ABOUT ME

Social Identities: she/her, Chinese-Jamaican descent, Christian, daughter of immigrants, college-educated, pastor's kid, cis-het sister of genderqueer sibling, Californian

In 2016, Swing Education’s founders chose me to be employee #1 of a now Series C, YC (Imagine K-12) revenue-generating startup tackling the substitute teacher shortage. Under my leadership as VP of Talent, in three years, Swing's substitute teacher pool grew to over 5,000 subs across six states serving 1,500 schools. I then transitioned to the role of VP of People Operations, building scalable HR systems and processes and developing a culture committed to diversity & inclusion as company headquarters grew to over 65 employees. As head of People Ops, I led a company-wide, year-long initiative to transition substitute teachers from independent contractors to employees while maintaining our marketplace dynamic and the independence and flexibility subs valued. Of the many hats I wore, I most enjoyed the following:

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• Bringing executive leadership's vision to life through creative problem solving

• Leading cross-functional teams through ambiguity by building collaborative processes and structures

• Gaining design thinking skills of iteration and innovation through direct work with product designers and engineers

• Building trusting relationships quickly in order to develop people's strengths and careers

• Caring for others by living out my values for diversity, equity and inclusion and encouraging others to do so as well

Prior to Swing Education, I served as Education Pioneers' Western Region Associate Director, leading partnerships and talent development across California and Colorado. It was my great joy to grow a network of education leaders and design fellowship programming that centered race and equity in the conversation of education reform. 

Previously, I worked at the national charter school network Rocketship Public Schools, Boston Public Schools' Chief Academic Office, and New Leaders in Washington, D.C., a national nonprofit recruiting, selecting, and training aspiring school leaders. In addition to education organizations, I've also partnered with The Highway Community, a nondenominational Christian church, as a Board Chair and advisory member.​

I owe so much to the leaders who encouraged and mentored me, particularly women of color. I stand on the shoulders of Dr. Celia Garcia Alvarado, Thaly Germain, and Dr. Nataki Gregory, just to name a few. 

I am a Catalyst:ED Network Provider, Pahara NextGen Fellow, and 2011 Education Pioneers Alumna. I earned a B.A. in Urban Studies from Stanford University and a M.Ed in Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.