Focused on maximizing outcomes, Chris uses individualization to develop and leverage the strengths of those around him.

Paired with his ability to connect on a deeper level, he excels at managing our client relationships, developing value-based strategies for school partners, and guides our vision to keep our school and organizational partners at the forefront of everything we do.

Before co-founding Fulcrum, Chris served as the Principal of Chicago Collegiate Charter School where he led it to a Level 1+ rating (the highest designation given to Chicago Public Schools) for two years in a row. His experience also includes serving as a founding teacher at Gary Comer College Prep, a Noble Network of Charter Schools campus, and later as its first Alumni College Coordinator supporting students’ transition to and through college.

Chris holds a B.S. in Biology from Indiana University and an M.A. in Teaching from National-Louis University. He was also a participant in the Fisher Fellowship for School Leaders.

Fueled by a deep commitment to elevate the voices of all, Jasmine is dedicated to supporting schools in creating systems that empower teachers, staff, students, parents, and the entire school community. 

Her mission is clear: to ensure that every decision is led by those it affects most, creating a school that thrives on shared leadership and equity.

In all that she does, Jasmine Juárez is guided by a singular belief: that when leaders lead with their values, they create the most significant and lasting impact. She is committed to ensuring that those she supports recognize their inherent power and potential, inspiring them to transform their communities for the better. With over a decade of leadership experience, Jasmine has impacted students from primary to high school, building cultures of continuous improvement by fostering relationships between school and community. Her strategic leadership focuses on achieving results while shifting mindsets to inspire a collective vision of success.

Jasmine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with endorsements in Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language, Mathematics, Science, and Middle School, a Master of Education in Instructional Leadership: Educational Studies, and a Doctor of Education in Urban Education Leadership. She is also the recipient of the CPS Principal Game Changer Award (2023) and completed the Cahn Leadership Lab Fellowship. Jasmine is committed to developing a leadership pipeline for leaders of color and is also a leadership coach for the Aspire Fellowship and Illinois Principals Association Administrator mentor. As a mentor, Dr. Juárez hopes to inspire leaders of color to “stop wondering if they are worth it” and to recognize how powerful they already are.

As a strategist, Isiah brings a wealth of knowledge of best practices on how to best serve historically underserved students at an exceptionally high level.

As a seasoned educational leader, Emily is passionate about supporting and advocating for diverse cultural and linguistic communities. 

With a focus on fostering a culture of continuous learning and driving school improvement, she approaches her work with empathy and compassion.  With experience in various roles, from instructional support leader and principal to school improvement specialist, Emily values the uniqueness that each school community fosters from within. 

Before joining Fulcrum, Emily spent over two decades in various educational roles in New York City, Wisconsin, and Chicago. Her leadership experience spans from elementary to high school and includes supporting schools at the Network level. As a parent, she is committed to supporting school advancement and serves on her local school councils. 

Emily holds a B.A. in Journalism and Spanish from Marquette University, an M.A. in Urban Education Studies from Adelphi University, and an M.Ed. in Education Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Enthusiastic about development and problem solving, Katie cultivates teachers’ and leaders’ potential to continually strengthen and develop their practice.

As a collaborative thought partner, she embraces the challenge of analyzing symptoms, brainstorming possible causes, and experimenting with different solutions to find ways to improve and transform instructional outcomes for all students.

Before joining Fulcrum, Katie served as a Special Education teacher, Reading Specialist, Response to Intervention (RTI) Coordinator, Instructional Coach, and school leader in public and charter schools in Washington, DC.

Katie holds a B.A. in Psychology & Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a M.Ed. in Literacy Curriculum & Instruction from American University. She is also certified in Wilson Reading System Level 1 and trained in Lexia’s Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading & Spelling (LETRS).

Before joining Fulcrum, Andrea spent five years working in EdTech, five years in gaming and hospitality, and over five years in various public and private accounting firm roles. One of her most notable roles was Controller for Kickboard, which led to an Accounting Manager role with PowerSchool.

Andrea holds a B.S. in Accounting and a minor in Business Administration from Xavier University of Louisiana. Although she has not physically worked in a classroom, Andrea prides herself on giving back to her Alma Mater by joining the Youth Motivating Task Force (YMTF). In this role, she speaks to students every year over a two—to three-day period, guiding them through school and into adulthood.

As a human-centered leader, Max enjoys leveraging relationships to enhance opportunities and outcomes for all members of a school community.

Max is a relationship-driven educator who believes strong school communities lead to better outcomes for students and adults alike. He brings a practical understanding of how schools work day to day and supports leaders and teachers in navigating both current challenges and long-term goals.

Before joining Fulcrum, Max served as a classroom teacher and instructional coach and then spent more than 10 years as a school leader in public and private schools across urban and suburban settings. He brings over 25 years of experience to his work as a partner.

Max holds a B.A. from Brandeis University, an M.S. in Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education, an M.S. in School Administration and Supervision from Fordham University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Concordia University–Chicago. He also holds a Superintendent license and Special Education and Bilingual/ESL endorsements.

Using his strengths in strategy and ideation, Cal supports us in developing high-quality support strategies for external partners and looking at the larger vision and direction for Fulcrum’s growth and impact.

Before founding Fulcrum, Cal’s experience as an instructional leader at the school and district level allowed him to see the specific problems that we work to solve in schools. He worked in the Chicago Public Schools Central Office managing the city’s Early College STEM Schools, served as Lead Dean of Instruction in the Noble Network of Charter Schools, and trained hundreds of beginning teachers as a Curriculum Specialist and Curriculum Coordinator through Teach For America.

Cal holds a B.S. in Chemistry and French from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and an M.A. in teaching from National-Louis University. He is currently a doctoral student at the University of Washington in Seattle working towards his Ph.D. in educational policy, organizations, and leadership.

As a deliberative, context-based leader, Rickie primarily works on Partner and Business Administration and supporting School Leadership teams on strategy, instruction, and implementation.

He focuses on facilitative coaching and authentic learning to develop the capacity of the individuals and organizations he works with. He also oversees our strategic priorities.

Before joining Fulcrum, Rickie spent nearly a dozen years in schools where half his time was dedicated to leadership roles, including Principal of Namaste Charter School. He then moved to the start-up world where he led the business and academic side of Learnmetrics, a school performance data analytics company, as the Chief Academic Officer.

Rickie holds a B.S. in Economics and History with a minor in Spanish from Vanderbilt University, a M.Ed. in Elementary Curriculum and Instruction from UNLV, and an M.A. in Education Administration from Dominican University.