Pahara Announces 2026 Pahara Fellowship Cohorts
- Mar 11
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 12
(March 11, 2026) - Pahara Institute at Lone Rock announced today seven new cohorts of the highly selective Pahara Fellowship. These 157 individuals join the Pahara Institute community of leaders, which is designed to strengthen and sustain values-driven leaders who are transforming public education so that every child is prepared to lead a free and fulfilling life.
The Pahara Fellowship is a one-year, cohort-based program that identifies exceptional leaders in the educational excellence and equity movement, facilitates their dynamic growth, and strengthens their collective efforts to dramatically improve public education, especially those serving low-income children and communities. The Fellowship provides these leaders with the unusual opportunity to step back from their demanding daily work to reflect with peers on their collective and individual impact as leaders and change agents. Fellows challenge each other to think beyond traditional silos and sector boundaries to develop strategies that enhance their effectiveness as leaders, address leadership challenges in public education, and accelerate the improvements needed to provide high-quality learning opportunities for all of our nation’s children.
Click the drop downs to meet the 2026 Pahara Fellowship cohorts:
Cairn Cohort
Leilani Abulon, Chief Academic Officer, Green Dot Public Schools
Ileana Albareda, Executive Director, Green Schools National Network
Leena Bakshi, Executive Director, STEM4Real
Joseph Callahan, Executive Director, Educational Foundation of Anne Arundel County Public Schools
Chuck Nathan Charleston, Executive Director, Native American Community Academy Foundation
Abiodun Durojaye, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, AsidaLove
Jack Elsey, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative
Maricela Guerrero, Executive Director, Rocketship Public Schools
James Harrell, Chief, Human Capital Management, San Antonio ISD
Rikki Hunt Taylor, Executive Director, Meridian Public Charter School
Alexis Johnson, Chief Schools Officer, Match Charter Public School
Markus Mullarkey, President & Chief Financial Officer, Caliber Public Schools
Aly Murray, Founder & Executive Director, UPchieve
Michelle Navarre, Founder & Executive Director, Polaris Charter Academy
Jesse Sanchez, President, The Neurodiversity Alliance
Vielka Scott-Marcus, Chief Academic Officer, Friendship Public Charter School
Richard Seigler, Chief Program Officer, LeverageED Foundation
Sean Talamas, Co-Founder, Leadership Cooperative
Mayra Valle, Director & Founder, Valle Conmigo LLC
Barry Williams, Head of Schools, Cirrus Academy Charter School
Lynsey Wood Jeffries, Chief Executive Officer, Higher Achievement
Water Cohort
Paul Astuto, Chief of Staff & Strategy, Prospect Schools
John Branam, Chief Transformation Officer, Bottom Line
Chris Brewster, Superintendent & Chief Executive Officer, Santa Fe South Schools
Angela Bugayong, Chief Operating Officer, Students Rising Above
Jennifer Charlot, Co-Founder, RevX
Saliyah Cruz, Chief Equity Officer, Mastery Charter Schools
Jordan Franco, Founder, Rio Grande Academy of Fine Arts
Lariely Garcia, Regional Director, One World Network of Schools
Rebecca Good, National Vice Provost, Teacher Preparation, Relay Graduate School of Education
Katherine Hendrickson, Chief Strategy Officer, Caliber Public Schools
Rachel Heredia, Associate Partner, Bay Ed Fund
Tori Jackson Hines, Founder & Executive Director, Resurgence Hall
James Johnstone, Senior Principal (CICS Basil & Washington Park), ReGeneration Schools
Monijit Katial, Regional Superintendent, KIPP Texas
Rodney Lynk Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy
Taylor McCabe-Juhnke, Executive Director, Rural Schools Collaborative
Marvin Pierre, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Eight Million Stories, Inc.
