Kat Aquino
Director, Data Science & Analytics
Catherine Catrone
Community Impact Coordinator
Aysha Dos
Chief of Staff
Tara Droz
Operations Manager
Our team is dynamic and diverse with backgrounds stemming from consulting, engineering, sales, education, marketing and data science. We are all here because we believe that access to the Internet is a requirement for access to opportunity.
Kat is EducationSuperHighway’s Data Science and Analytics Manager and works to elevate data science practice and ensure analyses are performed and delivered as impactful insights to our partners and policymakers.
Prior to EducationSuperHighway, Kat was a Data Scientist at Veritas creating predictive models on customer churn and sales, and created natural language processing models at Elastica (now Symantec), and taught as instructional staff at UC Berkeley Extension Data Analytics Boot Camp. Before transitioning as a Data Scientist, Kat started as a public school high school teacher and was a non-profit director leading programs helping low-income students prepare and succeed in their higher education pursuits. Kat graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Physics and from Galvanize/University of New Haven with an M.S. in Data Science.
Catherine is EducationSuperHighway’s Community Outreach Coordinator on the Apartment Wi-Fi team. Her primary function is to build relationships with apartment building owner groups and provide free Wi-Fi access to tenants who are impacted by the digital divide.
Catherine brings a variety of skills from her previous non-profit experience including fundraising, advocacy, and educational workshop facilitation. She volunteers for an organization that provides services to the transgender and gender nonconforming community on Long Island, New York. Catherine received her BS in Human Services with a minor in Psychology from St. Joseph’s College. In her free time, Catherine enjoys crocheting gifts for her loved ones and spending time with her partner.
Aysha Dos (she/her/ella) is the Chief of Staff at EducationSuperHighway. In this role, she leads the non-profit’s strategic planning, company effectiveness, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work, and talent development.
Prior to EducationSuperHighway, Aysha worked in higher education as an educator facilitating leadership development, transition programs, and student advocacy. Outside of work, Aysha spends her free time traveling, reading, cooking, and exploring her city with her family. She earned a Doctorate in Education from the University of Georgia, a Master of Science in Higher Education: Student Affairs from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Florida.
As the Operations Manager, Tara keeps our office running day to day and is passionate about creating an excellent employee experience. Before joining EducationSuperHighway, Tara worked in various industries ranging from hospitality to tech to financial services. When she is not working, you can find Tara trying a new recipe or on a yoga mat.
Marcela is a National Partnerships Manager at Education Superhighway. She is passionate about the education sector and leveling the playing field for underserved students. She strongly believes in the power of cross sector partnerships and enjoys working with people of diverse backgrounds.
Previously, Marcela was the Manager of Community Engagement at Rocketship Education in the East Bay Region. In this role she was responsible for harnessing the support of the community, from families to political influencers, to promote the approval and launch a new school to serve the Monument Corridor families.
Marcela holds an MBA/MA in Education Leadership from Mills College and a BA in Biology from the same institution. During her free time she enjoys baking and spending time outdoors with her husband and 2 children.
Torri is a Marketing Manager at EducationSuperHighway. She comes with an array of experience in communications and community outreach, but the most impactful time spent in her career to date has been teaching in the classroom. In her most recent role at DC Water, she was responsible for managing strategic K-12 partnerships and community stakeholder engagement through the Office of Marketing & Communications.
A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Torri is a proud HBCU graduate holding a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) from Xavier University of New Orleans, Louisiana.
In her free time, Torri enjoys travel, writing, crafting, and thrifting.
As a National Partnerships Manager, Julian works to manage relationships with Internet Service Providers to help improve internet access for under-resourced households across the country.
Working to create more equity in education has been at the core of Julian’s career. Prior to EducationSuperHighway, Julian worked as an ESL teacher and as a Partnership Manager/Account Manager for education technology startups. Outside of work, you can find Julian on the soccer field, biking through San Francisco, and searching for the best sushi restaurant.
Aaron is a versatile professional with a background in nonprofit fundraising, sales, and entrepreneurship. As Owner/Operator of a restaurant in St. Thomas, VI, he demonstrated strong leadership and achieved notable success.
With a decade of experience in nonprofit fundraising and sales, Aaron made significant contributions to various organizations. As a Sales Representative, he successfully secured new account revenue.
Passionate about community impact, Aaron played an active role in mentoring programs, providing valuable support to participants. Outside of work, he enjoys engaging in his hobbies, particularly playing disc golf and attending sporting events.
Aaron holds a B.A. in Speech Communication from Colorado State University, and his quick learning and adaptability are strong assets. He aspires to leverage his skills and passion for helping underserved communities as a Community Impact Coordinator.
Jessalyn is a Director of Marketing at EducationSuperHighway. She comes to the organization with more than 10 years of experience designing data-driven marketing strategies and implementing successful multi-channel campaigns. In her most recent role as Director of Enrollment Marketing at the University of Miami, she led all marketing and communications efforts to prospective students and families.
