Educational Navigation™ for institutions and for the people inside them.
What BLAC Does
Schools call us when inquiries stall out, when families of color enroll and then leave, or when the org chart stopped fitting the school two heads ago. We find what's actually driving it, then rebuild the systems, staffing, and communication that fix it.
We also work directly with the students and alumni those institutions serve, on the transitions they're being asked to make. Same practice, both directions.
Who We Serve:
The Four Problems We Get Called About
Inquiries come in and stall out. Some families enroll and never quite land, and by year three they are gone. We find what is actually driving it, then rebuild the funnel, the follow-up, and the retention work.
You have the programs. What you do not have is evidence that they changed anything. We build the frameworks that connect what you offer to what students actually experience.
Whole segments of your alumni are on the list but not in the community. We find them, reconnect them, and give them a reason to stay.
Your hiring commitments are real, but they start too late. We work upstream, where the candidates you want are still deciding what is possible.
Why Institutions Choose BLAC
BLAC brings four vantage points to the same problem: independent school graduate, administrator, board member, consultant.
Behind that is Our Faces, Our Voices, a research trilogy built on forty recorded interviews. It produced the Narrative Intelligence Model and the Belonging Blueprints, the frameworks we bring into every engagement.
We are not bringing you a philosophy. We are bringing you a method, and the evidence it came from.
Our Success Stories
I am very proud to strongly endorse Jonathan Lee’s initiative BLAC to support, recognize and empower students, graduates and families of color of independent schools. I have enjoyed knowing Jonathan since his first days as a new student at Episcopal High School over 20 years ago. Across Jonathan’s many roles in the life of independent schools, his personal and professional trademark has been that of determination, integrity and compassion. He is an outstanding individual who has truly lived the experience of all of the dynamics of life in independent schools-as student, alumnus, teacher, coach and administrator. I am pleased that Jonathan has launched BLAC to extend his valuable insights to improve the experience for all of our students, graduates, families and schools
Rob Hershey
Retired Head of Episcopal High School
Bridging Legacies Across Campuses (BLAC) is a wonderful creation and vision by Jonathan E. Lee. The platform provides for networking, information, experiences, backgrounds, struggles and success of persons in all walks of life and highlights persons character and endurance which would or could otherwise discourage or destroy the creativity and will and aspirations that each of us is born with in being a productive contributor to the society we live in. BLAC allows people to connect and find common activities, interest building friendships never once envisioned.
Gerald D. Chapman
Law Enforcement/Homeland Security Professional Consultant (Semi-Retired)
The vision of BLAC is at the forefront of the intersection of genuine personal relationships, the community culture of small schools, and the possibility of connection through technology. The need for a supportive network for a diverse spectrum of alumni is high, and the energy, intelligence, and dedication of BLAC's network was apparent before words were spoken. There is limitless potential on an individual, school, and national level for BLAC's mission.
Will Nisbet
Director of Institutional Development at The Hill School
Jonathan is thoughtful and efficient in his work with our school community. He is committed to a thorough process and is responsive to evolving needs! We were glad to have Jonathan's help with a quick turn around project and appreciated his clarity, efficiency, and deep sense of partnership.
Alex Halladay
Director of Admissions and Enrollment at The Northwest School
I was first introduced to BLAC via LinkedIn when Mr. Jonathan Lee personally reached out to me after I liked one of his posts promoting BLAC. My interaction with him was pleasant, and the vision that he described for BLAC to become an extensive network to foster collaboration and community among BIPOC individuals within the context of college campuses was admirable and aligned with my own values and goals. Soon after, Mr. Lee gave me the opportunity to share my story through the BLAC alumni highlight and subsequent podcast. I am very grateful for this experience as it has helped me to better reflect on my own life and the series of events and circumstances that have brought me to my current path. I also found it enlightening to read about the stories and experiences of other alumni. Since I first became acquainted with BLAC, I have enjoyed watching its network grow, and I am looking forward to continue being a member of the community that it has fostered, especially as it begins to introduce new programming such as the 2nd Sunday Connections.
chance wooden
Physics B.S. Student at the University of Virginia
Thank you to BLAC for including me in the great work they’re doing and letting me tell a part of my story and experience as an #IndependentSchool student and educator.
Brandon herbert
Director of Enrollment Management at the Church Farm School
I've had the privilege of working with Jonathan to help shape the communication strategies for BLAC. Not only is he a joy to work with, but he has a clear, strong vision and mission for BLAC that is urgently needed in the independent school world. Though I am not a person of color, I have seen first-hand - as an ally, alumna, and former faculty member - the need to build and bridge the legacies of students and alumni of color from independent schools. Jonathan's wisdom and perspicacity are already making a difference; I cannot endorse his mission strongly enough.
DANIEL MILLER
Founder of Genrevv
Jonathan Lee, founder of BLAC, delivered a powerful and relevant presentation for the CCIS audience. His mission to empower students of color and build inclusive alumni networks came through clearly in his thoughtful preparation and DEI-focused content. He shared initiatives from other schools, offering valuable, actionable ideas, and his use of personal stories added authenticity and impact. Jonathan was a pleasure to work with a collaborative, communicative, and a fluent, engaging speaker. His presentation was both meaningful and memorable.
Alison McCloskey
Director of Cleveland Counsil of Independent Schools (CCIS)
I invited Jonathan Lee to visit the University of Puget Sound and speak with School of Education students, faculty, and administration to share his excellent work with BLAC. Jonathan is an engaging, passionate, and highly knowledgeable leader in education and DEI. Most importantly, he speaks truth to power when we most need it. We are watching the fallout of SCOTUS’ systematic dismantling of affirmative action. Historically BI-POC students have had schoolhouse doors unabashedly slammed in their faces. Jonathan is a tireless advocate for opening doors for students of color. I wish he could be speaking on all campuses across the country right now!
Rebecca Wellington, Phd.
Clinical Instructor at University of Puget Sound
Student. Graduate. Alumni. Professional.
Most consultants meet people at one stage. BLAC works the whole path.
BLAC has spent years sitting across from people at every stage of that path: preparing a fourteen-year-old for an interview, rebuilding a mid-career resume, telling an alum the truth about what they walked into.
That is not a side business. It is where the institutional work comes from. You cannot design a retention system for students you have never had a hard conversation with.
This is what we mean by Educational Navigation, and it is why the two halves of BLAC are one practice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
