February 7, 2019

Jonathan Almerido, Teacher LUCHA Elementary School, Alum Rock Union School District

Jonathan is a third, fourth, or fifth grade teacher at LUCHA Elementary, depending on the year. He spends much of his time thinking about the problems that adults create for the world and how he can give kids tools to think about and address those issues. His recent accomplishments include being a member of Krause Center for Innovation's MERIT and EMpowered programs, Silicon Valley CUE's 2019 nomination for Teacher of the Year, and getting through the day.

Wanny Hersey, Founder and Superintendent of Bullis Charter School

Wanny has been dedicated to transforming public education for over 30 years. Wanny’s career in public education includes teaching and administrative experience spanning elementary, middle, and high schools. Her initiatives have been highlighted in publications including Forbes, National Association of Elementary School Principals, EdSurge, and most recently, the Bank Street College’s Sustainable Funding Project’s report on BCS’s Associate Teacher Program entitled “Investing in Residencies, Improving Schools: How Principals Can Fund Better Teaching & Learning.” Wanny presently serves as a member of the P21 national Speakers’ Bureau, on the Advisory Board of Edleader21 PLC, and as an Education Advisor for Reach Capital. Wanny is a frequent contributor to educational panels, conferences, and trainings in the U.S. and abroad.

Helen Liew, Vice President of Marketing at Hawaiian Host, Inc.

Helen has nearly 20 years of experience in marketing and management positions with Accenture, The Hershey Company, Safeway, and Apio. She is currently the VP of Marketing at Hawaiian Host, Inc., responsible for the company’s global marketing strategy and initiatives, as well as leading the global product innovation for both Hawaiian Host^® and Mauna Loa^® brands. Helen’s background also includes training development, change management, and organizational development as part of her consultant role at Accenture. She holds a B.A. from University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Phil Ting, User Experience Developer at Oracle

Phil is a Silicon Valley native, and has worked with both startups and large enterprises. He is currently working as a software engineer, and also has a background in product design and user experience. Phil volunteers his time as a tutor at Mountain View High school, and also as a coach at Design Tech High School, guiding students on design thinking and prototyping.

Phil received his B.S. in Computer Science with Bioinformatics from UC San Diego.