Ronderings

Raj Thakkar is the author, Founder & CEO of Charter School Business Management (CSBM) as well as FOREsight Financial Services for Good. He is an expert on nonprofit and charter school finance and has presented countless financial best practices workshops across the country. He poured all his knowledge into the book Fiscally Secure: Prepare, Protect & Propel Your CHARTER SCHOOL with Respons...

We know who we are, but we get away from it. Kendrick Harris is an NYU alumnus, retired Air Force officer, and former business leader with experience in real estate law, construction, and a former lawyer. He is a business owner of the Distinguished Chef and a top-notch chef. Kendrick is sharing with us his powerful testament to resilience, self-discovery, and transformation. After time spent at NY...

Why are we resting on proficiency in education? Tanji Reed Marshall CEO and Principal Consultant of Liaison Educational Partners. With more than 2 decades of experience in the classroom, district, and organization level, she has a lot of gems to share. The problem of educational inequities, and how certain groups of students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have historically been...

Jacquelyn Davis is a nonprofit leader and transformative advisor to philanthropies who dedicated her life to the education sector and social impact. Her life and career are led by constant learning and curiosity. She has launched many organizations and initiatives. EDVolution, a boutique consulting she founded has worked with many national foundations – including the Gates Foundation, the Overdeck...

Our belief systems are often perpetuated by the members of our community. A 1991 Vassar graduate, Diane Robinson is a filmmaker and recognized education leader with over 25 years of experience working in the US and globally, helping start and grow social enterprises. Beginning her career through Teach for America, Diane holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, a Master of Arts in mult...

Being able to step back and observe what is going on around us is often an undervalued skill! Surabhi Lai is rooted in the belief that we can create a better future of work that is rooted in our humanity and collective belonging. Multi-passionate with a strong sense of curiosity, Surabhi uses empathy and strategy when she coaches job-seekers, entrepreneurs, and organizations to help them create a...

Good leadership requires you to always be a student! From humble beginnings in golf caddying to becoming New Mexico’s Deputy Secretary and Secretary of Education under Gov. Susana Martinez (R) from 2016-2019, Christopher Ruszkowski is a social studies teacher by trade, recently appointed Distinguished Policy Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Having spent a year in South Africa, Christopher trained...

Sharing our stories and spending time with each other can prolong our lives! Bryan Setser is a seasoned executive edupreneur with three decades of results in K-12, higher education, non-profit, and for-profit organizations. His expertise equips leaders, teams, and organizations with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be ready for any future. Having worked as a teacher, principal, and even...

You can be both a happy human and a strong one! Mike Montoya is the CEO and Founder of Stronger Consulting. A 30-year education sector veteran, Mike is an expert in helping organizations design, manage, and improve educational programs for young people. Mike’s identity as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a person of color has shaped his entrepreneurial journey, as he educates non-profit organi...

How you internalize racism can destroy your sense of self. Daniel Anello is a member of the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship Summer 2016 cohort and the Leadership Greater Chicago 2019 cohort. He was named to the inaugural class of Presidential Leadership Scholars and he is a Board member of Chicago Urban League and Cleveland Avenue Foundation for Education. He has served as Chief Executive Office...

Be open to life and to things that come your way! The oldest child of a Philippine immigrant family to the USA, Grace Cruz graduated from NYU and began a career in teaching. Grace currently works in consulting with the Centre for Powerful Public Schools in LA, intending to improve teaching and learning. Grace’s Philippine values and culture have a massive impact on the way she lives life, includin...

"Life is so much bigger than black and white - it's full of colors.” Dr. Rob Carpenter is a UCLA faculty member, author, speaker, and filmmaker who specializes in mass communication, rhetoric, and leadership. He has published many scholarly articles and books, including "The 48 Laws of Happiness." Rob shares how he saw life from multiple perspectives at an early age - ethnic, geographic, and socia...

