Your District Transformation Partner

Tonya Breland has a passion and commitment to increasing access and opportunities for those who have been historically marginalized, particularly Black & Brown students and has dedicated her life’s work to ensuring equity in education and other sectors. Through her research, she birthed a framework for sustainable equity planning in which she helps districts identify areas where they are equitable, have inadequate capacity, or are vulnerable to inequities. Her work is also transferrable to organizations looking to address matters of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI).

Tonya is a highly respected National Milken Educator Award recipient and educational leader with a lifelong mission to make a difference in the lives of others.

In her career, Tonya served as an Elementary School Principal, Curriculum Supervisor, as well as a Middle and Elementary school teacher. She previously served as the Co-Chair of the State Professional Learning Committee with the New Jersey Department of Education and has been a sought-after Trainer/Coach/Consultant/Speaker to school districts, individuals, educational and other organizations. She also taught in the NJEXCEL Program preparing professionals for licensure to become school/district administrators. She served as Director for the Office of Professional Learning at the New Jersey Department of Education and most recently as Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Division of Academics & Performance before leaving to relaunch her educational consulting firm, TESO Consulting Group. TESO specializes in DEI.

She has authored two books: Fight to Make It Happen: 6 Power Principles to Fulfilling Your Purpose & Living Your Dreams and Mykayla Mitchell Moves Away, a children’s chapter book. Tonya is a graduate of Howard University, where she received her Bachelor of Science, Nova Southeastern University, where she received her Master of Science and New York University, where she received her Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation.

Dana Yeary is a nonprofit administrator dedicated to social justice, education, and community engagement. As an alumni of Head Start, she learned first hand how dedicated education leaders can positively impact children and families. Dana started her professional life by operating children and youth programs to students in temporary housing. During her 20 year  career, she has worn many hats in the nonprofit educational sector. Dana believes that we are all life-long learners and has created professional development opportunities for school leaders. She holds a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Public Administration.

Dana lives in NYC with her husband, child, and rescue pets. She spends her spare time volunteering with the local Girl Scout troop, knitting, and playing video games.

Shenuque Tissera is interested in the intersection between data analytics and social justice. He understands that data is inherently biased and cannot be used alone as a solution to inequality, however when combined with a more holistic approach to research it can be quite useful. He received a B.A. in Economics at the CUNY College of Staten Island with a minor in geography. After graduating he worked at the CUNY High Performance Computing Center before taking a job at Dallimore & Co, a retail strategy and consulting firm where he was able to refine his analytic skills. After work you can find Shenuque performing on stand-up shows all around New York City or at home watching reality television.

Joshua Paverud began his teaching career in 2007 as a volunteer tutor and collaborator with 826 NYC, helping elementary school-aged children with their homework in the basement of a Brooklyn Public Library and creative writing projects at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. He became a full-time teacher and spent the following twelve years facilitating high school students’ scientific inquiries in NYC public schools, leading professional development, and coaching teachers within his schools and network, as well as through Math for America. Additionally, he created original film content for students to learn about sustainability practices in India, Sierra Leone, and the U.S.—a project he continues to develop. Joshua holds a B.A. in philosophy and mathematics from St. John’s College and an M.S. in secondary science education from Brooklyn College. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys literature, drawing, and exploring wild places with his wife and daughter.

Devyn graduated with a B.A. in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2023. Following her graduation, she worked in both the California Senate and the United States Congress, focusing on creating meaningful policy change. Raised in the Bay Area, Devyn developed a deep commitment to community service, particularly after moving to East San Jose. She is dedicated to assisting underserved populations through policy-focused initiatives, educational programs, and social services that empower individuals to prosper and build a sense of agency.

Before joining Eskolta, Devyn engaged in extensive nonprofit work advocating for survivors of sexual and domestic abuse. Her advocacy and research efforts have enabled her to educate others about these critical issues while promoting healthy relationships and uplifting survivors of trauma. Devyn believes that this challenging yet essential work is necessary to destigmatize sexual and domestic violence, giving a voice to those who often feel burdened by guilt and silence.

In her free time, Devyn enjoys going for runs, completing DIY projects, and sharing boba with her loved ones.

Emily Levitt is a former middle school math teacher who is really interested in making data accessible for educators. Emily received a B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience with a minor in Applied Statistics from University of Michigan. After graduating she earned a masters degree in 7-12 mathematics education while teaching in a middle school in the Bronx. Currently, Emily is finishing up a masters in Education Policy from Teachers College at Columbia University with a focus in K-12 education policy and social justice. She is motivated to work towards an equitable education for all students and seeing how quantitative data can be critically examined and combined with qualitative data to drive change. In her free time Emily loves to run and hang out in Central Park.

Salua Fawzi obtained her Ph.D. from McGill University and is passionate about research that meaningfully attends to youth’s lived experiences. She loved working with American Muslim students for her multi-sited ethnographic project in the Northeast. Her research examined intergenerational discourses, the cultivation of inclusive spaces and students’ engagement with social justice activism, and the influence of religious figures in their lives. As part of a larger project on questions surrounding identity formation, civic participation, and Islam in Canada, she conducted in-depth interviews with Canadian college students. She is currently writing children’s books and is committed to her volunteer work as a mentor. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, listening to podcasts, trying new restaurants, and improving her photography skills.

Elana “E.M.” Eisen-Markowitz started her career in Somerville, MA and then worked in the New York City public schools from 2007-2020 — as a social studies teacher, a union chapter delegate, a Gender and Sexuality Alliance facilitator, and as a Restorative Justice Coordinator at a public transfer high school serving students ages 16-22. E.M. was also a member of Teachers Unite for over a decade, which organizes educators to resist policies and institutions that segregate and criminalize young people of color, and to try to work alongside students and their families in campaigns for racial, social and economic justice. E.M. grew up in Washington, D.C. and Takoma Park, Maryland and currently lives in New England with her wife, mother-in-law & dog. In early 2020, E.M. was a Fulbright Distinguished Teacher in the UK, working on a project about what it takes for democratic cultural shifts to successfully take hold in individual public schools by examining the relationship between national LGBTQI-inclusive policy change and cultural change occurring at specific school sites in Glasgow, Scotland.

