Team

Waseem joined EdOps in 2019. He previously served as a strategic adviser for British Ambassador in Tel Aviv and Chief of Staff for the first Palestinian woman elected to the Knesset. He completed an LL.B. from the University of Haifa and became a certified Lawyer. He graduated in 2019 from McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University as an MBA.

Anne joined EdOps in 2017 and is currently a Senior Finance Specialist serving schools in Missouri. Prior to her work at EdOps, Anne was a grants and contracts manager in international development and later specialized in process improvement and training in environmental remediation. She first joined EdOps as an Education Pioneers Fellow. She has a BA in Arabic Studies in Linguistics and from the University of Michigan.

Drew joined EdOps in 2018 as a Finance Specialist, supporting a portfolio of three schools in DC. Prior to his work at EdOps, Drew completed the DC Teaching Fellows program in 2012 and taught special education in DC and in his hometown of Bellevue, WA for four years. He holds a BA from George Washington University and an MBA from Arizona State University.

Elizabeth joined EdOps in 2019 and is currently a Finance Specialist, working with both established, planning and applicant schools. Prior to her work at EdOps, Elizabeth spent nearly a decade in DC’s charter space. During that time, she served as an Operations Manager, a Teacher and an Assistant Principal. As part of her commitment to educational equity, Elizabeth has also recently worked as a researcher to best-selling author, Tara Westover. She holds a B.A. in History from Princeton University, an Executive MPA and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Leadership of International and NGOs from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

Geoff Brown joined EdOps in November 2014 and is currently a Finance Lead, providing financial and operational support to charter networks and independent schools. Additionally, in his time at EdOps, Geoff has guided school clients through consulting projects including strategic planning, operational workflow assessment, and back-office systems implementation. Prior to EdOps, he worked on the Corporate Strategy team at the Advisory Board Company, developing performance enhancement tools for healthcare organizations, and at LECG, LLC, conducting litigation-related market size and damage analyses. He holds a BA in Economics and Spanish from Amherst College and an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Heidi joined EdOps in January 2019 as a Finance Specialist, providing financial support and planning year services to LEAs in DC and Maryland. Prior to her work at EdOps, Heidi was the Operations Manager at a local nonprofit, as well as the Admissions & Student Finance Coordinator at an international school in the Caribbean for four years. Heidi has a BA in Psychology from University of Maryland, College Park, a JD from American University, and an MBA from Georgetown University.

Jenny joined EdOps in June 2014 after one year at GoldStar as an Accountant and Project Manager. At EdOps, Jenny as a finance lead, manages all aspects of full cycle accounting for clients: develop and monitor budget, prepare monthly financials, provide support for audits, conduct cash flow forecast for special projects, help with federal grant management and compliance, and assist clients to streamline accounting process. In addition, she has a vast amount of experience in facilities accounting and management. Jenny has an MS in Accountancy from the George Washington University and a BS in Economics from Fudan University.

Joe joined EdOps in 2019 and is currently a Finance Specialist, supporting two charter schools in DC and Maryland. Prior to his work at EdOps, Joe worked for the Natural Resources Defense Council and GTECH Strategies, managing projects to connect children to environmental education opportunities. Joe earned a BA in Political Science from Carleton College and an MS in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College.

Joel joined EdOps in July 2011 after completing his MBA at the University of Texas at Austin. He has served numerous schools during his tenure at EdOps, from applicant and planning year schools to large established networks. Prior to graduate school, Joel worked for five years as a community organizer and youth development program director in Kansas City, Kan. In this capacity, he spearheaded the effort to start a Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School and served as the school’s first director. Joel is an alumnus of Mennonite Voluntary Service, an affiliate of the AmeriCorps national service program, and was a 2010 Education Pioneers Fellow in Washington, D.C., serving with Communities in Schools of the Nation’s Capital. Joel has a BA from Bethel College (Kan.).

