Our Team
Interested in a role a Step Up? Apply here!
Sam Olivieri
Chief Executive Officer
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Sam brings to Step Up more than a decade of experience in leadership roles expanding access to opportunity through education across the PreK-career continuum. Sam was Senior Principal at Guild Education and Partner at Entangled Solutions, where she worked with entrepreneurs to scale impact in education. Prior to Entangled, she was the Chief Strategy Officer for GreatSchools, a national nonprofit that reaches over half of all parents of school-age children in America. Sam started her career as a special education teacher and has worked on school improvement initiatives at the district, state, and national levels. She received her BA from Pomona College and MPP from UCLA. Her passion for education stems from her formative experiences in the classroom, where she learned the power of young people’s ingenuity, talents, and passion.
Maria Anaya
Chief Academic and Innovation Officer
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Maria brings over 15 years of experience in educational technology, teaching and learning to Step Up Tutoring. Maria was Director of Teaching and Learning at Global Citizen Year and Director of Curriculum and Assessment at Summit Learning where she designed and scaled innovative curriculum and instruction solutions impacting thousands of students across the globe. Before Summit, Maria worked in educational technology at Pearson Education as well several non-profits. Maria began her career as a TFA Corps Member in East San Jose teaching middle school math and science. Maria earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from Stanford University, a M.Ed. in technology, innovation, and education from Harvard University, and a M.Ed. in educational leadership from the Broad Center. Her passion for learning stems from her parents, who immigrated from Mexico, and instilled in her the power of education as a means of choice and freedom.
Kara O’Toole
Chief Operating Officer
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Kara O’Toole brings business acumen and operational strength to her role as Step Up Tutoring’s Chief Operating Officer. She holds over 25 years of executive management, operations, customer service, sales, marketing and finance experience in fast-paced companies, including the following education companies: StudyPoint, PrepNow and CollegeVine. Prior to her leadership roles in education, Kara was Chief Operating Officer of Grand Circle Corporation where she was responsible for a $700M international organization of over 2,000 employees worldwide. Kara earned her B.S. degree from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. The importance of education was instilled in her by her father, a high school guidance counselor and her sister, a TFA alum and high school English teacher.
Daniel Halper
Co-Founder and Head of Product
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In June of 2020, Daniel helped start Step Up Tutoring after reading about the pandemic's enormous impact on students' education and wellbeing. He had both prior experience and a passion for educating children from under-resourced communities so getting involved seemed like an easy decision! His most memorable teacher was his Kindergarten teacher, Mr. Jacobson. He taught Daniel how to tie his shoes and stay seated in a chair without tipping over.
Theo Frechette
Director of Operations Technology
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Theo believes in the power of education to open hearts and minds which has led him to spend his energy helping to educate underserved communities. He has a background in operations and experience working in start up environments. He holds a B.A. from Brown University in Classics and Philosophy. Theo has been a tutor with Step Up since Summer 2021. In 4th grade his teacher Mrs. Whitters introduced him to the world of Ancient Greece and Greek Mythology that so inspired him, he spent the next decade studying Classics and unearthing ancient civilizations through their poetry and writing.
Charmaine Ho
Onboarding Program Manager
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Charmaine has over 15 years of account management and client service experience in the advertising and communications industries for global Fortune 500 companies and start-ups. In her employee comms role, she connected an audience of 55,000+ employees to people, activities and information to help build community and inspire excitement for their workplace. She started as a tutor with Step Up Tutoring in the fall of 2020. Charmaine is also a self-proclaimed bibliophagist, so please send all book recommendations her way! She had a high school teacher that always seemed to have an abundance of knowledge and interest in different topics - he taught students the importance of being curious and Charmaine has been asking endless questions ever since!
Krissy Reyes
Onsite Online (OSOL) Program Manager
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For Krissy, the joy of learning has never stopped, and she aspires to share that joy with all students. She received a Bachelors in English and Theater from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters in Education from Fordham University. She was an English teacher in New York City for 4 years and has worked in customer education and project management in the edtech industry. Her favorite teacher was Ms. Hunter who made learning fun by performing plays in class and hosting student poetry readings.
Haripriya Valayaputtur
Data Manager
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Haripriya is deeply committed to fairness and equity in education and believes that collaborating with communities is essential for achieving high-quality education for all. With a strong background in data science and learning sciences, Haripriya has over 7 years of experience in various areas of education - from teaching and instructional design to test development and data analysis. She made a career switch to education from consulting years ago to join an EdTech firm in India and has never looked back. Haripriya holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from BITS Pilani University (Goa) and an MSEd in Learning Sciences and Technologies from the University of Pennsylvania. Her love for education stems from her mother, who is a math teacher, and with whom she spent many summers finding creative ways to solve problems in geometry!
Alina Lopez
Family Engagement & Student Enrollment Manager
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Alina brings the experience of working for the largest school district in Nebraska for 13 years. Passionate about youth mentorship and advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging(DEIB). She has worked within the community for over 15 years and has started a grassroots community organizing organization from the ground. Alina is a certified mediator and project manager. Graduate from the University of Nebraska, Omaha with a triple major in Sociology, English, and Criminal Justice, and a minor in Chicano/Latino Studies. When she is not working, Alina loves spending time with her five children traveling to teach them cultural diversity & awareness and watching her son play soccer.
