Our Team

As the Executive Director, Christina leads the Classroom, Inc. team to bring literacy and leadership skills to middle school youth across the United States through the Read to Lead learning games. Prior to joining Classroom, Inc., Christina contributed her talents to key education reform organizations including The Urban Assembly and ReadWorks.org, where she lead program and curriculum development efforts that offered rigorous and impactful learning experiences for students. Christina also taught at J.H.S. 56 in Manhattan and at Bronx Preparatory Charter School. She graduated from the University at Buffalo with a B.A. in History and Secondary Education and holds a Master’s degree in Education Policy and Public Management from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughters, and loves to go on leisurely bike rides with her family whenever possible.

Kevin spearheads digital strategy and product development, leveraging Classroom Inc.’s efforts across marketing, engineering, research, and analytics to build effective and compelling learning opportunities for young people. He is passionate about educational equity and youth development, and believes technology can play a powerful role in transforming education and unlocking human potential. Having led product initiatives at Kaplan Test Prep, Macmillan Higher Ed, and Amplify, among others, Kevin gained extensive experience delivering mobile, web, and blended learning solutions, and developed a deep perspective of the education technology landscape and marketplace. Kevin holds a B.A. in Sociology from Cornell University and is a proud Brooklyn native and resident.

Nick leads Classroom, Inc.’s fundraising efforts, building partnerships with the individual, foundation, corporate, and government supporters who make impact possible. He enjoys working at the intersection of education and technology to empower students in underserved communities. Before joining Classroom, Inc., he held development roles at PowerMyLearning, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and St. John’s University. Nick earned a B.A. in History from the University of Richmond and an MBA in Marketing from St. John’s University. When he’s not at work, he’s most likely reading, brewing beer, or spending time with his family.

Kwamara leads the strategic vision for partner acquisition and retention; thought leadership and professional development; and works to elevate Classroom, Inc.’s community of educators across the country. With a Masters in Education Leadership and a Bachelor’s from New York University, Kwamara brings over a decade of experience as an administrator, teacher-leader, coach, and mentor in schools and platforms on the district, state, and national levels. In her previous role as the Director of Professional Learning and School Support at Classroom, Inc., she built and administered an achievement-centered system that charted the progress of both her team and Classroom, Inc.’s national partner organizations. Kwamara also sits on several boards and helps those organizations strategize and implement their education programming initiatives. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, reading, hiking, and biking.

Nick manages many of Classroom, Inc.’s technology projects, including maintaining and creating features for our digital platform that delivers our learning games across desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones. Nick likes to keep up with gaming, both digital and physical, particularly four-man cooperative titles and those that exemplify innovative gameplay design.

Ali helms Read to Lead’s curriculum design, helps iterate and expand Classroom Inc.’s products, and develops partnerships with districts and community-based organizations through high-quality training and support. Ali has more than a decade of experience in education as a classroom teacher for Achievement First charter network, an educator mentor for Teach for America, a curriculum writer for Amplify, as well as a Fulbright teaching scholar in Cyprus. At Advancement Courses, she managed the creation and distribution of accredited professional development courses for K-12 educators with a special focus on literacy instruction and social/emotional learning. She is a New York University graduate and earned a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida. She lives in Austin with her husband, their two children, and rescue pup. You can find her at SXSW EDU!

As Director of Marketing & Growth at Classroom Inc., Courtney leads the digital strategy to expand Read to Lead’s reach and impact across the country. Prior to her work at Classroom Inc., she contributed to the fast growth of an Edtech company, Nearpod, where she managed the user journey from prospecting and activation to community outreach and lifecycle marketing. Prior to her time at Nearpod, Courtney contributed her talents to TeamPeople, a media staffing start-up, where she led an enterprise-wide rebrand, scaled the marketing team, and won multiple MarCom awards for digital marketing. She believes the future of our world is in the hearts and minds of our classrooms today, and that is what fuels her. She graduated from High Point University, and holds a B.A. in Strategic Communications. She lives in Winston Salem, NC with her fiancé and enjoys hiking trips on the weekend.

As the Director of Research & Evaluation, Juliana Hess brings a unique background that combines strategic planning, research, design thinking, and relationship management. Her work at Classroom, Inc. focuses on using applied research methods to amplify the impact of Read to Lead and inform the design of new product creation. She is passionate about learning sciences research, and over the course of her career, she’s led large-scale education projects in New York City and internationally. She holds an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University and a BA with honors from the University of Kansas. In her spare time, she loves going to museums and spending time with her mini goldendoodle, Aris!

As the Associate Director of Development, Matt works closely with the Board of Directors and Classroom, Inc.’s corporate partners. Before serving as the Associate Director of Development, Matt worked as the Chief of Staff. He holds a B.A. in English from Andrews University, as well as an M.A. in English from Syracuse University. In his spare time, Matt enjoys attending the theater, reading, and traveling.

As Visiting Senior Fellow, Mary Ross plays a crucial role in Classroom, Inc.’s fundraising efforts and has previously held numerous public policy and foundation executive positions. She raised $26 million in new funds for the national expansion of Gilder Lehrman Institute’s document-based programs. As Vice President and Director of Programs for the International Foundation for Research in Experimental Economics (IFREE) and the University of Arizona’s Economic Science Lab, Mary created IFREE’s programs with 2002 Nobel Laureate Vernon L. Smith. Previously, she was a Claremont Institute of American Statesmanship Research Fellow, executive consultant to the National Center for Policy Analysis, and Director of the Federal Mandates Project for the Goldwater Institute. From 1983-94, Mary was Executive Director of the Achelis and Bodman Foundations. She is a Trustee of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and serves on the Barker Welfare Foundation Grants Committee.

