Stride Career Prep
Advisory Board
Advisory Board
Rob Cohen
Rob Cohen
Mr. Cohen joined us as a director in 2019. He is a pioneer in the education industry and has been at the forefront of leveraging technology to reimagine the student learning experience. Cohen was the Founding Chief Financial Officer at 2U Inc., and later served as the Chief Operating Officer and President, where he was integral in growing the company from inception to scale. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of SPi Global and is an executive advisor to these fast-growing education technology companies: 2U, Trilogy Education Services, and Zybooks.
Mr. Cohen began his career at The Princeton Review as the founder of the organization's largest franchise network. During his tenure, he held a number of executive roles, including Executive Vice President and General Manager of the K–12 Division; Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Development; and Chief Financial Officer of the K–12 Test Prep Divisions.
Mr. Cohen attended Princeton University and is a former board member for The Princeton Review.
John Engler
John Engler
Mr. Engler joined us as a director in October 2012. He served as President of the Business Roundtable from January 2011 to January 2017. From 2004 to 2011, Mr. Engler served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Manufacturers. He was President of State and Local Government and Vice President of Government Solutions for North America for Electronic Data Systems Corporation from 2003 to 2004.
Mr. Engler served as Michigan's 46th governor for three terms from 1991 to 2003. He currently serves as an independent trustee of the Fidelity Fixed Income and Asset Allocation Funds. He also served on the board of directors of Universal Forest Products Inc., from 2003 to 2018 and as a director of Munder Capital Management. Previously, Mr. Engler served as a director of Northwest Airlines from 2003 to 2008; as a director of Dow Jones & Company, Inc., from 2005 to 2007; and as a director of Delta Airlines from 2008 to 2012.
Mr. Engler holds a BS in agricultural economics from Michigan State University and a JD from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Mr. Engler was selected as a director because of his executive and legislative expertise as a state governor, including state education budgets, and for his business experience. The Board of Directors also benefits from Mr. Engler's perspective as a director of numerous public companies and as a member of their audit committees.
Nicole Lewis
Nicole Lewis
Ms. Lewis is an award-winning marketing and sales executive and the founder of Nicole Lewis & Associates, a business strategy and development consultancy. Ms. Lewis is the quintessential fixer, change-agent, and trusted advisor who delivers actionable solutions for complex challenges. A passionate communicator and results-oriented strategist, she helps her clients capitalize on innovative and unrealized growth opportunities and expand their profitability through untapped revenue streams.
Throughout her career, she developed creative strategies, innovative products, and advised Fortune 100 companies. Prior to launching Nicole Lewis & Associates in 2017, Ms. Lewis held executive positions with Vista Maria, Kelly Services, Inc., Adecco, and UPS.
Ms. Lewis is also committed to advocating for access and opportunities. She volunteers as President-elect for the National Association of Women Business Owners Greater Detroit Chapter, Wayne State University Irvin D. Reid Honors College Board of Visitors, and Impact100 Metro Detroit.
She received a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in marketing from Wayne State University where she is now an adjunct instructor in the Honors College.
Dr. Shaun McAlmont
Dr. Shaun McAlmont
Dr. McAlmont, President of Career Learning Solutions, manages all aspects of Stride's growing career readiness programs including Stride Career Prep and Stride Corporate and Career Development. He is responsible for providing career-readiness and workforce development solutions for both teen and adult learners around the country that go beyond jobs traditionally aligned with vocational education to emerging new collar jobs of the future.
Prior to joining Stride, Dr. McAlmont served as CEO of Neumont College of Computer Science and prior to that as President and CEO of Lincoln Educational Services, a provider of professional skills training with multiple "Lincoln Tech" locations across the country. Originally hired to manage distance learning programs, he eventually oversaw all aspects of the company including operations, sales and marketing, and government and investor relations. Before his decade-long tenure at Lincoln Educational Services, Dr. McAlmont served as President of the Online Learning Division at Alta Colleges.
A former NCAA and international athlete, Dr. McAlmont leveraged his success in athletics to inform his business career trajectory, notably writing his doctoral dissertation on advising collegiate athletes on academic and career success. He earned a doctoral degree in higher education, graduating with distinction, from the University of Pennsylvania. He has a master's degree in education administration from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University. He currently serves on the BYU Marriott School of Management National Advisory Council and the Board of Directors at BorgWarner.
Sabari Raja
Sabari Raja
Ms. Raja is a co-founder of the fast growing edtech company, Nepris Inc., an innovative cloud-based platform linking industry and education to inspire students through real-world connections and career exposure.
She has worked in education technology for 18 years, leading product and content strategy, business development, publisher relations, and emerging market growth. Raja is passionate about working with educators to translate their needs into scalable technology solutions. She is on the board of Friends of Texas Public Schools, the Texas Girls Collaborative Project, and Workforce Solutions Capital Area. She has special interest in engaging girls and minorities in STEM. Ms. Raja also speaks on the topic of entrepreneurship and education technology at such venues as SXSWEdu, Smartbrief, TEDx, and TCEA.
She received an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from India, a masters' degree in computer science from Louisiana State University, and an executive MBA from Cox School of Business, SMU.
Dr. Robert Sommers
Dr. Robert Sommers
Dr. Sommers is a co-founder of CF Educational Solutions, a company that seeks to be a catalyst for breakthrough student success and growth through working with school systems.
He founded charter management organizations including Cornerstone Charter Schools in Detroit. He also served as superintendent of Butler Technology and Career Development Schools, where under his leadership, the district doubled in size, became the highest performing career-technical district, and was known for creative educational programs including blended learning schools.
Dr. Sommers served the Oklahoma and Ohio Governors as Secretary of Education and Education Policy Advisor, respectively. He has also led the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. He was also instrumental in transforming performance monitoring systems, program evaluation approaches, and career-technical funding systems with the Ohio Department of Education.
Dr. Sommers started his career as an agricultural education teacher and earned the Ohio Outstanding Young Agriculture Teacher Award. He has since earned widespread state and community recognition for contributions to business, education, and community service.
He received a doctorate from The Ohio State University, where he also earned his master's degree. His undergraduate alma mater is Miami University.
Rodney Whitmore
Rodney Whitmore
Mr. Whitmore is a strategic thought-leader who brings extensive experience in improving the performance of domestic and global corporations across multiple industries. He is the Chief HR Officer at Great Minds, the innovative education design organization that provides exemplary curricula for K through 12 students to schools and districts nationwide. Prior to his tenure with Great Minds, he was the Chief HR Officer at George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates, where he led the culture transformation of this academic healthcare organization. In this role, he partnered with the Board of Trustees and the "C-Suite" to drive business performance with a focus on diversity and inclusion, corporate governance, executive development, and succession planning.
Prior to the MFA, Mr. Whitmore served as the Senior Vice President, Human Resources for The Economist Group, where he designed, directed, and executed the worldwide human capital strategy. The Economist Group is the leading source of analysis on international business and world affairs through a range of formats, from newspaper and magazines to conferences and electronic services. His career also includes senior leadership roles at Cardinal Health and PepsiCo.
Mr. Whitmore serves as an adjunct professor in the School of Professional and Extended Studies at American University. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, the MetLife Customer Advisory Board, the Chief HR Executives Network of the Society of Human Resource Management, the Senior Human Resource Executive Forum, and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. He also serves on the Executive Advisory Council of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.
