Our people
The team at Ellevation is united by a common purpose: to empower educators and English learners (ELs). We are passionate about making a difference in the lives of ELs, helping them achieve their highest aspirations. Diversity is at the core of who we are and we believe it strengthens our ability to drive impact in the communities we serve.
Achieving more together
Founded on the belief that every student deserves access to quality education, Ellevation is committed to making a difference in the lives of English learners. For more than a decade, we have helped 1,700+ school districts transform their EL programs – serving over 2.5 million students across the nation. By providing tools that are responsive to educators’ needs, we ensure that teachers and admins are equipped to best support their students while building an impactful and sustainable company.
Leadership
The Ellevation leadership team brings a diverse array of experiences and expertise to our work.
Marion Kennedy Amos
CEO
Marion Kennedy Amos, CEO, is a strategic leader with deep expertise in supporting educators and English learners. A former teacher, she has spent over a decade at Ellevation shaping solutions that empower schools and communities. She holds a BA from Duke and an M.Ed from Boston University.
Nathan Papazian
Chief Product Officer
Nathan Papazian, Chief Product Officer, leads the product management, design, and education teams that develop Ellevation’s suite of products. He has 15+ years of SaaS experience in Boston. He graduated from Tufts University with degrees in Political Science and Economics.
Aakash Kothari
Vice President of Marketing
Aakash Kothari, VP of Marketing, leads teams that grow Ellevation’s brand, product awareness, and revenue. With 15+ years at Meta, Google, GE, and Rokt, he excels in product strategy, customer insights, and leadership. Aakash holds a B.S. from Boston College.
Alyssa Jean
Vice President of Product, Instruction
Alyssa Jean, VP of Product, Instruction, leads teams building Ellevation’s instructional products that drive impact in the classroom. She has a decade of experience in public education teaching MLLs and in EdTech. She holds an M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction with an ESL focus.
Leah Foerster
Vice President of Product, Flagship & Platform
Leah Foerster, VP of Product, leads Ellevation's Flagship and Platform products. In a career across startups and scaled SaaS companies, she’s built highly productive global teams and launched numerous platform and data products. She holds a BA from Brown University and an MBA.
Lisa McCusker
Vice President of Engineering
Lisa McCusker, VP of Engineering, leads the engineering teams that develop Ellevation's products. With a decade of experience in Ed Tech, she holds a BS in Mathematics and an MS in Economics.
Leslie Thomas
Vice President of Sales and Account Management
Leslie Thomas, VP of Sales, leads teams driving new business and long-term partnerships. Her career in private and nonprofit sectors has focused on supporting underserved communities and equitable student outcomes. She holds a BA in Education and began as an educator.
Tyler McNally
Vice President of Customer Success
Tyler McNally, VP of Customer Success, leads teams ensuring districts launch quickly and realize ongoing value. He has deep expertise at the intersection of technology and client service. He holds a BA from Boston College and an MA in Education and MBA from Stanford University.
Winston Tuggle
Vice President of People
Winston Tuggle, VP of People, leads teams responsible for attracting, retaining, and developing a diverse and high-performing team. He has extensive experience leading HR teams in high-growth SaaS environments. He holds a BA from Trinity College and an MBA from Boston College.
Jordan Meranus
Co-Founder & Senior Advisor
Jordan Meranus, Co-Founder & Senior Advisor, has a rich background in education innovation. He co-founded Jumpstart and was a Partner at NewSchools Venture Fund. He holds a history degree from Duke and master's degrees in Education and Public Administration from Harvard.
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Marion Kennedy Amos
CEO
Marion Kennedy Amos, CEO, is a strategic leader with deep expertise in supporting educators and English learners. A former teacher, she has spent over a decade at Ellevation shaping solutions that empower schools and communities. She holds a BA from Duke and an M.Ed from Boston University.
Nathan Papazian
Chief Product Officer
Nathan Papazian, Chief Product Officer, leads the product management, design, and education teams that develop Ellevation’s suite of products. He has 15+ years of SaaS experience in Boston. He graduated from Tufts University with degrees in Political Science and Economics.
Aakash Kothari
Vice President of Marketing
Aakash Kothari, VP of Marketing, leads teams that grow Ellevation’s brand, product awareness, and revenue. With 15+ years at Meta, Google, GE, and Rokt, he excels in product strategy, customer insights, and leadership. Aakash holds a B.S. from Boston College.
Alyssa Jean
Vice President of Product, Instruction
Alyssa Jean, VP of Product, Instruction, leads teams building Ellevation’s instructional products that drive impact in the classroom. She has a decade of experience in public education teaching MLLs and in EdTech. She holds an M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction with an ESL focus.
