BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Thabiti is the CEO and founder of Thabiti Brown Consulting. Until June 2023, Thabiti was the Head of School at Codman Academy Charter Public School.  He joined the school as the founding Humanities teacher in 2001 before serving as Academic Dean and Codman’s first Principal. 

Prior to joining Codman, he taught at the Beacon School in New York and at the International School of Panama. Thabiti is the recipient of a Milken Educator Award, EL Education’s Silverberg Leadership Award, and was named by the Boston Chamber of Commerce as one of Ten Outstanding Young Leaders. Most recently, Thabiti was named a 2019 Barr Fellow. Thabiti’s special interest is in schools as laboratories for producing social justice warriors. He is a proud member of a number of boards including the Codman Square Health Center, Invest in Girls and the American Repertory Theater. 

Thabiti is a graduate of Brown University (BA in American Civilizations & Urban Studies) and Teachers College – Columbia University (MA in Social Studies).

Shannah brings her background as a veteran educator and education non-profit leader. As Managing Director of the Breakthrough Results Team, Shannah is responsible for ensuring that District Management Group (DMGroup) brings the best thinking and performance coaching supports to district on-the-ground teams to create the catalytic results for students. Shannah joined DMGroup part-time in October 2024, and full-time in January 2025.

Professional Experiences Include:

• Executive Director of Teach For America Massachusetts, responsible for supporting 200 first- and second-year teachers and over 2,800 alumni impacting the achievement of 30,000 students in 55 public schools in five Massachusetts cities. 
• Executive Director of Boston Collegiate Charter School, a 5th-12th grade public charter school with 700 students and 135 staff responsible for fulfilling the school’s mission of preparing each student for college. Led team to ensure 100% acceptance of graduates to 4-year colleges.
• Strategy consultant the Parthenon Group, an education-focused management consulting firm. Designed and implemented strategic planning retreats for one of the nation’s largest districts. 
• Bilingual self-contained special education teacher in Mercedes, TX. 

Education:

• BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, summa cum laude
• MBA from Harvard Business School with distinction

Boards and Other Activities:

• Multiple nonprofit boards focused on school excellence and youth mentoring.
• Senior Fellow at the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, responsible for mentoring nonprofit leaders.

Nina Ross is the Co-Founder and President of Rostam, a Boston-based investment firm, and is responsible for the firm’s investment practice. Previously, Nina was the Board Chair of Boston Collegiate Charter School, a public school serving students in grades 5-12 in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and has also served on the school’s Foundation Board. Nina was also a Founding Trustee of The Chorus Foundation, a spend down foundation that worked for a just transition to a regenerative economy in the United States. Nina is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.

Jennie McDonald-Brown is an accomplished education leader with nearly fifteen years of experience in leading programs and driving philanthropic growth and community partnerships across Greater Boston. In her current role as Vice President of Advancement at Urban College of Boston she leads all fundraising, donor communications, and external relations to advance student success and institutional priorities. Previously, she held senior leadership roles at Roxbury Community College, Breakthrough Greater Boston and Boston Public Schools. Jennie serves on the boards of Breakthrough Greater Boston, Young Man With a Plan, and Someone Else’s Child/Boston Explorers. She holds degrees from Rollins College, Boston College, and Harvard University, and resides in Roxbury with her wife and two sons.

Yasmine Anderson is the CEO of BWC, Inc. and a population health professional at Boston Medical Center. Her background includes a VVN Fellowship, pilot research at MIT, Board membership as Co-Chair of the Development Committee for The Philanthropy Connection, and serving as a stakeholder for the White House Office of Public Engagement. Yasmine is a leading advocate for democratizing autonomy over health and education through a human-rights lens. Her passions span health strategy, federal lobbying, legislation, and international affairs, with a focus on translating policy into tangible outcomes. She holds a BA in Biology from Xavier University of Louisiana and is deeply committed to building sustainable, solution-driven pathways that empower minority thought leaders.