Dr. Melina Uncapher is the founder and CEO of SETA-ED, and a former university professor of educational neuroscience, most recently with labs at Stanford and UC San Francisco. She was a co-founder and Chief of R&D of AERDF, one of the premier education R&D nonprofits in the US. Uncapher has over two decades of experience in scientific research, technology development and engineering, data science, and data privacy and security. She brings together educators, researchers, and developers to co-create transformative solutions to problems of practice using rigorous science-of-learning insights and the wisdom of educators. Her academic publications have been cited over 4000 times, and are highlighted in outlets including the New York Times, PBS, and Frontline; her science outreach work includes a Script Supervisor role on PBS's ‘The Brain’, and an award-winning short film about the brain. She founded a multi-university network funded by the National Science Foundation to study how executive function skills develop in real-world classrooms and co-founded a science-for-good nonprofit that equips educators and students with practical tools based on learning science. She was also funded by the National Institutes for Health to study how technology use is associated with developmental changes in student cognition. She earned her PhD in Neurobiology from the University of California, Irvine and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Stanford University.

Dr. Imani Masters Goffney is the Chief Academic Officer of SETA-ED and an Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Maryland- College Park. She earned her MA in Curriculum Development and PhD in Mathematics Education and Teaching and Teacher Education both from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on mathematics instruction and on interventions designed to improve its quality and effectiveness, especially for students not traditionally served well by our educational system. In particular, she studies the ways in which teachers use mathematical knowledge for teaching in equitable ways. Her research contributes to a growing body of work that strives to better understand the role of content knowledge for improving student achievement and expands an understanding of how issues of race, culture, and social class intersect with students’ opportunities for learning mathematics. She currently leads research projects with funding from NSF and private foundations. She recently co-edited a book published by NCTM entitled, Re-humanizing Mathematics for Black, Indigenous, and Latinx Students (2018). She is an active member in AERA, NCTM, and AMTE serving in leadership roles for each of these organizations.

Ivy Sandberg is SETA-ED’s Chief Operating Officer. Ivy is a data scientist by training, with dual degrees in Statistics and Economics. As a data scientist and technical project manager for Data Machines Corp. she has developed ML tools and performed testing and evaluation of ML/AI developments for R&D programs at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Through her support of R&D programs in both the DoD and the education space, she has experienced first-hand the need for data governance, ethical frameworks, and strategies for implementing privacy and security by design, that are specific for R&D initiatives. While still an active contributor to data science projects, Ivy has pivoted her focus towards building ethical R&D infrastructures supportive of data science work, particularly for research domain areas that are often working with sensitive data (e.g., education, medical or defense programs). Ivy’s technical and engineering skillset maps the legal, privacy and ethical frameworks into technical and automated solutions to advance R&D for education.

Kidus Mezgebu is an accomplished education leader with a robust background in behavioral science and education policy. With over a decade of experience, Kidus has significantly impacted K-12 and higher education. At the Advanced Education Research Development Fund, he developed and implemented strategies to enhance educator engagement. His tenure at EveryDay Labs saw him reduce chronic absenteeism by coordinating research and managing district partnerships, directly contributing to a reduction of over 150,000 absentee days. Kidus's commitment to educational equity is further evidenced by his work with the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Teacher Residencies, and COSEBOC, where he developed policies and provided strategic recommendations. He has also served as a lecturer and teaching fellow at Harvard, supporting courses on race equity, leadership, and behavioral economics. Kidus holds a Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) and a Master’s in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he was honored with the Tina Hansar Education Equity Award. Kidus completed his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Denison University as a Posse Foundation Scholar. His research experience includes conducting a randomized controlled trial at the Harvard Kennedy School and exploring stereotype threat during his undergraduate studies. Driven by a passion for behavioral science and its application in education, Kidus continues to seek innovative solutions to systemic challenges. His dedication is fueled by the sacrifices of his parents and the transformative educational opportunities he received, inspiring him to create equitable access for future generations.

Dr. Osoba began her career abroad, managing pioneering healthcare research projects and establishing research governance and ethics protocols. Dr. Osoba later transitioned to the United States, working in both the higher education sector and as a special education specialist. As a certified educator and therapist, Dr. Osoba is passionate about supporting innovators in addressing challenges faced by educators, students, and the education sector. Her focus is on removing barriers to successful educational outcomes by strategically scaling innovative solutions. Outside of her professional work, Dr. Osoba organizes trail races and leads hikes, promoting an active outdoor lifestyle and connection with nature. Her academic credentials include a doctoral degree in Applied Epidemiology and graduate degrees in Public Health and Business Administration.