John joined EdOps in March 2018 and is currently a Senior Finance Specialist, working with clients across Washington DC. He also helps coordinate EdOps’ planning year support for newly approved charter schools and runs EdOps’ Twitter (@EdOpsInc). Prior to his work at EdOps, John worked for six years at Georgetown University: first in fundraising for Georgetown’s intercollegiate athletics program, and subsequently in public affairs in a strategic support role to the University President and Vice Presidents. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Government, an M.P.P. and an M.B.A. from Georgetown University.

Natalia joined EdOps in 2015 as a Finance Specialist, supporting five charter networks in DC and Maryland during her time in that position. She was then promoted to Consulting Manager, and ultimately, to Director of Consulting and Managing Principal. As part of the consulting practice, she has managed many strategic consulting projects for charter school clients. Prior to working in education, she managed the investment analyst team at Strategic Investment Group, an institutional investment management firm. Natalia has a BA in Economics and a BS in Public Relations from Boston University, and a M.Ed. from Harvard. She is a proud Education Pioneers alumn and has served as a member of the Education Pioneers – DC Metro Area Alumni Board. When not working to solve schools’ operational and financial challenges, Natalia is learning to play the violin.

Kim joined EdOps in 2017 from Breakthrough Charter Schools in Cleveland, OH. At Breakthrough – a high performing network of 11 charter schools – she was the Director of Operational Learning and Development and led a number of network-wide operations initiatives, including the development of a multi-year operations training program. Prior to working for the central office, Kim served as Director of Operations at one of Breakthrough’s elementary schools. She holds a BA in Economics from John Carroll University, and a Master’s in Economics from Cleveland State University.

Kristin joined EdOps in January 2015 after nine years in the education and non-profit fields. She taught Spanish K-8th and 4th grade prior to transitioning to non-profit programming and management with Horizons for Youth in Chicago. Upon moving to Kansas City in 2014, Kristin gained experience in human resources and school operations at KIPP KC. Kristin holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from DePaul University and a M.S. in Communication from Northwestern University.

Leigh joined EdOps in 2018 and currently serves as a Finance Specialist supporting three DC charter schools. Prior to her work at EdOps, Leigh served as Assistant Director of Development & Community Outreach for City on a Hill Charter Public Schools in Boston, MA, where she spearheaded various enrollment and fundraising initiatives during a period of organizational growth. Leigh holds a B.A. from Colby College and an M.B.A. from Georgetown University.

Nan joined EdOps in July 2016 as a finance analyst, supporting various charter schools in Kansas City area in that position. Prior to working directly with charter schools, she was a Credit Card Analyst at the Construction Bank of China, where she performed risk assessment work for individual credit cards and commercial loans. Nan holds a B.S. in Network Engineering and a B.S in Finance from Jimei University and an M.S in Finance from University of Missouri – Kansas City.

Pathik joined EdOps in January 2015. Pathik has worked with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, where he helped plan a divestiture. He has also worked on a consulting assignment with Legrand Pass and Seymour, where he developed a go-to-market strategy for a new product. Pathik holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from North Gujarat University and an MBA in Finance from Syracuse University.

Phan joined EdOps in 2013 and is currently a Finance Specialist. He supports schools ranging from kindergarten to adult-ed. Prior to EdOps, Phan was a program manager for the City of Boston’s Office of Jobs & Community Services. His programs helped low-income families handle their debts, taxes, credit score, and financial aid. Phan holds a dual MBA and MS Information Systems from Boston University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego.

Rex Rajkumar joined EdOps, fall of 2018, as an Education Pioneers Impact Fellow. Gradually, Rex has expanded his role to a Finance and Data Specialist in EdOps Missouri Regional Office. He partners with charter schools as a full-service data management, analysis and reporting provider to support overall student, financial and organizational performance. Through the medium of data dashboards and data analytic skills, Rex supports Charter schools–improving operational effectiveness and student-learning outcomes. Before attaining his MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas, Rex worked as a computer software engineer. During this time he also served as a mentor to English-Language Learners with Make A Difference, a non-profit in India.

Rhonda joined EdOps in 2018 as a Finance Specialist. A native of Washington, DC, Rhonda taught U.S. History and government to high school students for several years. Following that, Rhonda assumed various roles in the public and private education sectors, developing deep skills in education management and operations. Rhonda earned her undergraduate degree from Columbia University, and graduate degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the Darden School of Business. Rhonda still lives in the District, where she enjoys reading, being an auntie-sister-friend, and serving her community.