Edward Rangel, Chief Executive Officer, Adelante Schools
Natalie Rubio, Founding Executive Director, Single Mom Scholars
Emanuel Sanchez, Executive Director, Lindsay Educational Foundation
Angelica Vega Foley, Chief Program Officer, LEEP America
Michelle Walker-Davis, Executive Director, DC Public Charter School Board
Monica White, Chief Executive Officer, Elevate Academy Network of Schools
Spark Cohort
Fatih Ay, Chief Executive Officer & Superintendent, Harmony Public Schools
Michael Blake, Chief of Operations, Uncommon Schools
Liliana Bustos, Chief Instructional Officer, Bright Star Schools
Marina Cofield, Chief Executive Officer, East Harlem Tutorial Program
Susana Cordova, Commissioner, Colorado Department of Education
Ana Teresa Dahan, Executive Director, Thrive LA
Livier Delgadillo, Founder, LD Collective
Darnell Epps, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Thurgood Industries
Amanda Gonzales, Managing Director of Schools & Programs, Moonshot
Jennifer Greene, Executive Director, Tulsa Legacy Charter School
Lin Johnson III, Chief Strategy, Growth & Finance Officer, TNTP, Inc.
Paul Kihn, Deputy Mayor for Education, Washington, D.C.
Laura McGowan-Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, Diversity in Leadership Institute
Crystal McQueen-Taylor, Executive Director, StudentsFirstNY
Brandon Paige, Chief Financial Officer, Alpha Public Schools
Mary Rice-Boothe, Founder, Leading-Within, LLC
David Riddick, Chief Executive Officer, Fenton Charter Public Schools
Isaac Rivas-Savell, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Voz Collegiate Preparatory Charter School
Meisha Ross Porter, Visiting Senior Fellow, Center for Educational Innovation
Katie Severn, Senior Advisor, DC Prep
Holly Trifiro, Chief Executive Officer, Future Ready Cleveland
Cheryl Watson-Harris, President & Executive Director, Achieve Atlanta
Rosa Zamora, Chief Executive Officer, NewRoot Learning Institute
Leaf Cohort
Tony Alleyne, President & Chief Executive Officer, Nativity Prep School (Wilmington)
John Aydogdu, Chief Executive Officer, Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas
Rhonda Baldenegro, Executive Director, Gabriella Charter Schools
Jack Carey, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Live Oak Camp
Gisele Castro, Chief Executive Officer, Exalt Youth
Shareyna Chang, Chief of Staff, Richmond Public Schools
Alan Cheng, Supervising Superintendent for High Schools, New York City Public Schools
Kwame Floyd, Executive Director, Teacher Apprenticeship Network
Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, President, Jacksonville Public Education Fund
Andrew Frishman, Co-Executive Director, Big Picture Learning
Shawn Hardnett, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Statesmen College Preparatory Academy for Boys PCS
Melissa Kim, Partner, Volution Advisors
Shauna Knox, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, The Emancipation Group
David Lauck, Chief Financial Officer, Alliance College-Ready Public Schools
Suzanne Legg, Chief Executive Officer, Dayspring Academy
Rosario Minier Connor, Vice President, External Affairs, America's Promise Alliance
Celia Pascual, Chief Academic Officer, Yu Ming Charter School
Robert Sgobbo, Chief of Staff to Chief Schools Officer, Uncommon Schools
Tamala Shaw, Founder & Executive Director, MS Delta Academies dba Leflore Legacy Academy
Cristina Ureña, Chief of Schools, Étoile Academy Charter School
Nicole Wetzel, Chief of Staff, Global Village Academy Collaborative
Shawna Young, Chief Executive Officer, Camelback Ventures
Mountain Cohort
Gabriella Barbosa, Senior Portfolio Manager, Ballmer Group
Rhonda Barnes, Executive Director, KIPP Massachusetts
Paul Barnhardt, Founder & Executive Director, Honor Prep Charter School
Clara Baron-Hyppolite, Executive Director, College Beyond
Rekha Bhatt, Senior Vice President of Programs, FareStart
Sara Bokhari, Chief Operating Officer, BES
Steve Corbett, Chief Executive Officer, Audubon Schools
Daniela Garcia, Managing Director, Policy, Communications, and Advocacy, Charter School Growth Fund
Julia Gonzales, Vice President, Government Relations, Amplify
Courtney Hughley, Vice President of Communications, NACSA
Joretha Lewis, Senior Director of School Supports, Massachusetts Charter Public School Association
Jennifer Lopez, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Jennifer Lopez Consulting, LLC