Emily supports the organization’s marketing and programmatic efforts to expand Classroom, Inc.’s reach and impact to classrooms across the country. Before joining Classroom, Inc., she worked as a production assistant at Meltzer Media Productions and interned at Liberty Studios, NYC’s longest-running multimedia production house. She graduated with a BFA in Film and Animation from Pratt Institute. Emily loves to travel, and by age 21 she reached the ambitious goal of visiting all seven continents.

Nicole started working with Classroom, Inc. as a summer intern before joining full-time. She works in the Research department analyzing the effectiveness of Classroom, Inc.’s programs and gathering youth and educator feedback to share with partners and funders. She also digs into our usage and partner data to summarize and share insights with other departments to inform strategy. Nicole earned a B.S. in Actuarial Science from CUNY’s Baruch College. In her free time, she enjoys adrenaline rushes, concerts, and video games.

Jane is responsible for writing proposals and donor reports, and collaborates with the team to identify new prospects. She also researches policy and philanthropic trends in education, youth development, and workforce preparedness. She has held diverse positions in nonprofits such as the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Commonwealth Fund, Americans for the Arts, and Boys & Girls Harbor. Over the course of her career, she has raised millions of dollars to bring education, social services, and the performing arts to low-income children and their families.

Peter manages the daily finances of the organization, including maintenance of the books and records, cash management, and payroll. He also works with the Director of Finance on budgeting and the year-end audit. He joined Classroom, Inc. following his studies at Baruch College, where he earned a B.B.A. in Accounting. In his spare time, Peter enjoys sports, reading, and watching movies.

Ginny supports the Development team’s fundraising efforts by conducting prospect research, managing the processing of gifts, and contributing to development communications and events. Before transitioning into this role, she was the Development Intern. Ginny recently graduated with her M.A. in Ethics & Society from Fordham University, where she previously earned her B.A. in Philosophy and Humanitarian Studies. Ginny has previously worked with several nonprofit organizations, with a focus on education and women’s rights. Outside the office, she enjoys spending time outside, reading, and traveling whenever possible.

Stacy supports Classroom, Inc.’s Executive Director, the Leadership Team, and the Board by providing organizational and administrative support. She recently graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) with a B.A. in Anthropology. At HWS, she was a varsity squash player for four years and interned at various nonprofit organizations such as Donorschoose.org, Teach for America, and the Squash and Education Alliance. During her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her parents and younger siblings, and reading a good book.

As an Instructional Coach, Phil helps educators implement Read to Lead programming at Classroom, Inc. partner sites and schools. He is a former district-based educational technology facilitator and staff member of the NYC Board of Education’s Technical Assistance Center. Upon his retirement, he worked as a consultant in a District One database project and at Teaching Matters. He taught educational technology courses at Iona College and Bank Street College of Education as well as for the New York City DOE After School Professional Development Program. He holds a Master’s degree in Computing in Education from Teachers College. Prior to his retirement, he was a middle school computer lab teacher where he taught programming for 11 years in the NYC school system.

As Recruitment Specialist and Instructional Coach, Ivan works closely with the Managing Director of Programs and Partnerships to build new strategic partnerships and to expand Classroom, Inc.’s program usage in the out-of-school time space. Ivan has taught in a variety of education sectors, which has provided him with an understanding of education policy, curriculum development, and cost-effective programming. Ivan graduated with a double major in English Literature and Secondary Education from New Jersey City University. In his spare time, he likes to attend kickboxing classes, practice guitar, and spend time with his wife and son.

As Recruitment Specialist and Instructional Coach, Ashley works to build, nurture, and support relationships with our partners and learners in the greater Birmingham, Alabama area. She began her career as a second grade educator for at- risk students in Birmingham. She then taught 6-12th-grade reading before becoming a Reading Specialist. Ashley is passionate about student literacy, growth, and holistic student development, as well as giving students opportunities to see futures for themselves. Ashley has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Reading and Literacy, and certification in Instructional Leadership. In her spare time, she enjoys painting and creative projects, learning, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

As a Recruitment Specialist and Instructional Coach, Kiesha develops strategic partnerships to expand Classroom, Inc.’s program usage in the Milwaukee, WI region. Kiesha has more than a decade of experience in a variety of education sectors as a training project leader with City Year Milwaukee, a teacher with Teach For America Milwaukee, an elementary school principal with HOPE Christian Schools, and clinical practice coordinator and coach of the MBA Education Leadership program with Milwaukee School of Engineering University. As CEO of The Coaching Consultant, she has also coached and provided training in leadership development to corporations and non-profit organizations. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earned a Masters in Urban Education from Cardinal Stritch University, and an MBA in Education Leadership from Milwaukee School of Engineering University. In her spare time, she loves to travel, explore new restaurants, and spend time with family and friends.

As Recruitment Specialist and Instructional Coach, Fred develops strategic partnerships to expand Classroom, Inc.’s program usage in the Los Angeles area. He began his career in education as a teaching artist working with at-risk youth in New York City. He then served as Senior Grants Manager for the Office of Youth Development. In 2012, Fred relocated to Los Angeles where he served as Project Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Office of Education After School Technical Assistance Unit, providing professional development and coaching to teachers and administrators covering 1800 schools in LA County. He was a member of the California After School Network Nutrition and Physical Activity committee and co-chaired the CAN STEM committee’s Virtual Innovation Support Center workgroup. He holds a BA in music education from the University of South Carolina and an Associate’s in music management from The Art Institute of Atlanta. He currently resides in Los Angeles.