Our Team
With experience in both education and industry, we are passionate about our work to transform education.
Laura has spent the last twenty years focused on cross-sector, systemic solutions to improve economic and educational outcomes for urban youth. Most recently, as Co-President and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network, a nationally known youth intermediary, Laura helped to build college and career partnerships and pathways that served 20,000 youth annually through credit bearing, extended learning options. Prior to her work in Philadelphia, Laura started one of the first New Visions High Schools located in the South Bronx, NY. Laura’s work has involved the integration and alignment of complex funding streams, diverse stakeholders and siloed systems in service to college and career readiness for high school age youth.
Sandra Moumoutjis is the Executive Director of Building 21’s Learning Innovation Network which is designed to grow and support a community of schools and districts as they transition to competency-based education. Through professional development and coaching, Sandra supports schools and districts in all aspects of the change management process. Sandra is the co-designer of Building 21’s Competency Framework and instructional model. Prior to working for Building 21, Sandra was a teacher, a K-12 reading specialist, literacy coach, and educational consultant in districts across the country.
Born and raised in Pottstown, PA, Eric brings expertise in data analysis and a passion for helping leaders use data to make effective decisions. Since joining the team, Eric has led Building 21's transition to a cloud-based data infrastructure, setting up a central data warehouse and configuring multiple feeds to consolidate data from our various sources. He has also implemented Google's Looker platform to create data dashboards and reports for administrators, teachers, and students.
Nick is the High School Program Director for Launchpad and has been with Building 21 since 2022. He was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and a proud alumnus of the Baltimore City Public Schools system. Since earning his BA from Pomona College, Nick has dedicated his career to working with young people as a technology instructor and algebra tutor. He is moved by the mission of workforce development and eager to equip the young people of Philadelphia with resources, job experience, and a creative outlet. Outside of his work, Nick enjoys biking, vintage clothing, club music, and playing with his cat.
Chip has spent the past two decades building innovative, entrepreneurial organizations in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. As a partner at New Enterprise Associates, the world’s largest venture capital firm, Chip made investments in start-up companies that today account for more than $8 billion in sales and have created thousands of jobs. Chip’s specific area of focus was helping to build technology-enabled service businesses that have transformed service delivery models in a variety of sectors. In 1997, Chip co-founded an educational nonprofit, The SMART Program, which provides socioeconomically disadvantaged children in San Francisco with access to life-changing educational opportunities.
Thomas joined Building 21 after seven years as a 9th grade math teacher at Philadelphia’s School of the Future (SOF) where he utilized problem-based and technology-driven learning approaches to support students in tackling real-world problems. Thomas was also the Director of Educational Technology at SOF managing their one-to-one laptop program. As a Microsoft Innovative Educator master trainer and founder of What If Partners, LLC., Thomas has led professional development for teachers and school districts nationally. Thomas co-created the Building 21 Competency Framework and instructional model, developed a Google Apps-based prototyping system for data dashboards, and designed a competency-based LMS called Beacon Learning. He is now leading an expansion effort to help schools and districts transform to a personalized competency-based approach.
Jose Rosado, Jr., School Leader, comes to Building 21 after seven years as a classroom teacher and coach in the Allentown School District where he worked collaboratively with colleagues to develop and implement standards-based lessons that supported student achievement. Jose is experienced in implementing instructional practices to accelerate student achievement through evaluation, design, and delivery of curriculum and instruction that focuses on providing safe and positive learning environments. Jose’s cultural background has afforded him a unique opportunity to engage and interact with students, parents and the community on a more personal level. Outside of work Mr. Rosado enjoys spending time with his wife, two boys and daughter.
Melanie Hidalgo-Britt is a dynamic nonprofit leader with over 15 years of cross-sector experience in implementation, programming, partnerships, marketing, and development. As the Vice President of Development at Building 21, she is responsible for driving fundraising efforts, building partnerships, and managing marketing and PR initiatives. In addition to her role at Building 21, Melanie is deeply committed to advancing STEM education and supporting underrepresented communities. She currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective, the board for iPraxis and, the development chair for the board of YESPhilly, and the Advisory Board for LaunchCode Philadelphia.
