E3 Foundation is on a mission to ensure those most impacted by inequities are educated, empowered, and elevated to exercise their collective agency in the South.
E3 Foundation™ Educate, Empower, Elevate is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization | Est. 2020
EDUCATE, EMPOWER, ELEVATE
E3 PILLARS & PROGRAMS
E3 Foundation advances the conditions necessary for UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES TO influence THE civic systems and institutions THAT SHAPE THEIR LIVES— ESTABLISHING essential avenues for enduring presence, access, opportunity.
Our education, empowerment, and advocacy organizing programs form
a dynamic, power-building ecosystem that places families, neighbors, and communities at the center, supporting locally-centered, culturally-rooted solutions created by, with, and for those most impacted by systemic inequities.
E3 KNOWLEDGE BUILDING PILLAR
E3 Foundation educates
Black families and scholars with intentional, affirming spaces that reflect their brilliance, beauty, and inherent worth while supporting individual development of awareness, agency, and access.
E3 KNOWLEDGE BUILDING PROGRAMS
Co-Created Community Initiatives
Co-Created Initiatives are a programmatic avenue for organizations, municipalities, and systems-change funders to pursue collaborative, culturally-informed, direct-support solutions for education system inequities currently impacting Black children, families, and communities.
The inaugural E3 Foundation Co-Created Community Initiatives,
ParentFest
and
Community-Wide Academic Assessments, were developed in partnership with five community-based, Black-led organizations:
Beyond Our Walls, Lowcountry Youth Services, Lowcountry Black Parents Association, Carolina Teen Center, and Charleston Promise Neighborhood.
Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools®
CDF freedom schools® is an evidence-based, literacy-focused summer enrichment program for Black scholars, with local 29405 facilitation led by E3 Foundation in partnership with Jenkins Youth & Family Village.
Freedom School is a six-week summer education intensive for scholars in grades K–12, preventing summer learning loss while affirming cultural identity, strengthening young voices and connecting them to vital services.
E3 POWER BUILDING PILLAR
E3 Foundation empowers our community through the engagement and advancement of culturally-rooted Black leaders, Black educators, and Black-led organizations working to strengthen and center Black children and families.
Power Building programs are the connective layer of a growing, intergenerational pipeline of community-rooted leaders who shape policy, strengthen democratic participation, and shift power toward those most impacted—advancing more equitable systems, more representative decision-making, and sustained community voice across South Carolina.
E3 Power BUILDING PROGRAMS
YOUTH IN ACTION
Youth in Action
equips our youth with the knowledge, confidence, and platform to shape the systems that shape their lives.
Through a cohort-based model, participants move from awareness to action—developing the skills to speak out, organize, and engage in decisions that impact their future.
COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Community Leadership Institute (piloted 2025; launches 2026)
develops emerging voices with a dedicated leadership accelerator,
preparing community members to lead organizing efforts, engage in policy advocacy, and drive systems-level change.
E3 COALITION BUILDING PILLAR
E3, alongside coalition partners, equips families, educators, youth, and advocates with the knowledge to understand and engage policy—translating legislation, clarifying impact, and making advocacy accessible. Communities are not passive recipients of information; they are informed participants, prepared to navigate systems and engage where decisions are made .
As communities organize and act together, their collective voice shapes policy, strengthens accountability, and advances a shared vision for equity.
E3 helps align and amplify this work—ensuring that community-led advocacy is sustained, visible, and influential—resulting in lasting systems change driven by those most impacted.
Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools®
CDF freedom schools® is an evidence-based, literacy-focused summer enrichment program for Black scholars, with local 29405 facilitation led by E3 Foundation in partnership with Jenkins Youth & Family Village
Freedom School is a six-week summer education intensive for scholars in grades K–12, preventing summer learning loss while affirming cultural identity, strengthening young voices and connecting them to vital services.
E3 COALITION BUILDING PROGRAMS
protruth sc coalition
ProTruth SC—a statewide, cross-sector coalition founded by E3 Foundation, Lowcountry Black Parents Association, ACLU of South Carolina, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund—has grown to include dozens of organizations and community advocates across the state.
