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Category: Shine Early Learning

Aastha Kathuria

Aastha is Vice President of Product for Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning. She is responsible for driving product innovation, technical architectures, applications, and digital platforms across Acelero, Inc. to support world-class early care and learning that produces breakthrough outcomes for our children, families, and partners. She is an experienced product leader with a proven … Continued

Stephen M. Koch

As the Vice President of Policy & Performance, Stephen leads the development and execution of policies that ensure effective technology-driven reporting, while overseeing policy compliance, data governance, and performance monitoring across the organization to drive informed decision-making and positive outcomes. Stephen began his career as a secondary teacher in California, and has served in various … Continued

Lori Levine

As Senior Vice President of Family Engagement, Lori oversees network-wide collaboration to design and develop Acelero, Inc.’s family engagement and health strategy. This work engages families as partners in their children’s learning and development and promotes their overall well-being. Lori’s most recent role prior to joining Acelero was as Queens Borough Commissioner of Child Protection … Continued

Valerie Ibarra Mendez

Before joining Acelero, she was the Founder and Chief Learning Officer of ViM Leadership Coaching, where she developed highly customized professional development solutions for mission-driven organizations. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Florida International University.  Fun fact about Val: At the age of 10, she enthusiastically became a certified scuba diver, earning her … Continued

Natalie G. Strappy

Natalie is the Chief of Staff for the Learning and Impact team at Acelero, Inc. Her primary responsibilities include optimizing operations, strategy, and execution. Additionally, she serves as the steward of the team’s culture and communication, ensuring we can serve both internal and external partners with excellence. Natalie has dedicated the last 20 years to … Continued

Cicely Taylor

Cicely serves as Chief of Staff for the Office of the CEO, connecting internal and external stakeholders to influence outcomes and drive toward organizational goals. She has over 25 years of experience in the education and non-profit space. For the past 17 years, Cicely has served in various leadership roles at KIPP Texas Public Schools, … Continued

Ken Taylor

Ken is the Vice President of Public Systems. He supports his team’s efforts to achieve success for our partners and achieve our mission of eliminating the gaps between young children’s inherent potential and their achievement in school and life. Prior to his current role, he was Senior Director for Public Systems Support. In that role … Continued

Rosa Thorpe

As VP of Shine Fortify Services, Rosa works closely with Shine Early Learning partners. Since joining the company in 2007, Rosa has served as the Director of Monmouth County, Executive Director of Monmouth/Middlesex County, and Director of Quality Assurance, where she was responsible for the assessment and evaluation of Acelero Learning’s delegate programs. As a … Continued