Dannyelle Austin is a wife, a mother of three, and a passionate advocate for young people, who currently serves as the Inaugural Executive Director of Launchpad. Growing up in a single parent home in Philadelphia first sparked Dannyelle’s interest in helping youth rise above their circumstances and become something greater than society’s expectations. From an early age, she knew she wanted to spend her life dedicated to helping young adults develop and achieve their dreams. Dannyelle’s extensive experience working with youth has given her renowned expertise in youth development, education, college readiness, workforce training and, most importantly, the integration of trauma-informed methodologies throughout youth development practice. As the Executive Director of Launchpad, Dannyelle will continue to be a transformative leader and her strong belief in the power of innovative solutions will help young people connect with their bright futures.
Ayris Sanders, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio serves as the Director of Lab Schools with the Building 21 Network. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Ohio University, a Master’s degree in Education from Temple University, focusing on urban education and policy and over seven years of educational leadership experience, Ayris demonstrates the knowledge and skill set needed to transform education for students. As a founding teacher and previous principal of Building 21 Philadelphia, Ayris worked with a variety of stakeholders to positively influence teacher practice and overall student achievement. She did this by setting a clear vision and goals, focusing on building a strong instructional culture, investing in teacher growth and development, using data to guide decision-making and focusing on continuous improvement. Ayris has taught for over 5 years in public, charter, and private sectors of education, as both an English Language Arts and Special Education teacher. These experiences have provided her with a well-rounded scope of the challenges and inequities faced across our country in education. Ayris seeks to ensure that all students are provided the educational experience they deserve by supporting school leaders with fostering just and equitable school communities with rigorous academic expectations, high quality instructional materials and a deep investment in teacher coaching and development.
Brianne MacNamara serves as the Principal of Building 21 Philadelphia. She joined the Building 21 team as an ELA teacher in 2015 and since that time has fulfilled the role as teacher, teacher leader, and Assistant Principal. Prior to coming to Building 21, she spent several years working in a variety of public and charter settings in Baltimore, Denver, and Philadelphia. Brianne earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Kutztown University and her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University. She is committed to providing an equitable education and positive school experience to all students.
Heather Harlen is the Instructional Coach and Designer for Building 21’s Learning Innovation Network, which is designed to grow and support a community of schools and districts as they transition to competency-based education. Heather is passionate about supporting teachers, competency-based education, and educational equity. Prior to joining the Network, Heather was a founding teacher at the Building 21 Allentown lab school. She started her career as an English as a foreign language teacher at the School of Self-Determination in Moscow, Russia as a Peace Corps volunteer. Heather then worked at the Institute of International Education in Washington, DC to extend her understanding of education and ultimately missed students, so she returned to teaching. She has over two decades of classroom experience as a public school teacher, adjunct university instructor, and adult ELL teacher. She has served on various instructional leadership teams at the school, district, and national levels and was a nominee for the 2021 Educador del año (Educator of the Year) for the Golden Latin Awards, which recognizes leaders who support Latino culture in the Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania). She holds an M.Ed from Lehigh University in educational leadership, an M.A. in creative writing from Wilkes University, and B.A. in English with a secondary English certification from Muhlenberg College. Heather is proud to be a National Writing Project Fellow. She is also a novelist, freelance writer, and editor.
Board Members
Tim is a partner, a member of the Executive Team and serves as head of the U.S. institutional business. He and his team are responsible for equity and fixed income research, portfolio management, and institutional sales and service. Prior to this role, Tim was the director of research and institutional investment management. Before his time as director, Tim worked as a co-portfolio manager of the Small-Cap Growth strategy for nine years until June 2014. Prior to that, he was a research analyst with the Large-Cap Equity team and was responsible for research in the consumer discretionary and energy sectors. Tim holds a bachelors degree from Randolph Macon College and an MBA from Loyola College.