A native of Miami, Florida, Jessalyn holds a B.A. in communications and masters in Liberal Studies from the University of Miami. Outside of work, Jessalyn is a sociable introvert with a love for travel, art, music, and oysters.
Michael is a Data Analyst on the Analytics team, working to support various branches of the organization with key data insights.Before coming to EducationSuperHighway, Michael developed math curriculum for Success Academy Charter schools in New York City and taught high school math in Nampa, Idaho, as a Teach for America corps Member. He holds an M.A. from Boise State University in Curriculum & Instruction and a B.A. from Northwestern University in Math and Philosophy.Outside of work, Michael enjoys climbing, ultimate frisbee, and playing guitar.
Andy leads EducationSuperHighway’s marketing and communications initiatives, raising awareness of our tools and programs and driving our key audiences and strategic partners to action. Andy has nearly 20 years of experience leading marketing, communications, and fundraising teams in NGOs and nonprofits in the U.S. and U.K.
With a strong emphasis on digital and customer engagement, Andy has extensive experience developing multi-channel marketing and communication campaigns for critical social issues such as education, poverty eradication, social and economic justice. Andy holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of York and is certified by the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
AJ is a Marketing Manager at EducationSuperHighway. She joins the organization with over 7 years of collegiate marketing and outreach experience. Her background includes management of campus life initiatives, facilitating a for-credit course on student success, major event planning, and campaign development for wellbeing programs. In her most recent role at UNC Charlotte, she was responsible for the content creation and communication strategy of the Health & Wellbeing unit.A native of Galax, Virginia, AJ is a proud ’Hoo holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from the University of Virginia and a Master’s in Business Administration from the College of William and Mary.In her free time, AJ enjoys going on adventures with her family, playing with her two dogs, reading, and painting for fun.
Jenny began working with EducationSuperHighway in early 2016 on the State Engagement Team. She is a proud born-and-raised Hoosier and did her undergrad at Indiana University. She also holds a M.S. in Statistics from Stanford University. Jenny is an Obama Campaign Alum, and a passion for leveling the playing field for all is what drives her work every day.
Jenny used to have hobbies but now has two young children. She lives in Boulder with her husband, kids and two cats.
Jack is the Chief Operating Officer at EducationSuperHighway. Prior to serving in this role, Jack led EducationSuperHighway’s State Engagement Team, responsible for building partnerships with leaders in state government to help them improve broadband connectivity for K-12 schools. Outside of ESH, Jack volunteers for a nonprofit, community-based internet service provider in Baltimore, MD.
He began his career as a hardware engineer at Cisco Systems but was driven to make a career change by a strong belief in the power of Internet access to advance opportunity. Jack holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Bree is Director, Broadband Adoption & Advocacy at EducationSuperHighway and brings her partnership management background and a passionate dedication to equal educational opportunity and access to help support and scale ESH’s Broadband Adoption Program. Most recently, as Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Madison Metropolitan School District, she was tasked with aligning the support of community organizations with the district’s goals and priorities.
She has also worked for United Way of Dane County as Assistant Director of Strategic Collaborations and as Director of Community Impact – Academic Success, managing K-12 academic programming, funding and partnerships, and monitoring and evaluating programmatic outcomes. She has an MS in Global Affairs from NYU and a BA from Franklin and Marshall College in PA with Government and Spanish majors and an International Affairs concentration.
Although Natalia has taken an unconventional path into Graphic Design she has been able to gather many skills that strengthens her as a designer. She holds a Bachelor in Social Work, which has instilled the power of listening and communication, and gave her the ability to be a strong visual communicator. Shortly after moving to California, she changed career paths into a creative Marketing role. Marketing has helped her to understand the importance of brand identity, the customer journey, the power of data and analytics, and how design plays a huge role in all of that. She finally followed her true passion into design where she has the ability to design through a marketing perspective and deliver great results, designs with the customer in mind, and loves collaborating with others to make sure the design is brought to life effectively. Graphic design has always been a therapeutic outlet for her. She loves getting lost in the design process and seeing it through from start to finish. She is a sucker for great typography and loves collaborating with client’s to bring their vision to life.
Evan Marwell is Founder and CEO of EducationSuperHighway, the leading non-profit focused on closing the digital divide in America’s most unconnected communities. In eight years, EducationSuperHighway closed the digital divide in America’s K-12 schools – connecting nearly 47 million students in 99.7% of America’s classrooms to high-speed broadband. To accomplish this, Evan secured commitments from 85 governors from all 50 states to upgrade their schools for the 21st century and $2.5 billion per year of federal funding to make these commitments a reality.