The coalition exists to protect truthful, inclusive education and dismantle systemic barriers to equity by equipping families, educators, and students with the knowledge, tools, and collective power to engage in policy, advocate for change, and hold institutions accountable.
ProTruth SC is entering its next phase—evolving from a powerful, single-issue defense of truthful education into a broader, coordinated effort to address the full system shaping inequity in South Carolina.
What this transition supports:
- Deeper alignment across organizations, issue areas, and regions
- More coordinated, high-impact advocacy at local and state levels
- A unified, community-led voice
shaping policy—not just responding to it.
AREAS OF MISSION FOCUS
THE E3 TEAM
Audrey KS Lane
Founding Partner & Executive Director | E3 Foundation
audrey@thee3group.com
A native of Columbia, SC, Audrey was most recently the Executive Director of The Royal Foundation, a non-profit focused on the educational, economic, and healthy transformation of residents in the North Charleston community and an extension of the largest African American Christian congregation (4,000+ members) in the Charleston metropolitan area. In addition, she is a K-12 consultant with expertise in talent pipeline development, leadership development, strategy, and project management.
Prior to her current roles, she was the Chief of Access & Equity for the SC Public Charter School District. In this role, she was focused on ensuring academic success for ALL children of the SC Public Charter School District by removing unintentional or intentional barriers that prevent every child from receiving an equitable, fair public-school education. Before joining the SC Public Charter School District, Audrey was the Deputy for Human Capital Development for the Charleston County School District (CCSD).
Audrey has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Florida A&M University, an MBA in Marketing Management from DePaul University, and is a 2010 graduate of the Broad Residency for Urban Education.
Audrey’s Strengths
Project Management • Human Capital Development • Strategic Planning • Stakeholder Engagement • Non-Profit Leadership
LaTisha Vaughn
Founding Partner & Chief Programs Officer | E3 Foundation
latisha@thee3group.com
Currently LaTisha spends her time as the Chief Programs Officer for a local non-profit and consulting with school districts and schools across the country utilizing her educational expertise and background experiences supporting antiracism and positive school culture.
An accomplished educator with over 20 years of experience in both the traditional public-school environment and charter schools, she made SC home twelve years ago when she transitioned to Charleston and took the role as principal in the Charleston County School District in one of its high poverty schools.
Prior to moving to Charleston LaTisha spent over five years in Atlanta, Georgia as one of the original staff members at Charles R. Drew Charter School, one of Atlanta’s most successful community revitalization projects. During her tenure with the Charleston County School District, after serving as principal for four years, she transitioned to the role of Assistant Associate Superintendent/Director of Educational Initiatives.
LaTisha has a BS of Accounting from the University of Missouri, a BA in Elementary Education from Park University, and a MA in Educational Leadership from Georgia State University.
LaTisha’s Strengths
Nonprofit Leadership • Results-Based Facilitation • School Leadership • Needs Assessment • Effective Curriculum & Instruction • Stakeholder Engagement
Craig Logan
Director of Education, Advocacy, and Outreach | E3 Foundation
craig@thee3group.com
Hailing from Greenwood, SC, Craig Logan emerges as a dynamic and driven leader with a wealth of organizational expertise. Craig earned his B.S. in Sociology and a Master of Science in Project Management from Charleston Southern University, showcasing his commitment to academic excellence.
Drawing from his educational background, Craig has translated theory into practice, accumulating valuable real-world experience as a catalyst for positive change. His focus on housing, education, and youth leadership development is evident through his leadership roles, including spearheading initiatives for the Regional Housing Coalition, coordinating youth leadership development at Metanoia CDC, training with the Children's Defense Fund Ella Baker Trainer, and directing various statewide and nationwide projects.Craig serves as the Director of Education Advocacy and Outreach for The E3 Foundation.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Craig dedicates his spare time to family and friends. His affiliations also include being a member of the esteemed Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., reflecting his commitment to service, leadership, and community engagement. Craig Logan's multifaceted contributions and extensive involvement underscore his dedication to fostering positive change within both local and broader communities.