Isaac Johnson is the Director of Finance of SETA-Ed. His responsibilities include all aspects of financial management of the organization. Isaac brings to the role over a decade of public accounting and financial management experience working with a variety of closely held businesses. He is a partner at the accounting firm, Neff Sammons and Johnson.

Isaac is a certified public accountant and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from George Mason University.

Danielle Kristine Toussaint is a strategic advisor and partner to SETA-ED, specializing in translating complex scientific and technical information into clear, succinct, and actionable stakeholder communications. She is the founder of Purple Haus, a creative intelligence consultancy that develops comprehensive brand marketing and communications strategies tailored for clients advancing new frontiers in economic mobility, health, environment, education, workforce and technology.

She is also the founder and President of Dream Purple Foundation, the nonprofit partner organization to Purple Haus, that harnesses the power of human creativity and technology to bring people together and inspire the next generation of dreamers and doers. Her book, Dare to Think Purple, shares leadership insights and inspiring stories from impact-driven entrepreneurs and executives.

Over her twenty-year career, she has partnered with leaders at global organizations, national philanthropies, and local nonprofits to unlock the power of narrative change and strategic communications for the greater good. Previously, she founded the creative agency, She Thinks Purple, and led brand marketing, partnership development, and communications strategy as Chief External Affairs Officer for NewSchools Venture Fund, and executive advisor to AERDF, Communicator in Residence for Ascend at The Aspen Institute, and Managing Director of Marketing and Communications for both iMentor and KID Museum.

More recently, she held fractional executive leadership roles at The Knowledge House (a technology innovation nonprofit working to close the digital and economic divide) and TRAILS (a youth mental health organization focused on bridging systemic divides in public health and education).

Her writing has been featured in publications such as Huffington Post, Forbes.com, Business Insider, and TEDx. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and African American Studies from Yale University and an M.S.Ed from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Amelia Vance, a globally recognized expert in child and student privacy, is the Founder and President of the Public Interest Privacy Center and Consulting, and Chief Counsel of the Student and Child Privacy Center at AASA, the School Superintendents Association. In that capacity, she advises nonprofit organizations, policymakers, government agencies, and education practitioners and stakeholders on legal protections and actionable best practices to ensure the responsible use of child and student data. Amelia is also the co-chair of the Federal Education Privacy Coalition and an adjunct professor teaching U.S. and E.U. privacy and data protection at William & Mary Law School. She has authored multiple resources on student and child privacy.

Jessica Arciniega is Ethics and Privacy Counsel at Public Interest Privacy Consulting. She has four years of experience working in child and student privacy. She is a member of the Washington State Bar and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Seattle University and Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law.

John provides technical assistance and leads research projects with large-scale education ‘collaboratories’ and agencies including the Learning Engineering Virtual Institute, Advancing Innovative Math Solutions, and The Learning Agency. He also served as a Senior Fellow to the Institute for Education Statistics (IES), the largest federal education research agency in the United States. His work is focused on the analysis of ecologically valid and “big” data (e.g. process data, open-ended assessment responses) to improve the education opportunities provided to all students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. He collaborates with stakeholders to implement contemporary AI/ML data science methods into operational programs, expand access and usability of data, and support the creation of talent development programs to help expand the use of these programs in the field. Open science principles and practices inform much of his work. An education researcher by training, John holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from UC Davis, a Master’s Degree in Sociocultural Anthropology from UC Davis, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy & Honors Studies from Central Connecticut State University. He is also co-chair of the AI in Measurement Subcommittee of the National Council of Measurement in Education.

Data expert and founder/executive chairman of Data Machines Corp.

Bill Fitzgerald is a Privacy and Security Advisor for SETA-ED and a founding member of the team. He is the Open Source Product Manager at the Global Cyber Alliance, was the Director of Research and Development for AERDF and a privacy researcher in the Digital Lab at Consumer Reports, where he worked on cross functional teams designing research frameworks and building tools to simplify and streamline privacy and security research and reporting.

Bill's first job was a K12 teacher and technology director, where he taught students English, History, and Technology. Bill planned and supported 1:1 laptop initiatives in the late nineties and early aughts. Because of this work, Bill was able to observe and develop innovative uses of technology in his own classes with students who were not shy about providing direct feedback about what worked and what didn't.

After teaching for 16 years, Bill founded an open source software development company that worked primarily with educational and non-profit organizations. His company supported organizations committed to building communities of learners, authoring and distributing openly licensed content, and respecting learner privacy.

When Bill is not online, he can often be found grilling delicious food, drinking good coffee, or riding his bicycle.