education-reform
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The Billionaire-Backed LLC That Refuses to Pick Just One Lever
Emerson Collective can write a grant, take an equity stake, convene a coalition, or back a story. That flexibility is its product - and its central bet on how difficult public problems get solved.
The Charter Network That Beat the Odds - and the Rankings
A single Harlem school that opened with 165 kids in 2006 now tops New York State's math rankings and expands into Florida. Here is how Success Academy built it, and who is paying for it.
Kristin Werk
Kristin Werk is the CEO of BookNook, a San Francisco-based edtech company delivering synchronous, research-backed K-8 tutoring in reading and math to students across the United States. A self-described introvert with 20+ years of operational leadership—spanning 17 years at Thomson Reuters, followed by executive roles at Questar Assessment and NWEA—Werk joined BookNook in 2023 as COO, expanded the platform to include math tutoring, and stepped up as CEO in December 2024. She holds a BS in Journalism from St. Cloud State University, an MBA from Capella University, and a stack of certifications including PMP, Six Sigma Green Belt, and Prosci Change Practitioner.
Ilana Nankin
Dr. Ilana Nankin is the Founder & CEO of Breathe For Change, a San Francisco-based organization that has trained over 15,000 educators in mindfulness, social-emotional learning, and yoga — reaching an estimated 1-5 million students across the United States. A former Pre-K teacher turned Ph.D. researcher turned movement builder, she launched Breathe For Change in 2015 after her own students demanded she formally train them. Her organization runs the world's only 200-hour Mindfulness, SEL & Yoga Teacher Training designed exclusively for educators, a Master's in Human-Centered Education in partnership with William Jewell College, and an expanding professional development platform for schools and districts.