Craig’s Strengths
Project Management • Grassroots Community Organizing • Stakeholder Coalition Building • Board & Government Policy • Strategic Partnership Development • Servant Leadership
E3 Foundation Board of Directors
Michelle A. Mapp, MEM, MPA, JD
Board Chairperson
Attorney & Community Leader
Sherman Whites, Jr., MBA
Board Member
Senior Consultant & Philanthropic Advisor
Ericka Plater, MBA
Board Member
Executive Strategist & Certified Leadership Coach
EMPOWERING COMMUNITY, ADVANCING IMPACT
ParentFest BACK A SECOND YEAR TO EMPOWER PARENTS
(CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 31, 2022)-- ParentFest is back for its second year on Saturday, Sept. 16, 8 AM to 2 PM, at Trident Technical College, 7000 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, S.C. A continuation of the inaugural event, parents and families will receive resources that will empower them to be the best advocate they can be for their children. READ MORE HERE.
E3 Foundation RECEIVES W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION GRANT
(CHARLESTON, S.C., August 14, 2023) Today, E3 Foundation is proud to announce it is the recipient of a $100,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) to further its work of ensuring those most impacted by inequities are educated, empowered, and elevated to exercise their collective agency in the South. READ MORE HERE.
ProTruthSC AND SC UNITED COALITION HOLDS MEET ME AT THE STATEHOUSE EVENT FOR Freedom to Learn CAMPAIGN
(COLUMBIA, S.C., May 2, 2023) ProTruthSC and SC United Coalition will hold a special “Meet Me at the Statehouse” in observance of National Day of Action to kick-off the Freedom to Learn Campaign. This event will be the only event taking place in the state of South Carolina and is one of over 150 grassroots activations expected across the US and online on May 3. READ MORE HERE.
E3 MANAGEMENT
E3 (Educate, Empower, and Elevate) Management is a Black, women-led consulting group founded in 2016.
With over 55 years of cross- sector experience, E3 works with leaders to provide strategic, equity based solutions to complex organizational problems.
Our guiding principle, that those most impacted by systemic inequities - people of color- must be at the center of all decision-making, is not merely our North Star, but it is our fundamental approach to the work and is what sets us apart from the competition.
E3 founding partners Audrey KS Lane and LaTisha Vaughn are competent, committed, and community-minded leaders. As experienced C-Suite professionals with cross-sector expertise in non-profit, advocacy, public education, and private enterprise spaces, they provide voice to those closest to, and most impacted by, the problem with a collaborative, culturally-grounded approach informed by lived experience.
E3 Management services
Organizational Assessments & Equity Audits
Understanding where you are as an organization is essential to defining your path for progress.
E3 will work with you to
examine your organization's practices, processes, culture, and behaviors through a racial equity lens leading to recommendations that will help your team achieve your strategic organizational goals.
Strategic Planning
Strategic planning is the key to achieving goals and milestones.
E3 will guide your internal team and board through an
inclusive strategic planning process that aligns your values with your operational growth goals and intended outcomes.
Professional Development
Building the internal capacity of individuals is imperative to deliver on the goals of the organization.
E3 will advise, design, and implement
high-quality capacity-building pathways for the professional development of your team members based on the needs of your organization.
Community Engagement
Authentic community engagement is the foundation for true alignment between strategic priorities and sustainable solutions for community-based organizations.
E3 develops intentional, high-integrity community engagement strategies designed to support the advancement of your organizational goals.
Leadership Coaching
E3 leaders strengthen C-Suite executives, emerging leaders, and cross-functional teams through individual and cohort coaching programs designed to increase efficacy and productivity while ensuring access and equity.
Our strategic support pathways are unique to each organizational structure, informed by extensive, multi-industry expertise.
E3 creates team-building solutions that encourage both individual and collective growth, across departments, functions, and staffing levels.
