about
Team
We’ve built a diverse and dynamic team with backgrounds in industry, education, curriculum design, marketing, policy, journalism, and more. We’ve come together because we believe in the next generation’s potential to shape technology and our future for the better.
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Alex Kotran
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Alex is founder and CEO of aiEDU. He oversees strategy, partnerships, fundraising, and external relations.
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Christian Pinedo
CHIEF OF STAFF
As the Chief of Staff at aiEDU, Christian strategically guides aiEDU, focusing on strategic initiatives, partnerships, and external affairs to enhance AI literacy in K12 education.
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Loni Mahanta
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Loni is the Chief Operating Officer for aiEDU, overseeing finance, HR, operations, and communications.
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Emma Doggett Neergaard
CHIEF PROGRAMS OFFICER
Emma is the Chief Programs Officer at aiEDU responsible for leading the development and delivery of content and services to support students in building AI Literacy.
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Jessica Ann
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN LEAD
Jessica is the Instructional Design Lead at The AI Education Project, bringing over a decade of experience leading creative projects and designing learning experiences for non-profits, the public sector, and growth-stage companies. Drawing from her extensive experience as a classroom teacher (K-20), Jessica recognizes the power of engaging, visually compelling curriculum in making complex concepts accessible and relatable to diverse learners.
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Kiy Benton
SOCIAL IMPACT LEAD
Kiy helps to lead AIEDU’s growth, marketing and communications strategy. She is an educator with four years of experience teaching STEM in Elementary and Middle School, and also served as an operational manager at Teach for America’s national HQ.
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Hale Durant
IMPLEMENTATION SPECIALIST
A librarian by trade, Hale spent nineteen years in public education. At AIEDU he serves as a research and reference specialist, and provides a wide range of support across the organization.
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Na'taja Flood
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING LEAD
Na’taja is the Professional Learning Lead, leading conversations about AI literacy to inspire and equip learners and educators!
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Wren Hoffman
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAD
Wren is an educator with experience in teaching, coaching, professional development, leading, and program management. She brings more than 20 years in education to this position, with 13 of them teaching computer science.
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Ally Kupcewicz
SENIOR TALENT LEAD
With over a decade of experience in recruiting and people operations, Ally leads all things Talent and People at aiEDU. She is passionate about process-driven systems and empowering & engaging workplaces for all.
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LeNard Pitts
SENIOR PROGRAMS LEAD, EAST COAST
LeNard serves as the Senior Programs Lead of the East Coast for aiEDU. He spearheads pivotal initiatives to advance AI literacy across East Coast school districts.
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Melanie Whitfield
STRATEGIC ASSISTANT TO THE CEO
Melanie has a diverse background in executive support and communications. She spent most of her early career in NASCAR racing as a public relations representative before moving into the role of executive assistant for a prominent team owner.
Melanie most recently served as Senior Executive Assistant to the CEO of PureCycle Technologies.
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Haley Ziegler
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION LEAD
Haley manages financial resources, budget development, and implementation of financial strategies. She also optimizes operational processes, streamlines workflows, and works to enhance organizational effectiveness.
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Jeff Livingston
SENIOR ADVISOR
After a long career at McGraw-Hill Education that included roles in sales, marketing, education policy and general management, Jeff formed EdSolutions in 2015 as a vehicle for focusing education innovation, investment and philanthropy on underserved students, scaling proven innovations to reach the students who will benefit most from them. Today, EdSolutions help organizations to find impact through the markets for education goods and services primarily via: Ecosystem Maps, Target Product Profiles, Go-to Market Strategies and other customized consulting services.
Our Board of Directors
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Tiffany Taylor
Board Member
Chief People & Impact Officer at GSV Ventures; former Deputy Chief People Officer of Teach for America
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Karen Silverman
Board Member
Founder & CEO, The Cantellus Group; former Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins’ San Francisco office
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Marcus Brauchli
Board Member
Managing Partner of North Base Media; former Executive Editor of the Washington Post
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Julie Brickell
Board Member
Lecturer at Columbia University; former General Counsel of H5
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Ehrik Aldana
Board Member
aiEDU Co-Founder; Policy Manager at Credo.ai
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Alex Kotran
Board Member
aiEDU Co-Founder & CEO