Leah Foerster
Vice President of Product, Flagship & Platform
Leah Foerster, VP of Product, leads Ellevation's Flagship and Platform products. In a career across startups and scaled SaaS companies, she’s built highly productive global teams and launched numerous platform and data products. She holds a BA from Brown University and an MBA.
Lisa McCusker
Vice President of Engineering
Lisa McCusker, VP of Engineering, leads the engineering teams that develop Ellevation's products. With a decade of experience in Ed Tech, she holds a BS in Mathematics and an MS in Economics.
Leslie Thomas
Vice President of Sales and Account Management
Leslie Thomas, VP of Sales, leads teams driving new business and long-term partnerships. Her career in private and nonprofit sectors has focused on supporting underserved communities and equitable student outcomes. She holds a BA in Education and began as an educator.
Tyler McNally
Vice President of Customer Success
Tyler McNally, VP of Customer Success, leads teams ensuring districts launch quickly and realize ongoing value. He has deep expertise at the intersection of technology and client service. He holds a BA from Boston College and an MA in Education and MBA from Stanford University.
Winston Tuggle
Vice President of People
Winston Tuggle, VP of People, leads teams responsible for attracting, retaining, and developing a diverse and high-performing team. He has extensive experience leading HR teams in high-growth SaaS environments. He holds a BA from Trinity College and an MBA from Boston College.
Jordan Meranus
Co-Founder & Senior Advisor
Jordan Meranus, Co-Founder & Senior Advisor, has a rich background in education innovation. He co-founded Jumpstart and was a Partner at NewSchools Venture Fund. He holds a history degree from Duke and master's degrees in Education and Public Administration from Harvard.
Advisors
Our Instructional Advisory Board members are nationally recognized experts in the field of English language learning. We consult with these partners to develop research-based resources like rubrics, activities to facilitate student learning, and guidelines for realistic lesson implementation.
Dr. Tim Boals
Executive Director of WIDA
Dr. Tim Boals is the Executive Director of WIDA. He holds a Ph.D. in curriculum from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an emphasis in the education of ELs. His background includes language education, educational policy for ELs, and Spanish language and literature.
Dr. José Medina
Founder and Chief Educational Advocate of Dr. José Medina: Educational Solutions
Dr. José Medina, founder and Chief Educational Advocate at Dr. José Medina: Educational Solutions, provides dual language technical assistance, PD, and job-embedded support to dual language programs. He is a former dual language school principal and district leader.
Dr. Sonia Soltero
Chair of the Department of Leadership, Language, and Curriculum at DePaul University
Dr. Sonia W. Soltero, Professor and Chair at DePaul University, has 30+ years as a dual language teacher, university professor, professional developer, and researcher. She’s authored numerous works and has extensive experience in dual language program design and implementation.
John Seidlitz
Founder of Seidlitz Education
John Seidlitz, an independent educational consultant and author. He has been a member of the SIOP® National faculty and guest lecturer for many regional and national language development conferences. Mr. Seidlitz is a former social studies and ESL educator.
Jeff Zwiers
Senior Researcher at Stanford University
Jeff Zwiers is an author and senior researcher at Stanford focusing on improving the education of academic English learners. He co-directs the Academic Language Development Network, which focuses on accelerating students' literacy, language, cognition, and conversation skills.
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Dr. Tim Boals
Executive Director of WIDA
Dr. Tim Boals is the Executive Director of WIDA. He holds a Ph.D. in curriculum from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an emphasis in the education of ELs. His background includes language education, educational policy for ELs, and Spanish language and literature.
Dr. José Medina
Founder and Chief Educational Advocate of Dr. José Medina: Educational Solutions
Dr. José Medina, founder and Chief Educational Advocate at Dr. José Medina: Educational Solutions, provides dual language technical assistance, PD, and job-embedded support to dual language programs. He is a former dual language school principal and district leader.
Dr. Sonia Soltero
Chair of the Department of Leadership, Language, and Curriculum at DePaul University
Dr. Sonia W. Soltero, Professor and Chair at DePaul University, has 30+ years as a dual language teacher, university professor, professional developer, and researcher. She’s authored numerous works and has extensive experience in dual language program design and implementation.
John Seidlitz
Founder of Seidlitz Education
John Seidlitz, an independent educational consultant and author. He has been a member of the SIOP® National faculty and guest lecturer for many regional and national language development conferences. Mr. Seidlitz is a former social studies and ESL educator.
Jeff Zwiers
Senior Researcher at Stanford University
Jeff Zwiers is an author and senior researcher at Stanford focusing on improving the education of academic English learners. He co-directs the Academic Language Development Network, which focuses on accelerating students' literacy, language, cognition, and conversation skills.
