Accelerator
Accelerator
2022 Yass Prize Virtual Accelerator Industry Experts
All 2022 Yass Prize Applicants are invited to an exclusive three-week virtual accelerator which will help them coalesce to learn from one another as well as entrepreneurs, technology leaders and investors. We are thrilled to introduce our 2022 Yass Prize experts.

Dre Bennin
Managing Partner, ReThink Education

Rob Blevins
Executive Director, Discovery Center of Springfield

Linda Brown
Former CEO, Building Excellent Schools

Joy Chen
Entrepreneur In Residence, GSV Ventures

Renee Delos Santos
Marcom Lead, The Times Group

Colleen Dippel
CEO, Families Empowered

Sharif El-Mekki
CEO, The Center for Black Educator Development

Isabelle Hau
Executive Director, Stanford Transforming Learning Accelerator

Michael Horn
Chair, The Clayton Christensen Institute

Kelly King
CEO, StartEd

Dana Lambert
CEO, GlobalEd Solutions

Randall Lane
Chief Content Officer & Editor, Forbes

Shari Lawrence
Partner, Transcend Education

Phyllis Lockett
CEO, LEAP Innovations

Roger Love
All-Star Voice Coach, Voiceplace

Michael Moe
Founder and CEO, GSV

Dr. Archie Moss, Jr.
School Design Partner, Transcend Education

Okie Nwakanma
Partner, Transcend Education

Stefin Pasternak
Co-Founder, Living School

Ceci Schickel
Senior Director of Organizing and Advocacy, Mastery Charter Schools

Carl Schramm
Professor, Syracuse University

Mandela Schumacher-Hodge
CEO, All Raise

Tony Simmons
Executive Director, High School for Recording Arts

Brian Smith
Principal, Catalyst Academy Charter School

Sue Walsh
Former Chief Academic Officer, Building Excellent Schools

Lakisha Young
Founder & CEO, Oakland REACH
We used the Yass Prize to launch a program called Skypod catalyst, which is essentially an accelerator to help other people start microschools.
We believe very much that microschools should be bottoms up, they come from the community. They're founded by educators who know their community really well. And they want to design a learning environment for the kids in that community.
The foundation of any society is a good education.
Everyone knows that without great education, our nation suffers.
Great education is a vital link for students to become successful citizens.
Having the status of Yass Prize Semifinalist has opened doors that we’ve been knocking on for years,
including public recognition from our Governor and partnership conversations with other education innovators from around the country.
We have a tremendously transformative model that could stand for a little disruption.
The Yass experience has given us “permission” to do exactly that.
It might be the first time you’re speaking where everyone is actually listening and cares about what you’re doing.
I don’t think I’ve been in a room as supportive as the Yass Prize Semifinalist room in Miami.
The Yass Prize has significantly impacted the trajectory of our organization.
When we originally applied, we simply provided supplemental support services to homeschooling families. Now, we are growing into an education network that provides community, coaching, and curriculum nationwide.
If you're committed to wanting to be one of the change makers of the future in education, I believe that this is a place for you.
Not only because of the capital, but because of the knowledge that comes by communing with the diverse group of people as opposed to everybody that thinks the exact same way that you might think.
Being a part of the [Yass] family confirmed that what I'm doing is right,
focusing on what we know is important for kids really works, and having a network of people now that also agree was super huge.
Believe in your mission… Ground yourself… Never give up…
Being a part of the [Yass] family confirmed that what I'm doing is right,
going against the common core and focusing on what we know is important for kids really works, and having a network of people now that also agree was super huge.
Because of the Yass Prize, we were able to add an additional pre-K classroom.