Betsy Corcoran
CEO & Co-Founder
Past: Writer and editor at Scientific American, The Washington Post, Forbes
And: Fellow with the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellows Program; named a “Rock Star” of education; advises several charter schools & the AT&T Aspire edtech accelerator
Asking about: How can we help learners and educators figure out when technology makes a difference and why?
Agustin Vilaseca
CTO & Co-Founder
Tony Wan
Managing Editor
Past: Co-founder of Luckybird Games, still recovering from an aborted attempt to pursue academia in East Asian history
And: Forbes “30 Under 30” in Education in 2014, wannabe golfer, quiet drummer, former video game binger
Asking about: Why do people have such a hard time agreeing to disagree?
Mary Jo Madda
Director of Audience Development
Past: Taught middle school math/science with Teach for America, KIPP Houston, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, where she also served as an administrator, curriculum coordinator, and decathlon coach. Following her years teaching, she worked on the ScratchED team at the MIT Media Lab, and served as an Education Entrepreneurship Fellow at the Harvard University Innovation Lab while piloting an educational media start-up.
And: Has an Ed.M. from Harvard University and a B.A. from Northwestern University. Most recently, she was featured on the Forbes “30 Under 30” list for 2016.
Asking about: How do we come together to speak a common language while also recognizing and encouraging a diversity of perspectives and opinions?
Amy McHugh
Customer Success Manager
Past: Business Manager for EdSurge and Odyssey School. Sales and business development for Citibank, Reuters, and various internet start-ups.
And: San Mateo Union High School District Board Member raising funds; tennis player and baking enthusiast
Asking about: How can we make education more equitable?
Alice Myerhoff
VP of Sales
Past: Producer and Sales/Sales Leadership Roles at games & niche media companies such as Electronic Arts (pogo.com), Inman News, Total Entertainment Network, and the Pivot Conference.
And: First job after college was working on an ESL Software product; Taught English while studying abroad in Bordeaux, France; Mentor for AT&T Aspire edtech accelerator; fluent in German & French;
Believes: If more Americans studied abroad, we'd see a greater tolerance for cultural differences.
Helen Resor
Director of Jobs & Ads
Past: Ran Business Development for Eatwise Rx / ABC Diabetes, a diabetes education company. Cross Asset Sales Analyst at Morgan Stanley. History and Political Science degree from Yale University. Spent three years in New Haven classrooms teaching students about sex education as part of Community Health Educators.
And: Won a bronze medal at the 2006 Torino Olympics as a member of the United States Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team; a gold medal at the 2005 and 2009 World Championships.
Michael Winters
Product Manager, Edtech Index
Past: General handyman at EdSurge. Consultant at ZS Associates, specializing in HIV. University of Virginia graduate (wahoowa!)
And: Lover of books, running and Chicago sports.
Asking about: What edtech business models can keep companies alive while giving access to students?
Madelyn Mock
Event Operations
Past: 19 years of experience in events and the hospitality industry, working for the Hilton, Inman New, Tomorrow Project as an executive producer, senior conventions manager and Content & Strategies VP.
And: Loves cutting things up, experimenting, wants to 3-d print just about anything and dreams up things to hack.
Believes: Creating a space for young makers that celebrates tinkering and encourage playfulness.
Barbara Lawson
Asst. to CEO & Office Manager
Past: 25+ years supporting Silicon Valley C-level executives (CEOs, CFOs, COOs), working at both start-ups and large companies. Industries include sofware, biotech, internet marketing, and now media.
And: Native Californian living in Bay Area since age of 3; avid golfer; jigsaw puzzles; part-time hair extensionist; German car enthusiast.
Believes: EdSurge makes a difference in the educational <--> edtech worlds.
Brian Simmons
Head of Product
Renee Franzwa
Director of Higher Ed
Past: Renee worked on many levels at colleges (including at UCLA and Stanford University) and previously co-founded an edtech company.
And: Her favorite resume moments include serving as a student advisor both in the US and abroad, and working to establish General Assembly’s San Francisco campus.
Asking about: How might we better bridge experiential learning and digital learning to provide a holistic, meaningful education for every learner?
Molly Levitt
Director of Marketing
Past: CEO at BrightLoop, 1st & 2nd grade teacher, NSF researcher
And: Excelling at not growing up by continuing to volunteer at a summer camp for kids with special needs for the last 20+ years.
Asking about: How can we support changing models while honoring differences in schools and communities?
Meg Hamel
Director of Research
Past: English Teacher (10th, 11AP, SAT); Tech Leader, and English Dept Chair for Henrico County PS in Virginia; Development and Advancement Associate for Virginia Commonwealth University; Analyst for Polo Ralph Lauren Home
And: Won an Henrico21 Tech Award for Research and Innovation; Former member of Henrico's Technology Advisory; art history enthusiast, music and movie lover, avid reader, and a lifelong fan of the Legend of Zelda.
Asking about: How might the educational system both support innovation and equity?
