Small team punching way above its weight
Pros
- Joined at a really exciting inflection point. The org was becoming a genuine national voice on AI in education and you could feel the momentum every week - Incredibly mission-driven team. People actually cared about the work, not just the optics - Got to see the organization mature in real time with stronger systems, clearer processes, and a more professional presence, without losing what made it special - Watched leadership grow and learn alongside the organization. They were open about what they didn't know yet and got sharper over time, which set the tone for the whole team - The impact is real. This went from a small team with a big idea to an org reaching hundreds of thousands of students across all 50 states, partnering with major foundations, and shaping how schools think about AI readiness
Cons
- Growing pains are real when you scale fast, and things like role clarity and internal processes sometimes lagged behind the external momentum. That said, the team always recognized it and worked to close the gap - The "figuring it out as we go" energy could occasionally feel chaotic, but honestly that's also what made it exciting and gave everyone a real sense of ownership over the work
