Increase in the recognition of racial and gender disparities has raised the accountability stakes for educational leaders and their contribution in influencing improved educational outcomes and closing the achievement gaps for racially minoritized groups. Evidence suggests that these institutions are inadequately equipped to assist students from these populations. True institutional transformation cannot take place without emphasizing the critical role leadership plays in centering equity as a priority and dismantling structures and institutional cultural norms that have persisted for far too long. The study draws on the human-centered design-inspired leadership approach to interrogate what must change in institutional leadership practices to impact equitable opportunities for students. This hermeneutic phenomenological study examines the role of a student-ready leader in the institutional context and understands the leadership process, not just authority, that resulted in the success of minoritized undergraduate students at five public HEIs. The purpose of this study is to present a typology of leadership roles to be assumed by a student-ready leader to impact equitable opportunities for students. The study identifies mindsets corresponding to the roles of student-ready leaders embedded within human-centered design-inspired leadership, keeping student-centered thinking at the heart of the six roles: ambidextrous, achiever, boundary pusher, experience architect, opportunity seeker, and storyteller. This study is intended for educators, researchers, and administrators to better understand the role of student-ready leaders, reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, and create a critical mass of equity advocates. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]