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Our Team

New Tech Network was founded by a group of educators and business leaders who cared deeply about the future of education. Now, over two decades later, their vision lives on through the New Tech Network’s Leadership Team, Board of Directors, and Staff.

New Tech Network Leadership Team

Liz Bergeron
Liz Bergeron Bio

Liz Bergeron

Dr. Liz Bergeron joined New Tech Network in 2016 and serves as the Managing Director of Strategy, Research, and Thought Leadership. Liz’s experience includes working closely with ministries of education internationally, US public school districts, and nonprofits conceptualizing and conducting research to inform practice, policy, strategy, and operations. Prior to joining NTN Liz was an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin La-Crosse where she taught pre-service teachers. Previous professional experiences also include her time as the Global Research Manager for the International Baccalaureate (IB) organization where she provided management and oversight for the Program Impact Department. Liz’s methodological expertise includes qualitative methodologies and multivariate statistical methods associated with quasi-experimental research designs. Publications include peer-reviewed journals such as International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education and Journal of Research in International Education. Liz has served in a variety of advisory roles at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), KQED Public Media, and the Smithsonian Institution, and she is serving as chair for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Project-based Learning Special Interest Group. Liz received her Ph.D in Education from George Mason University in 2011, and her Masters in Middle Grades Mathematics and Science Teaching and her B.S. in Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Interdisciplinary Studies from James Madison University.

Managing Director of Research and Strategy

Edwin Derecho Bio

Edwin Derecho

Edwin Derecho joined New Tech Network in May 2024 as Chief Financial and Operations Officer. He has served in senior financial positions for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, including EduLab Capital Partners, Celebrity Series of Boston, Goodwill, PepsiCo, Sunbeam, Office Depot, Citibank M&A and RCA. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and holds a B.A. in Economics and Communication from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Alix Horton Bio

Alix Horton

Alix has been passionate about creating equitable learning environments for each and every student ever since she first became an educator. As the Managing Director of Educator and School Development, she is focused on ensuring that every aspect of the NTN whole school approach is aligned with equity-focused teaching and learning. Alix joined New Tech Network in 2011 after serving as an elementary, middle, and high school teacher, including teaching at a New Tech Network school in Austin, TX. She has served in varying roles across the organization, including as a Literacy Coach, supporting schools, and as Senior Director of Content Design. She graduated from Stanford University with a BA and MA in English.

Managing Director of Educator and School Development

Nick Kappelhof Bio

Nick Kappelhof

As Managing Director of Growth & District Success, Nick Kappelhof oversees strategy to expand the current network of member school districts and guides the organization’s commitment to optimizing the life-cycle of schools and districts within New Tech Network. Nick joined NTN in 2013 and prior to his current role, he served as Senior Director of District and School Development and engaged prospective new districts and schools in the exploration, planning, and implementation process of New Tech Network services.

Before joining New Tech Network, Nick served as a principal of a project-based high school in San Francisco with Envision Education. Nick has also worked as an assistant principal with the New York City Department of Education where he helped develop and lead a new, project-based high school as part of the NYCDOE small schools initiative. Before working as a school leader, Nick taught English Language Arts at every grade level from 7 through 12 in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from San Diego State University and a Master of Education degree in Education Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Managing Director of Growth and District Success

Jim May Bio

Jim May

As CEO of New Tech Network, Jim May leads the support and growth of NTN’s school network and innovative efforts to improve the NTN Model. Jim originally joined New Tech Network in 2011 and most recently served as the Chief Schools Officer for NTN, where he oversaw NTN’s efforts to foster a dynamic network of schools and provide high-quality support to all of its member schools. In 2020, Jim stepped away from New Tech Network to focus on caring for his family during the pandemic.

Prior to Jim’s return to NTN he worked as an independent consultant, facilitator, and leadership coach. Jim also began serving on multiple non-profit boards and graduated from the Stanford EdLEADers program during this period. Prior to joining New Tech Network in 2011, he was a founding staff member of Two Rivers Public Charter School (an Expeditionary Learning School) in Washington, DC, and served as the school’s principal until 2010. Jim began his career as a high school social studies teacher in South Carolina and along the way has served as a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar, an education policy fellow at the Institute for Educational Leadership, and a fellow at the National Center for Leadership.

Jim lives in El Paso, TX with his wife (Evan) and three children. When not focused on his work at NTN, Jim loves cooking for his family, reading, spending time outdoors, cleaning up after his kids, and trying to decide what to watch on Netflix.

CEO

New Tech Network Board of Directors

Lydia Dobyns Bio

Lydia Dobyns

Lydia Dobyns was the  Co-CEO of New Tech Network, a leading design partner for comprehensive school change. During her career, she has been a technology entrepreneur and executive and also worked in education policy and in the nonprofit sector. Dobyns and CEO of Getting Smart, Tom Vander Ark, are co-authors of Better Together: How to Leverage School Networks For Smarter Personalized and Project Based Learning.

Her entrepreneurial and executive career features work in the high tech, online services, consumer products and health care industries. She graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley.

Governance Board

Emily McGinty Bio

Emily McGinty

Emily McGinty is a Managing Director at A-Street. Prior to A-Street, Emily was a Director at TA Associates where she spent more than a decade investing in and working with private growth companies. Previously, she was an investment banking analyst at J.P. Morgan. Emily currently sits on the board of Coursemojo, Navia Benefit Solutions and Healix and is on the Advisory Committee for The Aspire Program of Hathaway Brown School.

Emily received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude, and her MBA from Stanford Business School. Emily lives in Menlo Park.