Dan has been working with youth for the past two decades in a variety of capacities, working as a teacher, school administrator, and organizational leader. Beginning in the juvenile justice field, Dan has developed extensive expertise in the use of restorative practices and trauma informed methodology both inside the classroom and in the larger community.
Over the years, Dan has been recognized numerous times for his work with young people, including a Meritorious Service Award from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the Distinguished Educator of the Year for Eastern North America, the United Way’s Reis Community Advocate Award, and the Campbell Soup Foundations “Seek the Power of Different” Award.
At Hopeworks, Dan is responsible for the overall implementation of the learning culture of Hopeworks throughout the entire Hopeworks organization, managing all program aspects of Hopeworks and corresponding staff, including Hopeworks’ training program, residence, and social enterprises.
Over the years, Dan has been recognized numerous times for his work with young people, including a Meritorious Service Award from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the Distinguished Educator of the Year for Eastern North America, the United Way’s Reis Community Advocate Award, and the Campbell Soup Foundations “Seek the Power of Different” Award.
At Hopeworks, Dan is responsible for the overall implementation of the learning culture of Hopeworks throughout the entire Hopeworks organization, managing all program aspects of Hopeworks and corresponding staff, including Hopeworks’ training program, residence, and social enterprises.
Mohamad is Managing General Partner, Healthcare and Head of NEA’s Global Healthcare Investing practice, which typically accounts for 40% of NEA's funds across healthcare services, healthcare IT, biopharma and medical devices. Mohamad’s personal investment practice is primarily focused on the digital health sector where he is currently a Director of Aetion, Belong Health, Bright Health, Collective Health, Comprehensive Pharmacy Services, Curana Health Everside Health, Nuvolo, Radiology Partners, Strive Health, Vori Health, and Waymark. Mohamad’s past investments include Bravo Health, CHG Healthcare, DaVita NephroLife, DSI Renal, Golden State Medical Supply, Long Term Care Group, ppoNEXT, SCI Solutions, U.S. Renal Care, Vantage Oncology, and Welltok. Mohamad received a bachelor's degree, with distinction, from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Board Member of The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA).
Dr. Lori Shorr’s interests in education stem from the two paths that brought her to Temple. First, she pursued her doctoral degree in critical and cultural studies with an emphasis on how social changes are connected to, and influenced by, narratives –be they political, historical, social or personal. Second, she has culminated a 20-year career in policy development and implementation from special assistant to three Pennsylvania Secretaries of Education to eight years as the chief education officer for the City of Philadelphia, which entailed setting the mayor’s policy agenda in K-12 and higher education. The courses she teaches and the work she continues to do in the community, as well as the mentoring she does with students, is therefore centered around the theories which help to explain how power, representation, constructions of social justice and community interact with the “lived experiences” and policy realities in specific historical junctions. She is currently working on building a collaboration of regional school leaders who are committed to working on communication across sectors of education (district, charter, private) to increase opportunities for success for all students through holistic and project-based instruction. She remains committed to increasing the capacity of the schools and the nonprofit sector in Philadelphia in order to bring about equity in educational opportunity in hopes of a more just city.
Liliana most recently served as Chief Executive Officer of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, a New York nonprofit that has worked to break the cycle of poverty and inequity through education, job training, and employment for nearly 40 years. Liliana brings almost twenty years of experience in working with young people and building teams to best serve their needs. Beginning her career as a teacher at Boys and Girls High School, Liliana went on to become founding principal of West Brooklyn Community High School. As principal of West Brooklyn, she worked in partnership with Good Shepherd Services to replicate its model transfer school, serving over-aged/under-credited students in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, the community where Liliana was born and raised. Through working in partnership with students whom the traditional high school systems had failed, families, and staff, Liliana saw the potential of a school that was built around the needs of those within it. Liliana credits the partnership with Good Shepherd Services and the incredible staff at West Brooklyn with making it one of the top performing transfer schools in the city.
