Dinah Ruch

President and Founder

Dinah Ruch has been a lifelong advocate for learning. She grew up in a family of teachers and librarians and her first job out of college was teaching in elementary and junior high school. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Tulane University and a Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. Her legal career focused exclusively on providing legal services to low-income individuals in Los Angeles. As a philanthropist, Dinah has supported causes such as biomedical research, youth development, civics education, social studies and legal aid. Her commitment to equity and education culminated in 2017 with the founding of Thinking Nation, combining her passion for teaching, justice and community leadership.

LinkedIn ›

Paolo Demaria

Treasurer

Paolo DeMaria is President and CEO of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). He previously served as Ohio’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction, where he led the collaborative development of Each Child, Our Future, Ohio’s strategic education plan. Paolo has also directed the state’s Office of Budget and Management and served as chief policy advisor to Governor Bob Taft. He holds degrees from Furman University and The Ohio State University.

LinkedIn ›

Don Fraser, Jr.

Board Member

Don Fraser, Jr. is Senior VP of Design and Innovation, for the non-profit Education Design Lab. He is responsible for measuring and driving innovation and emerging programs at the Lab, as well as building the Lab’s reputation as a leader in equity-based, human-centered field testing and the design of scalable postsecondary and workforce solutions. He previously led the design of the Lab’s 21st century skills micro-credentials.

LinkedIn ›

Dr. Marco Clark

Board Member

Dr. Marco Clark has impacted and transformed the lives of generations of students and families. For over 30 years, as the Founder & CEO ofRichard Wright Schools in Washington, DC, he has been a galvanizing leader in the global educational space. Dr. Clark is an honored recipient of numerous prestigious awards, most recently the 2023 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for Service bestowed by the Office of President Joseph R. Biden.

LinkedIn ›

Joy Ossei-Anto

Board Member

Joy is the Director of Content and Communications at Teach For America. For over 15 years, she has worked at the intersection of education, equity, and leadership development. From leading schools to helping organizations adopt best practices, her passion is ensuring people have what they need to show up as their best selves every day. Joy is a devoted wife, proud mom of two teens, and an avid Peloton enthusiast.

LinkedIn ›

Dr. Catherine O'Donnell

Board Member

Catherine O'Donnell is a Professor of History at Arizona State University, where she has also served in administrative roles focused on curriculum and student success. She is the author of Elizabeth Seton: American Saint (Cornell University Press, 2018), which received the Distinguished Book Award from the Conference on the History of Women Religious and the Biography Prize from the Catholic Press Association.

LinkedIn ›

Wyn Wachhorst

Board Member

Wyn Wachhorst’s Thomas Alva Edison: An American Myth (MIT Press) was a History Book Club selection and named an outstanding book of the year by Choice. His The Dream of Spaceflight: Essays on the Near Edge of Infinity (Basic Books) appeared on science bestseller lists for Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Wachhorst has written speeches for Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin and was invited by NASA’s Decade Planning Team to craft its “new NASA myth.”

LinkedIn ›

Dr. William Pulgarin

Board Member

Dr. Pulgarin has over 20 years of teaching experience in public, private, and charter schools. He has taught AP U.S. History, World History, Ancient History, and student leadership. Before becoming a middle school principal at an international school, he was the assistant principal of curriculum and instruction at a nationally ranked high school in Los Angeles. His research explores character education, school culture, and restorative practices.

LinkedIn ›