Elise Darwish is the chief executive officer of Ensemble Learning, a non-profit focused on building strong charter schools by serving vulnerable populations better. Previous to this, she was the chief academic officer at Aspire Public Schools since its founding. In this role she supported area superintendents and principals, oversaw research and development pertaining to curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and managed internal professional development programs. With over twenty-five years of experience in charter schools, traditional public schools and private schools, Elise was well-poised to design the Aspire education model and oversee its implementation. She began her teaching career as a kindergarten teacher in the inner city of Chicago; since then, she has worked in the roles of teacher, mentor teacher, assistant principal, administrator and curriculum coordinator.