Stages Advisors
When I returned to school at 40 to pursue a master’s in education, many people asked what I could possibly learn in a classroom that I didn’t learn after decades in business. My classes and fellow students challenged me to dig deeper … to continuously put the user first in product design and development, to apply the framework of Universal Design for Learning so that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities, and to understand Stages' value and position in the ecosystem of existing autism education programs.
Without question, however, the greatest value I gained during my time in Cambridge has been in the people I met. I am eternally grateful for the advice, support and friendship of John Richards, David Dockterman, Chris Dede and Kathy Hurley. With brilliant careers focused on educational innovation and entrepreneurship, each is deeply dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders who are working to improve the state of education worldwide. Stages is a better company, and I am a better person, through their mentorship.
~ Angela Nelson
Chris Dede, Ed.D.
Chris Dede is a Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was for 22 years its Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies. His fields of scholarship include emerging technologies, policy, and leadership. From 2001-2004, he was Chair of the HGSE department of Teaching and Learning. In 2007, he was honored by Harvard University as an outstanding teacher, and in 2011 he was named a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association.
David Dockterman, Ed.D.
David Dockterman (Doc) bridges research and practice, co-founding Tom Snyder Productions while earning his doctorate at Harvard. With over 30 years of experience, he now serves as Chief Architect, Learning Sciences at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and lectures at Harvard. Doc has designed award-winning programs like Decisions, Decisions and Science Court, and recently advised on MATH180 and READ 180 Universal. He is a Fellow of the International Society for Design and Development in Education and a Senior Fellow at the International Center for Leadership in Education.
John Richards, Ph.D.
John Richards, Ph.D., is the Founder and President of Consulting Services for Education, Inc. (CS4Ed) and a Lecturer at Harvard, where he teaches Entrepreneurship in the Education Marketplace. Formerly, he led the JASON Foundation, Turner Learning, and the Educational Technologies Division at Bolt Beranek and Newman. John has served on numerous education boards, including NECC and SIIA, and has received multiple Golden Lamps, CODIEs, and Emmy nominations. A noted speaker, he has authored four books and over 90 articles, overseeing the publication of 1,000+ educational products.
Kathy Hurley
Kathy Hurley, President of Kathy Hurley Consulting LLC, is a 40+ year veteran in education with expertise in marketing and sales. She advises leading companies and nonprofits and serves on boards including Concord Consortium and NCTET. Co-founder of Girls Thinking Global, now part of the Women’s Education Project, Kathy also co-edited Real Women, Real Leaders. Previously, she was Executive VP at the Pearson Foundation. Kathy splits her time between Punta Gorda, FL, and Asbury Park, NJ.