Tomorrow is not promised! Akinwole Garrett (Aki) is an accomplished senior strategy and business development executive with over fifteen years of data driven corporate development, business development, strategy and management experience at the intersection of technology, media and telecommunications. He sits on the Fuqua Minority Alumni Advisory Board at Duke University, the Board of Trustees of...

Don’t be boring! Taylor Delhagen started his early visits to the principal's office after being expelled from classes. Now he is a doctoral candidate at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education, where his studies are focused on leadership, equity, and the internationalization of higher education. He started his teaching journey in 2006 in NYC with Teach For America. After finishing his two-year...

How to be a misfit that could fit into a lot of different places? Brandon White is an educator, emcee, podcaster, and poet. He is a former middle school ELA and Restorative Practices educator for the Rochester City School District and has worked for seven years as a servant leader intern and site coordinator for Freedom Schools Summer Literacy Programs in Rochester, NY. For seven years he worked a...

Jen Chau Fontan, a certified somatic coach, works towards helping people recreate the spaciousness that they already have. Living in Westchester, NY, after working within NYC nonprofits in management and talent/HR positions, Jen Chau Fontan transitioned into full-time coaching as an executive coach to senior leaders of progressive sector organizations through The Management Center, where she serve...

We need to think more about living with intention and growing old gracefully.  Risa Morimoto is the Founder and CEO of Modern Aging and Dream Retirement in Mexico.  She focuses on holistic health practices and lifestyles to optimize longevity for people in midlife. She is also an award-winning TV and documentary producer/director.  She has directed over 200 episodes of House Hunters International...

There is power in living life in community; no one is superhuman. Mary Rice-Boothe, Ed. D., currently serves as Executive Director, Curriculum Development and Equity at the NYC Leadership Academy. She has had the opportunity to partner with school systems across the country to support them in implementing their equity policies, as well as supporting the development of equity-focused resources for...

Leadership can be a lonely place, especially for folks of color. Ron Summers is the CEO of a non-profit focused on providing equitable access to careers in technology.  He is a leader with a vision of guaranteeing every K-12 student access to computer science and computational thinking.  Ron has dedicated his life to advancing CS exposure, access, and inclusion for Black, brown, and female student...

 Everybody deserves to walk down the street and feel safe. James Solomon represents downtown Jersey City as the Ward E Councilperson. As a dad, a cancer survivor, a teacher, and someone who leads from the outside, James is committed to making Jersey City a place that supports ALL families, not just the well-connected. City government is directly connected to people, and helping them is key to maki...

 Each person is the director of his or her own life, and even in the face of the most challenging obstacles, is capable of shaping and painting an extraordinary life. Catapulting us on a journey of perseverance and resilience is Joselyn Martinez, a NYC-based business consultant and certified neuro coach specializing in entrepreneurship. A spokesperson for personal tragedy, she shares with us the c...

 Stories are the threads that weave the fabric of our identities, embracing our cultural roots, shaping our resilience, and illuminating the transformative power within us all. Rudy Valdez, a two-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, shares his remarkable journey, triumphing over adversities such as homelessness while underlining the underlying value of embracing one’s cultural heritage and identity....

Your story is the single most powerful thing you own. Embrace it, share it, and watch the world transform around you. Renowned for her ability to empower leaders to unleash their full potential, Stephanie Zhong is a brand strategist and storytelling specialist with over 20 years of experience. Her journey spans diverse sectors, from non-profits to civic organizations, and her passion lies in helpi...

Navigate the dualities, overcome challenges, and lead with compassion; authentic success intertwines passion with purpose while nurturing the soul. Kishshana Palmer introduces herself as a multi-hyphenate serial social entrepreneur with diverse experience in fundraising, marketing, and policy within the social impact sector.  Through candid honesty, Kishshana reveals her path towards self-understa...

 Education isn’t just about learning, it’s about celebrating differences and fostering inclusivity. As CEO of Ascend Public Charter Schools, Recy Dunn’s story encapsulates the transformative power of personal experiences and the resounding impact they can have on one’s pursuit of educational justice and identity exploration. Raised by a mixed-race couple in Texas, his upbringing propelled a lifelo...