Liz Heid is the CEO of Teach First Deutschland, leading the organization’s mission to recruit and develop top talent to tackle educational inequity in Germany.

As a co-founder of Teach First Deutschland in 2007, Liz played a key role in establishing the organization as a driving force for educational change in Germany. She later served as Director of School Turnaround for Berlin schools, where worked across sectors and stakeholder groups to improve underperforming schools. Before returning to Teach First Deutschland as CEO in 2025, she spent nearly a decade as Partner and COO at KONU, a boutique leadership development firm. There, she designed and delivered leadership development programs, coached executives and teams, and helped organizations maximize their impact. She also led KONU’s growth strategy, building the processes and systems to help the firm scale.

As CEO of Teach First Deutschland, Liz is committed to focusing the organization’s Theory of Change, securing sustainable funding and optimizing impactful teacher placement through strong public partnerships. A key priority is attracting top talent to the program to drive meaningful change in education.

Liz holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School (2013) and an MA in International Relations from Free University Berlin (2006). She is also an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coach Federation.

Having grown up and attended diverse schools in Germany, Singapore, and the United States, Liz brings a global perspective to her work. Now based in Berlin with her partner and son, she has been actively involved in municipal politics, including serving on the local council’s education committee. Outside of work, she is a passionate runner and a regular at the Berlin Marathon.