Shelley joined EdOps as a Finance Specialist in 2015 from DC Prep where she worked as Senior Manager of Operations and Extended Learning. Prior to working directly with charter schools, she was a Private Equity Associate at Huntsman Gay Global Capital in Palo Alto, California and an Investment Banking Analyst at Barclays Capital in New York. Shelley has a BS in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA and Masters in Education from Stanford University.

Sierhah joined EdOps in 2019 and is currently a Finance specialist, managing the budget, human resources, and account management needs for two St. Louis based Schools. She also works on the data team, maintaining the compliance and data submissions to DESE for two St. Louis Schools. Prior to her work at EdOps, Sierhah spent time as a teacher in private and public schools in the St. Louis area. In addition to a Bachelor’s in Middle School Math Education, Sierhah completed her MBA and Masters of Educational leadership in 2019 at Saint Louis University.

Siyuan joined EdOps in 2014 and is currently a Finance Lead. She works closely with schools to manage and support all aspects of their accounting and finance, including budgeting, financial statement preparation, grant management, and audit assistance. In addition, she is part of the EdOps’ Quality Control team and provides support to Specialists to ensure high-quality work delivered to the clients. Prior to EdOps, Siyuan had auditing and accounting experience in both public accounting and private sectors. She holds a BS in Accounting from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and an MS in Accountancy from the George Washington University.  She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Virginia.

Xavier joined the EdOps team as an E-Rate and Procurement Specialist in February 2017. Prior to joining EdOps, he studied Public Policy (Education) at the University of Chicago. Now he studies coffee shops, mostly.

Vickie joined EdOps in May 2016. Vickie came from Explore Schools Incorporated where she served as Finance Manager and provided accounting and finance services to charter schools in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to working with charter schools, she was a Senior Accounts Receivable Professional for Computer Science Corporation. Vickie has her BS in Accounting from George Mason University.

Stacy joined EdOps in 2016 and is currently a Finance Lead (Quality Focus), she serves as an internal auditor to ensure the quality of our financial deliverables, including accounting records, monthly financials, budget and audit, she also provides direct financial support to a smaller portfolio of charters schools at the same time. Prior to her work at EdOps, she worked at Cash & Grant Management team from International Relief and Development (Blumont) supporting international projects. She has a Master of Finance degree from University of Maryland College Park.

Xiao joined EdOps in 2014 as a Charter School Accountant, managing all financial aspects of the schools, including accounting, budgeting, grant compliance and audit preparation. She is currently a Finance Lead, focusing on new market implementation by bringing EdOps’s best practices to new regions across the country. Prior to her work at EdOps, Xiao was the Financial Accountant at Community Capital Development. She has a BA in Management Information System from Beijing Institute of Technology-China, and a Master’s in Computer Science from Durham University-UK, and earned an MA in Accounting from Washington State University.

Steven joined EdOps in 2016 and is currently a Senior Finance Specialist and California Regional Manager. He supports clients with budget development and financial analysis in addition to monitoring federal education policy and leading engagement in California. Prior to joining EdOps, Steven taught middle school math for three years in Los Angeles, participated in Teach For America, and earned an MA in Urban Education: Policy and Administration from Loyola Marymount University. He also holds a B.S. in Finance from Auburn University.

Stephanie joined EdOps in 2012 and is currently the Quality Director. In this role, she develops and implements structured processes that standardize work to ensure the highest level of quality and value for our partner schools. She also supports in the development of training materials and technological innovations to aid Specialist development and efficiency. Prior to this role, she worked as a Finance Specialist and Manager at EdOps, directly supporting six schools and a team of nine Specialists as well as overseeing the administration of the larger finance team with her co-managers. Prior to her work at EdOps, Stephanie completed an Education Pioneers fellowship at Uplift Education and provided financial analysis support for Allstate Insurance. She holds a BBA in Corporate Finance and International Studies from East Tennessee State University and an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management.