Aarti Dhupelia

Dr. Aarti Dhupelia is an education leader dedicated to advancing equity and economic mobility. She is the CEO of One Million Degrees (OMD), a nonprofit that supports community college students to succeed in school, work, and life.

Previously, Aarti served as the inaugural Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Student Experience Officer at City Colleges of Chicago, overseeing student services and student success partnerships across the system. Before that, she was Vice President for Undergraduate Education and Founding Dean of the Undergraduate College at National Louis University, where she launched and scaled an innovative, affordable, professionally focused, and highly supportive bachelor’s degree model that grew to nearly 4,000 students annually and earned top national rankings for social mobility and value.

Earlier in her career, Aarti held senior leadership roles at Chicago Public Schools, including serving as the district’s first Chief Officer for the Office of College and Career Success. She began her career as a management consultant to Fortune 500 companies at Marakon Associates.

Aarti has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Noble Schools (Vice Chair), Civic Consulting Alliance, OneGoal, iMentor Chicago, Genesys Works Chicago, and Distinctive Schools. She co-chaired the Mayor of Chicago’s 2019 Education Transition Committee and has contributed nationally through the US Department of Education’s employability skills working group and as a judge for First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Career App Challenge.

She holds a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from National Louis University, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BA with honors in Economics and Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences from Northwestern University. She is an alumna of the Broad Residency, Leadership Greater Chicago, and Aspen Presidential Fellowship programs, and a member of Northwestern’s Council of 100. Her recognitions include the Center for Digital Education’s Top 30 Technologists, Transformers, and Trailblazers, Bottom Line Chicago’s Champion for College Completion, and the Chicago Titan 100.