Lise Ragan, former English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, has been a publisher, editor, and author of instructional materials for English learners (ELs) and resources for their teachers for over three decades. In 1993, Lise founded Course Crafters, a curriculum development company that specializes in developing programs for the EL market. Since then, she has developed scores of successful instructional programs and professional development offerings to ensure the academic success of the EL student population, Pre-K through Grade 12. Lise has also been an EL trainer, coach, and consultant to school districts and educational organizations, including educational publishers, educational technology companies, and non-profit organizations. She is recognized internationally for her research and expertise in the EL market.

Sylvia Acevedo, has enjoyed a broad business career, serving as an executive for several Fortune100 companies, such as IBM, DELL, and Apple. Since 2007, Sylvia has used her engineering expertise as a social entrepreneur to create scalable solutions in education and health, especially for English language learners and their families. Sylvia has developed a curriculum for Pre-K readiness used to train Spanish-only speaking mothers and their toddlers. In addition, she has created national mobilization campaigns that have drawn over 225,000 attendees and built scalable systems that gave 250,000 books, 25,000 toothbrushes, 15,000 playground balls, and 1,000 pairs of eyeglasses to children in need. President Obama named Sylvia to the White House Commission for Educational Excellence for Hispanics where she serves as Chair of the Early Childhood Subcommittee.