When presented with the opportunity to pursue a doctorate, her focus was building programs at state and district levels that effectively support staff to meet young people’s needs. After completing her studies, Liliana became Vice President of the New York City Leadership Academy where she led programming for principals and their teams in school districts across the country to assist in their transformation efforts. Liliana holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership (EdLD) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a BA and MAT from Brown University, and a Specialist Diploma from Queens College.
When presented with the opportunity to pursue a doctorate, her focus was building programs at state and district levels that effectively support staff to meet young people’s needs. After completing her studies, Liliana became Vice President of the New York City Leadership Academy where she led programming for principals and their teams in school districts across the country to assist in their transformation efforts. Liliana holds a Doctorate in Education Leadership (EdLD) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a BA and MAT from Brown University, and a Specialist Diploma from Queens College.
Laura has spent the last twenty years focused on cross-sector, systemic solutions to improve economic and educational outcomes for urban youth. Most recently, as Co-President and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network, a nationally known youth intermediary, Laura helped to build college and career partnerships and pathways that served 20,000 youth annually through credit bearing, extended learning options. Prior to her work in Philadelphia, Laura started one of the first New Visions High Schools, Banana Kelly High School, located in the South Bronx, NY. Laura’s work has involved the integration and alignment of complex funding streams, diverse stakeholders and siloed systems in service to college and career readiness for high school age youth.
Inspired by her former students and relentlessly optimistic about the future of education, Stacy E. Holland, Ed.D., has nearly 30 years of experience developing and implementing educational solutions for children.
As Executive Director of Philadelphia School Partnership, Stacy is fostering a positive approach to aligning the education community of Philadelphia on a common vision and working to ensure every student has the modern learning experience that builds the skills needed to thrive and reach long-term economic security.
Prior to Philadelphia School Partnership, Stacy was founder and principal of The Holland Group, a boutique consulting firm that served as a strategic advisor to public/private educational systems and philanthropic organizations and supported the development of investment portfolios focused on high school redesign to career pathway models for young adults. Previously, as Executive Director of The Lenfest Foundation, Stacy managed the foundation’s endowment and annual grant budget, and was a content expert and leader within national, regional and local civic and philanthropic communities on the areas of education, youth workforce, career pathways, career and technical education, and philanthropic strategies. Before The Lenfest Foundation, she served as Chief of Strategic Partnerships for the School District of Philadelphia, where she built a new system for promoting the District’s fundraising initiatives and external relationships. Stacy also co-founded the Philadelphia Youth Network, growing the organization to a citywide entity dedicated to integrating services across more than 100 partners providing programming to nearly 20,000 youth annually.
Stacy earned a doctoral degree in learning and development from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She also holds a bachelor’s in marketing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s in student personnel administration in higher education from Columbia University.
Malini Doddamani is the Chief Marketing Officer and oversees PHS’s Marketing function, consisting of Creative Services, Sales, Marketing, and Communications. As a part of the Executive Team, Doddamani helps to further PHS’s Vision 2027 plan, a strategy that fully commits PHS to using horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia region. Malini actively engages a diverse community of more than 300,000 supporters, volunteers, and gardeners and helps to grow PHS’s brand recognition as a leader in horticulture.
Malini grew up in the Caribbean, was educated in Canada, and has lived in multiple places around the world, the latest being the lovely Philadelphia. She loves to travel, can cook a 4-course Indian meal in 45 minutes, and is a voracious reader.
Malini grew up in the Caribbean, was educated in Canada, and has lived in multiple places around the world, the latest being the lovely Philadelphia. She loves to travel, can cook a 4-course Indian meal in 45 minutes, and is a voracious reader.
Chip has spent the past two decades building innovative, entrepreneurial organizations in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. As a partner at New Enterprise Associates, the world’s largest venture capital firm, Chip made investments in start-up companies that today account for more than $8 billion in sales and have created thousands of jobs. Chip’s specific area of focus was helping to build technology-enabled service businesses that have transformed service delivery models in a variety of sectors. In 1997, Chip co-founded an educational nonprofit, The SMART Program, which provides socioeconomically disadvantaged children in San Francisco with access to life-changing educational opportunities.
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