PALO ALTO, Aug. 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Benetech, the leading software for social good nonprofit, today announced the launch of its newly formed strategic council of trusted advisors. This Advisory Council includes distinguished education, nonprofit and public sector industry leaders whose focus will be to shape and guide the output and reach of Benetech’s impact priorities, working closely with the executive management team and governing Board of Directors.
"I’m honored to have such an esteemed group of leaders, who are experts in their respective fields, share their valuable insights and perspectives in support of Benetech’s work,” said Christy Chin, Benetech Executive Chair and interim CEO. “With their input and guidance on strategic planning and execution, we can more equitably serve communities around the world. This council will help ensure that anyone -- from students to seniors -- who faces barriers to accessing information, can do so in the way that works best for them in order to achieve their goals and secure their future.”
Benetech Advisory Council members:
- Anthony Bloome is the Founder and Executive Director of the Mobiles for Education (mEducation) Alliance, a convening platform for edtech in developing countries. He previously served as Senior Education Technology Specialist at USAID where among activities he founded the All Children Reading: A Grand Challenge for Development.
- Betsy Beaumon is a social entrepreneur, advisor, author, and consultant who has been advocating for ethical and inclusive technology for over a decade. Beaumon is the former CEO of Benetech and has developed products to address inclusion, equity, and justice for marginalized communities across the globe.
- Ky Vu currently advises Outschool.org in executing its strategy to serve more low-income students of color. A former teacher and Special Assistant to the Superintendent and Director of State and Federal Programs for San Francisco Unified School District, he managed a portfolio of grants at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve teaching practices.
- Mark Wolfe is the former CEO of Reading Rainbow, which has delivered 250 episodes to two million children to bring reading to “Every Child, Everywhere.” A board member for the California Department of Developmental Disabilities, he is also a movie producer and executive for films such as Terminator 3, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and K:19 The Widowmaker.
- Samuel Johnson, Jr., is Superintendent Emeritus of the San Mateo Union High School District where his career spans forty-five years in service to higher education. A former board chair of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, he has chaired more than thirty Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation committees.
- Shawn Anthony Robinson, PhD, is a noted educational scholar, author, and entrepreneur. He is a reading instructor at Madison College, a Senior Research Associate in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB), cofounder of Doctor Dyslexia Dude, and a former board member with the International Dyslexia Association.
- Radhika Shah is a tech investor who is passionate about civic engagement, community building and transformative social change. An advisor to Illumen Capital Fund of Impact Funds, she also serves as an advisor to the Stanford Global Center for Gender Equality, the Stanford Business and Human Rights Resource Center, and is Co-President of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs.
- Dr. Tracy Weeden is President and CEO of Neuhaus Education Center where she is dedicated to advancing the mission of literacy success for all. A former teacher and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for the Houston ISD, Dr. Weeden was the Executive Director of Academic Planning for Scholastic Achievement Partners.
Benetech is committed to leveling the playing field with inclusive access to information to reduce social and economic inequity and has delivered over 20 million accessible books to 900,000 users across 91 countries and territories. Benetech’s Bookshare initiative manages six million books, including over a million electronic braille books, audiobooks, and customizable ebooks. Benetech is driving systems-level change in the publishing industry through its Born Accessible initiative and Global Certified Accessible program, partnering with over 1000 publishers worldwide. Harnessing the power of software and data, Benetech serves as the bridge between the technology hub of Silicon Valley and the global social sector with support and funding from government, corporate foundations, family philanthropies and individual donors. For more information about Benetech’s Leadership, please go to: https://benetech.org/about/leadership/
About Benetech
Benetech is a nonprofit dedicated to reducing social and economic inequity in partnership with the communities that we serve through software for social good. Benetech’s initiatives are transforming how students, jobseekers, and older adults across the globe read, learn, and work. Benetech believes that access to information is a human right, and no person should encounter barriers to education, literacy, or employment due to differences or disability. Visit www.benetech.org