Nati Rodriguez
Co-Founder and Board Member
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Nati’s mission is to increase success, education, and work opportunities for all learners. As a former teacher, tutor, and edtech consultant, Nati is finely attuned to the changing dynamics of the k-12 education ecosystem. She currently serves as Program Director of Annenberg Learner and hosts The Annenberg Learner Podcast, which tracks the lived experience of educators through conversations that inspire, recognize, and encourage innovation in the field. Nati received her B.S. and M.Ed. from Stanford University and her MBA from UT Austin.
Lisa Elson
Director of Community Outreach
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Lisa brings management and outreach experience from working as a consultant to political campaigns and nonprofit organizations. She is passionate about equity in education and is constantly inspired by volunteers who devote time to help others. Lisa has worked as a tutor/mentor to elementary school students both in person and virtually. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Her lifetime love of learning and dedication to helping students was inspired by her Mother, who was a teacher.
Julia Axelrod
Senior Experience Manager
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Julia cares deeply about equity in education as a pathway to opportunity. She joined Step Up in the fall of 2020 to manage the rapidly growing first cohort of tutors, among other responsibilities. She brings experience working with students in teaching, tutoring, and mentorship capacities, as well as experience in program design and operations and volunteer management. She holds a B.A. in Bioethics from Stanford University. One teacher she'll always remember is Mr. Shelby; not only would he randomly bark like a dog during class but, more importantly, he taught Julia to be confident, fully commit to decisions, take risks, and enjoy the ride.
Ellen Mulvihill
Student Onboarding Manager
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Ellen is in pursuit of providing equitable educational resources to young learners, with a special interest in education technology. She holds a B.A. in Cinema and Television Arts from CSUN and M.A. in Education: Human Development and Psychology from UCLA. As a former filmmaker, English as a Forign Language teacher, tutor, literacy intervention coordinator, and children’s media researcher, Ellen is constantly looking for innovative ways to support the students of today. She thanks the wonderful teachers and mentors she has had who have helped shape her into a forever student of life.
Maricela Trevino
Curriculum and Instruction Manager
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Maricela has served in the field of education for over 15 years as a teacher, tutor, and assessment writer. She earned her B.A. in Chican/o Studies and M.Ed. in Math Teaching from Stanford University. She also holds a Montessori certification in Early Childhood. She is a firm believer in the saying, “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, we should teach the way they learn.” The elementary teacher who influenced Maricela the most was Mrs. Garcia. When Maricela's mom advocated for more rigorous classes for Maricela, Mrs. Garcia supported the push. This resulted in Maricela skipping a grade and forever changed her educational trajectory.
Beth Marmino
Senior Manager, Tutor Delivery
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Beth brings over 10 years of experience in education working in both public and international schools, where she has developed a deep conviction that education should be a right and not a privilege. She holds a History degree from the University of Colorado and a Masters in Teaching from Seattle Pacific University. She took her passion for mentoring others from the classroom to the corporate world when she became a Team Manager at Stitch Fix, working with the retail-tech company from its start-up days to helping launch its international office in London. While she has been blessed with many wonderful teachers along her own education journey, her 9th grade history teacher taught her the importance of understanding how our past shapes our future.
Thayer Frechette
Experience Manager
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Thayer believes education is the most important tool in fighting inequities in our communities. He previously worked in customer service at a start-up, and most recently was a mentor at a youth support group. He graduated from Georgetown with a B.A. in government and a minor in Spanish. He’s been a tutor at Step Up since Fall 2021. In the 7th grade he had a Spanish teacher whose support and encouragement pushed him to study abroad and help shape his fondness of Spanish literature.
Atiya Davis
Experience Manager
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Atiya has over 5 years of experience in education working closely with children from impoverished neighborhoods. As a former Montessori Administrator, she understands the importance of “enriching the whole child” and meeting the students where they are. Atiya holds a B.A. in Psychology from Hunter College. Her passion lies heavily in bridging the gap in educational inequality and ending the stigma on youth mental health for students in underserved communities.
Gabriella Schneider
Development Director
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Gabriella brings over five years of development experience, having previously run an individual fundraising operation at a prominent think tank based in Washington, DC. With a particular focus on major gift cultivation, Gabriella is passionate about developing genuine relationships with supporters and connecting them with transformative nonprofits that are driving effective change for the causes they care about. Gabriella is thrilled to be raising funds to close the educational achievement gap and create increased opportunity and pathways to success for students. Gabriella holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law from the University of Richmond. She is grateful to have had many formative teachers in her life, including her high school AP English teacher who (now retired) still hosts their original class for annual dinners around the holidays.
Board Members:
Janet Carter
CEO, Coaching Corp
Howard Gordon
President, Teakwood Lane Productions; Emmy Award Winning Television Writer and Producer
Stephanie Graves
President & CEO, Lee Andrews Group; Central City Association, Chair; Vision to Learn, Advisory Board
Jamie Halper
Chair and Co-Founder, Step Up Tutoring; Chair, Owl Rock Opportunity Fund
Lynn Jacobson
Former Board Chair, Teach for America Los Angeles
Jake Neuberg
Co-Founder, Revolution Prep
Nati Rodriguez
Program Director, Annenberg Learner; Co-Founder, Step Up Tutoring
Deborah Stipek
Stanford University Professor & Former Dean of Stanford Graduate School of Education
Meet the Team at one of our info sessions!
We would love to answer any questions you might have.