initiatives and oversees the design, implementation, evaluation, and scaling of programs that advance youth development and educational equity. She works to ensure strategic alignment between F3’s programs, mission, and long-term vision, leveraging data-informed insights to strengthen program effectiveness, expand impact, and create meaningful change for P–12 learners and their communities.

Leiah also serves as a policy researcher and partnerships leader at Stanford University, where she works at the intersection of research, practice, and partnerships to support school transformation and improve educational decision-making. She earned her Ph.D. in Education, M.A. in Reading and Literacy in Early and Middle Childhood, and B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Development from The Ohio State University. 

Over the past 15 years, Leiah has partnered with stakeholders across the country to strengthen instructional practice, translate research into action, and support effective program implementation. Prior to joining Stanford, she held research and policy roles at the Annenberg Institute and the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy. She began her career as an elementary school teacher at Grace Christian School, an experience that continues to inform her research and commitment to education systems change.

Leiah lives in Dublin with her husband, Jonathan, and their two daughters, Nova and Hazel.