Sara Arcia graduated with a B.A. in Sociology and Latin America and Latinos Studies at The City College of New York. Having attended diverse school systems in different states within the U.S. has equipped her with an understanding of educational inequalities. Throughout her undergrad, she tutored young minority students from urban public schools, served as president of the Sociology Club at City College and researched racial/ethnic inequalities within the education system. Sara is currently pursuing a Masters in Higher and Post-secondary education at Teachers College, Columbia University where she aspires to be an academic counselor in higher education. Areas of interest include uplifting student voice, animal behavior, and human/animal interactions. In her spare time, Sara enjoys reading, playing with her cat Peanut, drawing and spending time with friends and family.

Kathryn Moncur is Vice President and Senior Partner in Banking and Financial Markets with IBM, specializing in the financial services sector. She is an experienced finance and strategy leader with 17 years of experience in roles of increasing scope, business scale and geographic reach. With a proven track record as a trusted and strategic advisor delivering business outcomes.

She has led cross-discipline solution teams focused on delivering data and analytics at scale, application modernization, and digital transformation.

She has held key IBM finance executive roles including CFO Watson Financial Services & Promontory Acquisition Integration, and CFO Analytics Solutions. Both appointments were in Worldwide Finance executive positions responsible for establishing the goals of the global organization, exercising wide latitude in discretionary financial decision making and as a trusted business advisor on strategy and execution actions. She also served in the role of Canada Software CFO & Lab Controller, responsible for IBM Canada Software Lab Finance and Business Controls teams for the largest IBM major market software development lab.

She is passionate about identifying and developing the next generation of talent and is a steering committee member of the IBM Women of NYC and IBM Americas DE&I Council.

She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario in finance and economics with distinction, an active member of CHIEF, and a pilates and dog enthusiast.

Dr. Shawn S. Savage is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction for Equity in the Department of Educational Leadership within the Watson College of Education at The University of North Carolina Wilmington. Dr. Savage has over 10 years of experience in K-12 and Higher Education— both as an academic and student affairs professional.

A diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice scholar-practitioner, Dr. Savage’s research investigates issues of access, equity, and justice in K-12, teacher education, and higher education. Dr. Savage especially studies the experiences of racially minoritized males across their educational and professional lives—with a specific focus on Black males—using justice-centered qualitative research approaches. Importantly, his work is undergirded by Afrocentricity and explores the experiences of, and supports the well-being of Black and other people who are minoritized.

Nationally, he was one of the University of Texas at Austin’s 2020-2021 Project MALES Scholars, and is an inaugural 2021-2023 Emerging Research Fellow for Educator Diversity with the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity. He is also actively involved in various professional organizations including R.A.C.E. Mentoring and special interest groups of the American Educational Research Association such as Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class and Gender in Education as well as Research Focused on Black Education. Dr. Savage is also connected with several practitioner communities including the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color and the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.

As a Bronx resident, Jasmin aspires to empower youth for more equitable education in the city. During her career, she worked with underserved youth in marginalized communities. During her time as a Program Coordinator of an Afterschool Program in the South Bronx, she encouraged curiosity and allowed students to obtain the skills necessary for success. She developed relationships with students and their families to support their academic and emotional goals. Currently, she is working towards her B.A. in Psychology at Lehman College and continuing her passion for childhood education. At Eskolta, Jasmin will work within the Operations team and contribute to a welcoming culture. She will also be collaborating with Nada to find new partnerships for the years to come. In her spare time, she enjoys trying new foods and watching a variety of international dramas.

Billy is an expert educator and change agent in schools and school systems. He brings over 20 years’ experience, providing executive coaching to principals, district level leaders, and their leadership teams in districts throughout Louisiana, Memphis, and Los Angeles. He has been the Founding Executive Director at both Teach for America, Atlanta and New Leaders for New Schools, Memphis. Most recently, he served as Communities in Schools of Memphis’ first Chief Program Officer and Strategic Advisor to the CEO for Partnerships. For more than 10 years, he held leadership positions in the DC Public School System, including School Principal of the Charles Hart Middle School, Director of School Leadership on the Chancellor’s Transition Team, and Deputy Chief of Innovation. Billy brings a commitment to race and equity and his abilities as an effective listener and talent developer to his work with developing the skill and will of adults working with children.

Dr. Nada Ahmed has twenty one years of experience working with under-resourced communities and schools around the U.S. Her teaching experience spans from teaching students in early childhood, childhood, and middle school through higher education. She has worked in districts and non-profits around the U.S. providing coaching and professional development to teachers. Central leadership components of her work include engaging in school improvement efforts with school administrators and providing strategic leadership for instructional and leadership coaches. She has also supported planning partners at different stages of starting innovative schools nationally and internationally.

Dr. Nada Ahmed’s research, teaching, leadership and practice interests are centered on fostering social, racial and cultural justice in marginalized schools and communities. She holds a Ph.D. in Education Research from Kings College, University of London; M.S. in Elementary Education from Bank Street College, B.A. in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University; and has received training in administrative innovation leadership from Get Smarts School and St. Johns University and creative arts therapy from The New School.

Nada lives in NYC with her two daughters and husband. While her passion for education stems from her childhood, her daughters have invigorated this in a new way, bringing to light current challenges and opportunities to create a more equitable society where all students can thrive.