The Stronger Podcast

Former Akron Public Schools superintendent Dr. David W. James never planned to work in education. He started at NASA, moved into environmental consulting, and ended up leading a school district for 13 years by accident.   In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with David, now executive director of Summit Education Initiative, to talk about what it takes to move the needle...

Tricia Noyola is a charter school leader, Regional Superintendent at the KIPP Foundation, and former CEO of Rocky Mountain Prep who builds schools as love letters to the communities they serve.   In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with Tricia to talk about bold leadership, identity, and what it really means to build schools that serve their communities.  Tricia traces...

Charter school leader Scott Hindman went from minor league baseball to investment banking to building one of New Mexico's most impactful public education networks. The lesson he keeps coming back to: find great people, give them the runway to lead, and play the long game.   In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with Scott, Executive Director of Excellent Schools New Mexic...

From teaching fourth grade in Compton to founding a KIPP elementary school in Newark, Joanna Belcher has spent her career building schools and supporting leaders who believe every student deserves opportunity.  In this episode of The Stronger Podcast , Mike Montoya sits down with Joanna Belcher, Regional Superintendent at the KIPP Foundation, to discuss the leadership lessons she has learned along...

What happens when the path your family imagined for you isn’t the one you’re meant to follow?   From being the son of Filipino immigrants in Brooklyn to a leader shaping talent and social impact across education, Ron Rapatalo shares a powerful story about resilience, purpose, and the relationships that shape our lives.  Growing up in Brooklyn and Queens, Ron experienced both the challenges and ing...

From Army Blackhawk pilot to transformative education leader, James Willcox shares how a life grounded in service and family shaped his path to reshaping K-12 education nationwide. From marrying his college best friend at 22, raising 3 daughters while serving in the military, and pursuing graduate studies at Stanford, James’ story is a masterclass in balancing personal milestones with professional...

From Boston to East San Jose, Shara Hegde shares her journey from Ivy League graduate to CEO of Alpha Public Schools and what it takes to lead charter schools through political and organizational complexity. Raised between the United States and India, Shara reflects on how her immigrant family background shaped her commitment to education equity and first-generation college access.  After pivoting...

What if the promise that each generation will do better than the last is slipping away? In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya talks with Bill Crim, CEO of United Way of Salt Lake and Utah’s Promise, about economic mobility and what it really takes to align communities around cradle to career outcomes. Bill shares how cross sector collaboration, policy advocacy, and collective impac...

From lifelong immigrant to education equity leader, Daniel Velasco shares how identity, resilience, and compassion shaped his journey to becoming President and CEO of Ensemble Learning and a national voice for multilingual learners. Born in Lima, Peru and raised across Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru before settling in the United States, Daniel learned early how to adapt in order to belong. As a chi...

From Bronx roots to shaping the future of public education: Jessica Sutter shares how a life grounded in service, trust, and intellectual rigor led her from the classroom to national education policy and consulting. Jessica is an education leader and consultant based in Washington, D.C., whose career spans teaching, charter school leadership, policy, and research.  Raised in a large Catholic famil...

From sixth-grade math teacher to superintendent to leadership coach — Kelli Marshall shares how data-driven courage, deep relationships, and a clear “why” can transform schools and the people who lead them. Kelli Marshall, a proud Indianapolis native and IU Bloomington graduate, has spent her career shaping education across Indiana. Growing up near Butler University and attending Indianapolis Publ...

From a childhood shaped by instability to a career dedicated to building pathways of opportunity, The Stronger Podcast host, Mike Montoya, shares how resilience, education, and supportive adults can change the trajectory of a life and an entire generation. Mike, a consultant with Stronger Consulting, reflects on growing up in 1970s Colorado Springs as the son of a barber and a homemaker, rooted in...

The Stronger Podcast host, Mike Montoya, looks ahead to the future of school leadership, unpacking why the next hiring cycles will define whether schools stabilize or continue to struggle with turnover and burnout. In this episode, Mike reflects on what’s coming in 2026 and beyond for K–12 education, with a sharp focus on hiring season and leadership trends. Drawing on years of experience placing...

From community organizer to education equity leader, Michelle Vilchez shares her journey of empowering parents and transforming schools, helping families of color advocate for meaningful educational change while addressing systemic disparities across California. Michelle Vilchez, CEO of Innovate Public Schools, has spent decades amplifying family voices to ensure Black and Brown students access hi...

From reimagining neighborhood schools to coaching leaders through liberation and change, Malka Borrego shares how authenticity, proximity to community, and systems-level leadership can transform education and the people within it. Malka Borrego is a third-generation Angeleno, proud Latina, and longtime public education leader whose work has reshaped educational access in Los Angeles. She is the fo...

From educator to nonprofit leader, Cathy shares her journey of transforming education and community engagement, helping Bexar County’s youth access post-secondary opportunities while empowering women leaders and cultivating meaningful partnerships. Cathy recently joined Up Partnership in San Antonio as a leader of a nonprofit backbone network supporting the Future Ready Plan, a bold initiative aim...

From Watts to leading a national education movement, Sharhonda Bossier shares her journey of championing educational equity and economic mobility for young people of color while redefining leadership with purpose and authenticity. Sharhonda Bossier, CEO of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC), has dedicated her career to uplifting Black and Latino students and supporting talented leaders of color in...

From first-grade helper to transformative education leader, Clarisse Mendoza Davis shares her journey of serving underserved youth and reshaping early childhood and alternative education with compassion, vision, and equity at the core. Clarisse currently leads the See Forever Foundation and Maya Angelou Public Charter Schools as CEO, overseeing programs that serve over 1,000 justice-involved and o...

From Seattle classrooms to federal policy halls, Jessica de Barros shares her journey of championing equity in education, showing how a lifelong commitment to access and opportunity can reshape communities and systems. Jessica, a Seattle native and seasoned educational leader, has devoted her career to dismantling barriers to student success. From her early days working for U.S. Senator Patty Murr...

From charting pathways for thousands of students to reimagining what true opportunity looks like, Daniel Gray shares a blueprint for reshaping how young people discover their futures with clarity and confidence. In this episode, Mike is joined by Daniel Gray, Deputy Chief for College, Career, and Military Readiness at Houston Independent School District. Known for his leadership in scaling college...

From rural classrooms to leading a mission-driven nonprofit, Kat Ling shares her journey of transforming education and leadership, cultivating inclusive communities, and empowering leaders to innovate for youth most on the margins. Kat Ling is the CEO of Moonshot, where she leads a team of ten staff and an alumni network of over 100 education leaders. Known for her expertise in education, leadersh...

From corporate consultant to education changemaker, Helen Chan shares her journey of transforming disillusionment into purpose, using her talent expertise to build joyful, equitable schools where both children and adults can thrive. Helen Chan’s career began in international education after graduating from Brown University, working with the World Bank’s nonprofit partner World Links to bring techn...

From Osaka to Oakland, Rich Harrison’s journey bridges continents and classrooms, revealing how one educator’s global upbringing shaped his vision for more equitable, community-rooted public schools. Born and raised in Japan to parents who met at UC Berkeley, Rich grew up immersed in Japanese culture before moving to the U.S. as a teenager. His early experiences navigating two languages and educat...