Governance Board

Liam Pisano
Liam Pisano Bio

Liam Pisano

Liam Pisano is a Managing Partner at EduLab Capital Partners. Prior to co-founding EduLab Capital Partners, Liam was the Managing Director at LearnLaunch, an early-stage education technology investment platform, and co-working space. There he managed all LearnLaunch investment activity and drove domestic and international strategy for the organization. He has over 16 years of direct investing experience, holding investment professional positions at Spectrum Equity Investors, Hercules Capital, and Patriot Capital. He also co-founded one of the first MOOC’s for student use, Academic Earth, which was named as Time Magazine top websites of 2009 and was eventually sold to an ABRY Partners portfolio company.

Liam received his B.A. in Political Science from Williams College, where he was a member of the two time National Championship Division III cross country team. He received his M.B.A from Yale University where he was a founding member of the Yale Economic Review.  He is a proud 21-year member of the Big Brothers Association of Massachusetts, a two-time big brother and former Big Brother of the Year. 

Governance Board

Eileen Rudden Bio

Eileen Rudden

Eileen Rudden is the co- founder of LearnLaunch, a Boston-based organization dedicated to connecting, supporting, and growing the education technology ecosystem to drive innovation and transform learning. Most recently, she served as Chief Officer, College and Career Preparation, at Chicago Public Schools and is a member of the board of directors of Education Pioneers, The Achievement Network, and KnowledgeWorks.

Ms. Rudden has been a leader in software technology for over 30 years. She led the Unified Communications Division of Avaya, a Fortune 500 global business communications leader and was SVP and GM of Lotus Notes, which was acquired by IBM. She was CEO of FairMarket, Inc., and started her career at The Boston Consulting Group. Eileen received her MBA from Harvard Business School, and her BA from Brown University, where she served as a Trustee and is currently Chair of the Advisory Committee on Computing and Information Technology.

Governance Board

Barry Schuler Bio

Barry Schuler

Barry Schuler is Managing Director of DFJ Growth and the former Chairman/CEO of America Online Inc. He is credited with being one of the pioneers of the modern Internet. As an entrepreneur for more than 30 years, Barry propelled innovations in digital media, e-commerce, design, and video games. He was a member of the senior management team that scaled AOL from $1B to $200B in market cap during 20 consecutive quarters of growth. Barry co-founded the DFJ Growth Fund in 2006 and is actively involved with its investments which include Twitter, Tumblr, SolarCity, SpaceX, and Tesla Motor Company. He serves on the board of directors for Good Technology, Foursquare, Coinbase, Raydiance Inc., Synthetic Genomics, and SCIenergy.

Mr. Schuler is an active philanthropist focused on educational activities. He co-founded Blue Oak School, Napa valley’s only K-8 independent progressive school, and has guided the expansion and growth of New Tech Network, where he currently serves as Chairman.

Barry graduated with a BA from Rutgers University and is a member of its Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

Chairman of the Board

John Simpkins Bio

John Simpkins

John L. S. Simpkins is an executive with the Greenville Health System in South Carolina, where he leads collaborative, evidence-based efforts to promote health innovation and equity. He also is a Senior Lecturer at Duke Law School.

John was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in the Obama Administration where he served as general counsel for the U.S. Agency for International Development and deputy general counsel for the White House Office of Management and Budget. Before that, he was of counsel with Wyche, P.A., visiting assistant professor of law at the University of Victoria, and a Fellow at Charleston School of Law.

He continues to work as a consultant and researcher in comparative constitutional law and constitutional design. John received his B.A. in government from Harvard College and a J.D. and L.L.M. in international and comparative law from Duke University School of Law. He is a Fellow of the fourth class of Liberty Fellowship.

Governance Board

Renata Soto Bio

Renata Soto

Renata Soto is a Costa Rican-born social entrepreneur based in Nashville, TN. She is a 2020-2021 fellow at Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative, where she is launching Mosaic Changemakers, a nonprofit organization seeking to elevate, support, and connect Black, Latinx, and other leaders of color in the American South who are advancing social, economic and racial justice. Mosaic aspires to build a Black/Brown/Gold network of mutual support and collaboration.

Until May 2019 she led Conexión Américas, the nonprofit organization she co-founded in 2002 to serve Tennessee’s Latinx and other immigrant communities. She was the visionary behind Casa Azafrán, a nonprofit collaborative established in 2012 and nationally recognized as a model for nonprofit innovation, collaboration, and placemaking. Even President Obama took noticed and visited Casa Azafrán to host a town hall on immigration policy in 2014.

Nationally, Renata served for 10 years on the board of directors, and as chair from 2015-2018, of UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. Currently, she serves as board chair of its sister organization, UnidosUS Action Fund, which works to expand the influence and political power of the Latino community. She studied Communications at the University of Costa Rica and attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, which is what brought her to the US in 1993.

Governance Board

Chad P. Wick Bio

Chad P. Wick

Chad P. Wick is a business, education, and nonprofit leader, and was the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer at KnowledgeWorks Foundation from 1998 until 2013, where he supported the growth of New Tech Network to more than 130 schools nationwide.

Mr. Wick has also served as the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Board member of institutions including Ameritrust, Southern Ohio Bank, and Shawnee Life Insurance Co. Mr. Wick currently serves as a Director at ACT, Inc. Mr. Wick also served as the Chair of Education Transition for Ohio Governor Dr. Ted Strickland.

Mr. Wick is a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force and has participated in the Army War College’s Strategic Leadership Forum at Columbia University. He has been accorded many awards for education achievement in Ohio and nationally and has received Honorary Doctorates from both the University of Cincinnati and Youngstown State University. Mr. Wick received an MBA with high honors from Thunderbird Graduate School and a BS degree from the University of Cincinnati.

Governance Board

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