Joshua Walker

Joshua joined ESG in 2024 to support the Postsecondary Attainment portfolio. Prior to joining ESG, Joshua spent time working as a Policy Analyst for the K-12 Content team at The Hunt Institute, a North Carolina education policy nonprofit established to advance Governor Jim Hunt’s legacy of non-partisan solutions in education. In this role, Joshua supported the Institute’s content work by providing technical assistance and research for elected officials and stakeholders on a range of issues within the education continuum, with the goal of pushing evidence-based research driving equitable solutions and recommendations for all students across the country.

A North Carolina native, Joshua holds a Bachelor’s degree in American History and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the inaugural MPP cohort.

Why are you in this work?

I am in this work because I have a passion to drive impactful change and solutions to ensure that everyone has access to high-quality education. Growing up in a community where I saw the consequences of barriers to education coupled with which demographics were most affected, this truly motivated me to be a change agent and advocate for equitable opportunities within education.

Why ESG?

ESG’s commitment to innovative, data-driven solutions aligns with my dedication to creating impactful, systemic change in education that increases postsecondary attainment and economic mobility for marginalized communities across the country.