Dumar Paden, Chief Operating Officer, Prospect Schools
Justin Ralston, Superintendent, Weld Re-8 School District
Mark Ramirez, Superintendent, Lake Worth ISD
Michael Robert, Superintendent, Osborn School District
Janelle Ruley, Partner, Young, Minney & Corr LLP
Joyanna Smith, Chief Program and Operations Officer, Illinois Network of Charter Schools
Tiffany Taylor, President, ASU+GSV Summit
Jessica Waters, Executive Director, Nowell Academy
Israel Ybarra, Sr. Vice President of School Development, IDEA Public Schools
Elizabeth Zamudio, Vice President, Education, UnidosUS
Sun Cohort
Pagee Cheung, Executive Director, College Persistence Coalition
Christopher Coleman, Executive Director, Teach For America Memphis
Maria Covarrubias, Chief Program Officer, Diversity in Leadership Institute
Mayra Cruz, Founding Partner, The Canizales Group
Carmen Darville, Chief of Operations, YES Prep Public Schools
Jesus Galindo, Chief Executive Officer, Aim High
Jeffrey Garrett, Founder, Consultant, JM Garrett Learning Group
Marcus Harden, Executive Director, Washington State Charter Schools Commission
James Kale, Co-Executive Director, Comp Sci High
Daiana Lambrecht, Executive Director, Futuro San Antonio
Jesse Melgares, Chief Executive Officer, The Accelerated Schools
Emmy O'Dwyer, Founder & Principal, Advancing Communities for Equity (ACE)
Michelle Odemwingie, Chief Executive Officer, Achievement Network
LaNolia Omowanile, Vice President, Leadership Development, KIPP Foundation
Keith Ouweneel, Executive Director, Crown Pointe Academy
Crystal Rountree, Chief Executive Officer, Jumpstart
Atikah Shemshack, Superintendent of Schools, Jubilee Academies
Alex Silverman Busch, Partner, Charter School Growth Fund
Justin Smith, Chief Schools Officer, Forte Prep
Lorena Tule-Romain, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, ImmSchools
Matthew Tyson, Chief Executive Officer, Tapestry Public Charter Schools
Tashaunda Nicole Washington, Principal, Washington Education Strategies, LLC
Lucy Weatherly, Chief of Communication and Community Development, Intrinsic Schools
Cloud Cohort
Martha Xochitl Avellán, Area Superintendent, Green Dot Public Schools
Bobby Caballero, Chief Executive Officer & Head of School, Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School
Taikein Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, Richmond Ed Fund
Olufemi Fadeyibi, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, UpliftEducate
Myrla Feria, Vice President of Consulting, TNTP
James E. Ford, Executive Director, Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED)
Sarah Jane Forman, General Counsel, KIPP DC
Yesenia Garcia-Fortuna, Executive Director, Summer Search
Daisy Han, Managing Partner, Daisy Han LLC
Ulcca Joshi Hansen, Founder, Educating Potential
Kenneth Herrera, Sr. Director of Strategic Initiatives, Uncommon Schools
Matt Kelley, Chief Executive Officer, Independence Charter School
Jim Kline, Executive Director, DC Public Education Fund
Nanette Lehman-Merrill, Executive Director, Idaho Charter School Association
Mary Libby, Deputy Chief of Diverse Learners, School District of Philadelphia
Elizabeth Martinez, Interim Executive Director, Making Waves Academy
Nafeesha Mitchell, Founder & Principal, B² Executive Coaching & Strategic Advising
Penelope Pak McMillen, Senior Director, Formal Learning, KIPP Foundation
Margeaux Randolph, President Kr8 Ventures
Natalie Smith, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Head of School, Global Citizens Public Charter School
Jonathan Tyrrell, Chief Schools Officer, Kairos Academies
Yeime Valle, Executive Director & General Partner, Brilla Schools Network
Laura Vinsant, Executive Director, Teach For America Great Baton Rouge
For more information please contact info@pahara.org.
About Pahara Institute at Lone Rock
Pahara Institute at Lone Rock seeks to strengthen the movement for educational excellence and equity by developing and sustaining values-driven leaders. The guiding principle of the Pahara Institute is that bold improvements are needed in our public schools so that every child in America is prepared to lead a free and fulfilling life. Pahara’s programs are designed to identify leaders in education innovation, and through a time-tested dialogue approach, strengthen and sustain their efforts to bring about critical improvements to our public schools. For more information, please visit pahara.org.