Our Team

Darren Burris is currently a math teacher at YSC Academy in Wayne, PA. In this innovative environment education happens in person and online and prioritizes connecting students and their passions with content. Prior to his return to the classroom, he was the Director of Instruction for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) at Boston Collegiate Charter School in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. Darren was also a high school mathematics teacher at Boston Collegiate as well as at Abraham Lincoln High School in the School District of Philadelphia.

Paolo DeMaria serves as the president and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education. He recently retired from his role as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Ohio, where his leadership was key in the collaborative development of “Each Child, Our Future,” Ohio’s strategic plan for education. His tenure was marked by a focus on improving literacy outcomes, advancing equity, and promoting career-technical education.

Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney serves as the Superintendent of Schools for the Aldine Independent School District. She began her career as a language arts teacher in Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD, later serving as assistant principal and principal before leading COCISD as superintendent. In 2013, district leaders selected her as Superintendent of Lufkin ISD. Dr. Goffney was named Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards in 2017. In Spring 2021, the Suburban Houston Association of Bilingual Educators (SHABE) Dr. Goffney was the recipient of the Diana García Marion Award for advocating for and demonstrating continued support for Bilingual and ESL education. Dr. Goffney is active in many organizations including: the Texas School Alliance, the University Interscholastic League Legislative Committee, the Texas Association of Black School Educators, the Texas Council of Women School Executives, TASA Future-Ready Superintendents, and Chiefs for Change. She was recently named President-Elect of the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) and is the newly-elected chair of the Texas Urban Council of Superintendents (TUCS). A native of Coldspring, Texas, Dr. Goffney is a graduate of Sam Houston State University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in history, a master’s in educational administration, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

Cliff Lloyd brings decades of experience across education and the private sector. He previously served as senior manager of solutions architecture at Amazon Web Services, chief information officer at the Tennessee Department of Education, and held senior leadership roles at Microsoft and Walmart, leading large-scale technology and transformation initiatives.

Kathleen is a highly accomplished technology and regulatory lawyer and former prosecutor with more than 17 years’ experience in the public sector. Her practice has a dual focus on compliance and investigations. As Bureau Chief of the Bureau of Internet & Technology for the New York State Attorney General’s Office, Kathleen was at the forefront of regulation, enforcement initiatives, and public policy involving privacy, data security, and consumer protection, among other issues. Earlier in her career, she served as Director of the Office of Special Enforcement in the New York City Mayor’s Office, where, as lead counsel, she directed litigation on a number of intellectual property and civil nuisance matters and was a policy leader on issues ranging from data analytics to human trafficking. While with the Mayor’s Office, Kathleen also developed the New Business Acceleration Team to streamline regulations and fast-track new business development. Kathleen is admitted to appear before the U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Dana Nerenberg is a lifelong educator passionate about literacy and currently serves as the Oregon Director of the Center for Early Literacy and Learning Success at Stand for Children. In this role, she leads the Oregon Demonstration Network, a group of schools focused on the effective implementation of the Early Literacy Success Act. Her work includes principal coaching, professional development, and support for district leaders. Previously, Dana was Senior Director of Academic Programs for Portland Public Schools, overseeing K-12 curriculum and instruction. She also served as principal at Sitton Elementary in Portland and Hyde-Addison Elementary in Washington, DC. A former classroom teacher, Dana is an alumna of Teach for America and holds multiple degrees and certifications. She also serves on the board of Girls on the Run of Greater Oregon. Outside of work, Dana enjoys running, reading, and teaching barre3.

Ben Rossen is associate general counsel at OpenAI, where he focuses on AI policy, regulation, and governance. His career spans senior roles at the Federal Trade Commission and private practice, with a focus on privacy, data protection, technology regulation, and responsible AI.

Alex is a Senior Strategy Officer on the K-12 Education team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. His work is focused on shaping investment strategy and management for math-related products and services in the U.S. Prior to joining the K-12 Education team, he was a Principal in the Gates Foundation Strategic Investment Fund where he led diligence, structuring, and negotiation of equity, debt, and guarantee investments to further the foundation’s charitable goals. His background prior to the Gates Foundation was in management consulting, venture capital, and private equity. 

Liz Simon is Chief Operating Officer for Industrious, a global best-in-class workplace company. Liz joined Industrious in 2021, after eight years as Co-Chief Operating Officer at General Assembly. In her role at General Assembly, Liz worked directly with policymakers to help develop policies and education models that put students first and addresses the dynamic requirements of employers. Liz joined GA from the Obama Administration, where she served as Counselor to the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In that role, Liz worked on policy issues at the nexus of immigration and entrepreneurship and helped launch the predecessor to the Presidential Innovation Fellows program.  Liz also worked in several capacities on Barack Obama’s primary and general election campaigns in 2007-2008.  Prior to that, Liz was an attorney at Hogan Lovells, a Washington D.C.-based law firm. Liz holds a bachelor’s degree in Government from Cornell University and earned a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Dr. Nakia Towns is the Chief Operating Officer at Accelerate, where she leads the program, operations, and research functions. With extensive experience in large school districts such as Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia and Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee, Dr. Towns has been instrumental in closing opportunity gaps and increasing postsecondary readiness. Her work in promoting educational equity and excellence is recognized nationwide.