Unlocking Student Potential: New CZI Report Looks Back on Eight Years

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CZI | How We Support Education

We are a team of builders. We partner deeply with educators, researchers and youth to build tools and supports to unlock the full potential of every student, no matter who they are or where they live. Our work brings tech-building and grantmaking together to address everyday challenges teachers and students face in the classroom.

Six students pose together outside Thurgood Marshall Academy in Washington, D.C. (Whole Child, Education, CZI).
Students pose outside Thurgood Marshall Academy in Washington, D.C. | Photograph by Ann-Marie VanTassell
Students pose outside Thurgood Marshall Academy in Washington, D.C. | Photograph by Ann-Marie VanTassell
Teacher sitting at a desk and helping students with their work in the classroom
Photograph courtesy of Van Ness Elementary School
Photograph courtesy of Van Ness Elementary School

Building the Future of Education

CZI brings educators and researchers into our product development to build tools that address challenges in our schools. Education technology is most successful when it is grounded in research and educators are engaged as co-creators. That’s why we start with what the science of learning and development tells us about how kids learn best and partner with practicing educators throughout the product development process. We also engage youth — as well as learning experts at organizations that offer diverse perspectives on education — to ensure our tools address everyday challenges in schools and help educators across the country enhance learning and foster connections.

Our EdTech Innovation Studio

RenderRender is our education technology innovation studio whose teams of designers, engineers and researchers work directly with teachers and school leaders early and often in the product development process, incorporating the unique insights they hold around learning to co-build impactful solutions for K–12th grades.

Given the rapid adoption of generative AI in education, we are thoughtfully exploring how to incorporate artificial intelligence into tools in partnership with researchers, experts and educators. We believe that the key to harnessing the promise of AI in education is to co-develop solutions with educators and researchers that are academically rigorous, responsibly made, and effective.

Our Product

We are committed to building tools that help educators unlock the full potential of every student — no matter who they are or where they live.

Along One of our products is Along, a tool to help teachers and students make connections that lead to better conversations and thriving classrooms. We co-built Along with key partners including Gradient Learning, a nonprofit organization founded and led by educators, and crafted the reflection questions based on the research by and input from many expert partners.

We Believe

  • Technology can play an important role in bringing research-based practices to life in the classroom.

  • Any solution must be designed and built alongside educators because they hold firsthand insights into learning. Co-building with these educators is key to developing ed-tech products that are rooted in real challenges in the classroom, and that provide actionable, effective solutions.

  • Building effective tools requires bringing learning scientists, educators and other experts together with technologists to solve shared problems. A collaborative approach ensures that research informs design, development and testing so that the product is accessible to teachers and improves student outcomes.

  • Privacy matters. We are committed to protecting personal information, so we’ve implemented rigorous privacy policies, signed the Student Privacy Pledge, and encourage all our partners to do the same.

Education unlocks opportunity and agency that can change the trajectory of a family for generations.

SANDRA LIU HUANG

Meet Our Team

Raymonde Charles, vice president of communication for education and ventures, in conversation with Jared Joiner, director of practice to product at CZI. | Photograph by Carla Dano-Arango
Raymonde Charles, vice president of communication for education and ventures, in conversation with Jared Joiner, director of practice to product at CZI. | Photograph by Carla Dano-Arango
Raymonde Charles, vice president of communication for education and ventures, in conversation with Jared Joiner, director of practice to product at CZI. | Photograph by Carla Dano-Arango

Meet Our Team

four education professionals standing, smiling
Prateek Kotak, vice president of education technology; Kristin Vincent, education product design director; Alex Gibbons, director of engineering; and Sandra Liu Huang, CZI’s head of education.
Prateek Kotak, vice president of education technology; Kristin Vincent, education product design director; Alex Gibbons, director of engineering; and Sandra Liu Huang, CZI’s head of education.

We believe that we need to take a whole child approach to education. One that honors the humanity of every teacher and student, and takes an equitable approach to each student reaching their full potential.

Priscilla Chan, CZI Co-Founder and Co-CEO.
Priscilla Chan
Lesley Kao, director of education product management, and Jessamy Almquist, senior manager of practice to product collaborating during a co-design workshop at CZI. | Photograph by Carla Dano-Arango
Lesley Kao, director of education product management, and Jessamy Almquist, senior manager of practice to product collaborating during a co-design workshop at CZI. | Photograph by Carla Dano-Arango
Lesley Kao, director of education product management, and Jessamy Almquist, senior manager of practice to product collaborating during a co-design workshop at CZI. | Photograph by Carla Dano-Arango

Leadership

Sandra Liu Huang Head of Education & Vice President, Product
Kate Brousseau CURRICULUM & SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT SENIOR DIRECTOR, EDUCATION
Raymonde Charles Vice President of Communications, Education & Ventures
Alex Gibbons PRINCIPAL SOFTWARE ENGINEER, EDUCATION
Helen Hwang STRATEGIC PRODUCT MARKETING SENIOR DIRECTOR, EDUCATION
Jared Joiner Director, Practice to Product
Lesley Kao DIRECTOR, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, EDUCATION
Gabriela López SENIOR Director, Research To Practice
Amrita Ray DIRECTOR, DATA SCIENCE, EDUCATION
Meagan Ryan DIRECTOR, PRODUCT DESIGN, EDUCATION
Kristin Vincent SENIOR DIRECTOR, PRODUCT, DESIGN & USER RESEARCH, EDUCATION
Cynthia Wong SENIOR DIRECTOR, EDUCATION OPERATIONS

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