Seth Greenberg
Director of Strategy & Operations
Past: Consultant with Parthenon-EY, Managing Director at Michigan Social Venture Fund
And: Crossword puzzle enthusiast, active runner, spicy food lover, and world explorer.
Asking about: How can we create authentic, meaningful learning experiences for all students?
Mary Hossfeld
Director of Sponsored Content & Editor
Past: Editor, magazine founder, writer and business development executive for Time Inc., Knight Ridder, and Stanford print and digital publications.
And: Cofounder of San Francisco Friends School, school board member, parent education advocate, Scrabble player, boat lover.
Asking about: What are the stories that need to be told—about teachers, learners and the technology they use.
Tory Loeb
Sales & Marketing Associate
Past: Project management and marketing for edtech and education non-profits over past 7 years
And: Big on scenic hikes, dystopian novels, and Instagram stalking animal celebrities
Wondering about: Education's role in solving economic issues our country is facing today
Sunny Lee
Sr. Product Manager, Higher Ed
Past: One of the original founding members of the Open Badges initiative at Mozilla; enjoys nerding out on technologies that re-imagine credentialing, promote lifelong learning and empower learners.
Involved with: Had the chance to give a talk about democratizing credentialing for the Office of Ed Tech at the White House in 2012. Enjoys running, languages and watching comedy.
Asking about: How do we build confidence in learners?
Nancy McGovern
Sr. Accountant
Past: 20+ years of Accounting and Bookkeeping experience - First Republic Bank, The Little School, Garnick LLC, SugarSync - in the public, non-profit and private sectors. Is a cycling enthusiast.
Alex Sigillo
Research Project Manager
Past: Senior Research Analyst at TargetX; Research Analyst at Uversity
And: Writing her first book; animal lover; fitness enthusiast; world traveler; amateur baker
Asking about: How do we better communicate the value of research in understanding, differentiating and purchasing edtech tools?
Marisa Kaplan
Research Project Manager
Past: Instructional coach with Cooke Center for Learning and Development helping administrators and educators build and strengthen literacy and special education programs in K-8 schools; special education teacher and ELA teacher in Pre-K-8 classrooms across NYC.
And: NYC Teaching Fellow, Worldwide Orphans Foundation Ranger, lover of children’s books and mother of twins
Asking about: How are schools changing to prepare learners to be curious, flexible, resourceful individuals that will be able to adapt to a future we can’t yet imagine?
Jeffrey R. Young
Sr. Editor, Higher Ed
Past: Editor and writer for The Chronicle of Higher Education for 20 years.
And: Adjunct journalism professor, 2014 Nieman Fellow for journalism at Harvard
Asking about: How the roles of students and professors are changing in the digital age.
Sydney Johnson
Asst. Editor, Higher Ed
Past: Wrote for San Francisco magazine, the East Bay Express, the Oakland Post and others.
And: Earned a B.A. from University of California, Berkeley.
Asking about: How technology and money is influencing higher education.
Jenny Abamu
Reporter
Past: Worked at Columbia University's EdLab’s Development and Research Group, producing and publishing content for their digital education publication, New Learning Times. Before that, worked as a researcher, planner, and overnight assignment editor for NY1 News Channel in New York City.
And: Holds a Masters degree in International and Comparative Education from Columbia University's Teachers College.
Shelby Adkisson
Sales Operations Associate
Past: Educator (informal and formal) with a knack for organization and streamlining processes. University of Oregon Alumna - Sko Ducks!
And: Youth mentor, lazy cyclist, and avid audiobook/podcast listener.
Wondering about: What can community involvement bring to the table to ensure the success of all students?
Madison Skinner
Business Operations Manager
Past: Consultant with Deloitte Consulting, University of California, Berkeley grad (Go Bears!)
And: Salsa dancing, hiking, ice cream tasting, and student mentoring at SFUSD
Asking about: How can technology enable students to access new learning experiences and groups different from themselves?
Michael Sano
Community Manager, Higher Ed
Past: Most recently, Michael was an Associate Dean of Students and previously directed experiential education and academic support initiatives, and worked with students with disabilities.
And: He writes nonfiction and fiction around issues of queer identity, culture and place. He is in search of the best pizza in San Francisco.
Wondering about: How can we innovate to meet the diversity of student needs in a more affordable way?
Aneesa Davenport
Social Media & Analytics Manager
Past: Editor and Marketer for K-12 and Higher & Adult Education at Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint
And: Poet
Thinking about: How can we make public education equitable and exceptional?
Megan McMahon
K12 Events Manager
Past: Teacher Resident with the Teachers Guild out of IDEO, 10 year Art Educator in SFUSD, Peace Corps Education Volunteer, Bolivia, Designer and Art Director with Anderson & Lembke Advertising
And: Co-founder Beyond Borders Storytelling, artist, and always seeking that elusive San Francisco sun
Believes that: Changes in education will come from inside school communities from the ground up.