A recipient of the San Francisco Chronicle’s Visionary of the Year award and a serial entrepreneur, Evan launched companies over the last 25 years in the telecom, software, and hedge fund industries. Evan is an honors graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, board chair of myAgro, a board member at Direct Relief and Recidiviz, and a co-founder of Ignite! Reading, a Zoom-based K-3 reading tutoring program.
Grace is a Senior Campaign Partnership Manager at EducationSuperHighway.
Grace enjoys working with stakeholders to identify their vision, then bring that vision to life. In her previous work, Grace facilitated strategic planning, program implementation and led various events and trainings. She hopes to utilize those experiences in this new role. Her driving force in her career is to ensure equitable access to opportunities in different communities.
Morgan Pickens is EducationSuperHighway’s People Operations Manager. As the People Operations Manager, Morgan oversees and supports employee engagement, productivity, and works to create a positive employee experience.
As a former inner-city high school educator, Morgan is extremely passionate and excited about EducationSuperHighway’s mission. Morgan earned her B.B.A. in International Business from UofH and her M.B.A. in Human Resource Management from LSU. Go Coogs! Geaux Tigers!
In her spare time, Morgan enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling to foreign countries & trying traditional dishes, tutoring students with special abilities, and learning foreign languages.
Abbey Roudebush currently serves as the Director, Government Affairs & Policy at EducationSuperHighway. With nearly a decade of experience, she started work on the state level in New York lobbying for a variety of issues before moving to Washington, DC where she switched gears to focus on federal policy. Abbey has previously worked for the Epilepsy Foundation of America and Americans for Safe Access as a government affairs professional. In her career, Abbey has crafted state legislation that has become law in more than half the states (so far!), secured additional appropriations for government programs, and has worked within all branches of government to advance policy goals. In her free time, you can find Abbey trying to learn a new craft or skill, or hanging out with her cat, Gunner.
Erin is a Senior Campaign Partnership Manager with the Government Affairs Team at EducationSuperHighway. Erin brings her background in program management, strategic planning facilitation, and experience in higher education to her role.
In her previous work at GreenerU and at Brown University, Erin facilitated strategic planning, led reporting efforts and data collection, built community engagement programming and tools, and led education efforts. Before her time at Brown, she worked in energy management at Johnson & Wales University and volunteered as an Agroforestry Extension Agent in Senegal, West Africa, with the Peace Corps. Erin also co-founded a service dog nonprofit in her hometown and has volunteered for a variety of initiatives to support community members and increase awareness of available educational, sustainability, and wellness services.
Erin has a BA in Government and Environmental Studies from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Tony is a General Manager on the EducationSuperHighway Apartment Wi-Fi team. Tony uses his previous experience advocating for social justice and building community broadband networks to support communities to connect to affordable, high-speed broadband.
Tony began his career as a music engineer and producer, which led him to become a visiting artist in New York City schools. Realizing his real passion was working with and supporting young people, Tony shifted his focus to education, continuing to work in schools and community nonprofits, first volunteering and then joining the staff at the Red Hook Initiative (RHI). At RHI, Tony created various leadership, media production and technology training programs and collaborated with local young adults to establish one of the first community WIFI networks in America, Red Hook WIFI. The success of Red Hook WIFI, especially as a resource during the recovery period after Hurricane Sandy led Tony to focus his work life on building community focused, resilient broadband networks. After enjoying 10 years with RHI, Tony joined HR&A’s Broadband team in NYC and subsequently the Metropolitan Area Planning Council Digital Equity team in Boston.
Tony received a BA in Studio Art from Wesleyan University and a MA in Education in the Learning, Design and Education program at Stanford University. Tony believes the most important type of network to build is a “real life” social network and so spends his time outside of work supporting his family and community, playing music, playing sports, and creating public art.
Joelle serves the Apartment Wi-Fi team as the Community Impact Manager where she manages the Community Impact team and leads ESH’s outreach efforts.
Joelle has spent her career serving students in crisis and underserved populations globally through study abroad programs, residential education, diversity, equity & inclusion training and workplace well-being consulting. In 2020 she founded her own company which aims to increase employee well-being through community care. As a long-term Grey’s Anatomy fan she wakes up every morning to the mantra, “It’s a beautiful day to change lives” Outside of work, Joelle enjoys exploring new cities on foot, hiking or leading yoga sculpt classes at Corepower Yoga.
Joelle has her BA in Political Science & Social Studies Education from West Chester University and her Masters in International Transcultural Studies from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Eric’s mission is to help maximize human freedoms through the equitable access to information. This mission began after venturing out of the lab as a computer programmer to understand the social impact behind the technology he was building. In pursuit of his mission before arriving at EducationSuperHighway, Eric has managed the deployment of sustainable computing solutions in Ethiopia and Cameroon and led internet infrastructure projects in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ghana.
You can find Eric hiking among California’s ecotones or jamming with his life partner on various musical instruments.
